Cole Perfetti got rewarded for not giving up.
Perfetti’s third-period goal in a 3-1 Winnipeg Jets’ victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday had the sellout crowd cheering and his teammates impressed.
The 23-year-old product of Whitby, Ont., moved the puck through defenceman Derek Forbort’s legs and then fired a wrist shot past Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko.
“I’ve tried it a couple times here and there. It’s never worked out to be a goal, but I’ve got around the guy a couple times,” said Perfetti, who recorded his 16th goal of the season.
“But, yeah, it’s just kind of more confidence and just experience of understanding when you know the timing of everything. Not a play that you’re going to make most of the time, but once in a while it’s nice to do that.”
Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Mason Appleton also scored in the team’s third consecutive victory.
“I think everyone kind of gives each other that wow look,” Appleton said of the players’ reaction to Perfetti’s goal.
“You don’t see goals like that too often. Obviously, Fetts’ is a super-skilled player. He made a great move and the finish was just as impressive. We were all wowed and looking for him to smile there.”
The Jets gained some valuable space between their nearest competitor in the NHL standings.
Winnipeg’s 106 points (51-19-4) leads the Western Conference and Central Division, six points ahead of idle Dallas. The Stars have a game in hand.
The Jets also remain first overall in the league after Washington (103 points) lost 8-5 to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. The Capitals have a game in hand.
Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Jets in front of a fifth straight sellout crowd of 15,225 at Canada Life Centre.
Pius Suter scored his 22nd of the season for the Canucks (34-27-13) and Thatcher Demko stopped 24 shots as the team ended its six-game road trip with a 2-2-2 record.
Vancouver is still fighting for the second wild-card spot in the conference, six points back of both the Minnesota Wild and surging St. Louis Blues, who didn’t play Sunday. The Canucks and Wild each have a game in hand on the Blues.
“You know the big picture, obviously,” Suter said. “But you can only focus on one game at a time and just battle hard and make sure the next game we get two points out there, and then go from there.
“You can’t really think too much at this point about all the other teams. You’ve just got to win.”
Suter scored from the slot with 1:05 remaining in the opening period, a goal upheld after a Winnipeg challenge for offside.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet praised his players for their effort.
“I thought they played hard,” he said. “Came down to kind of a goalmouth scramble.
“But I thought for the most part — that’s a good hockey team that has a chance to win a (Stanley) Cup, and I thought we went head-to-head with them really well.”
Connor tied it at 9:26 of the second to record his team-leading 38th goal of the season. He’s reached 90 points for the second time in his career, three points off his career-best.
After Appleton scored the 2-1 goal at 6:24 of the third, fourth-year winger Perfetti dazzled with his marker just under six minutes later.
“Pretty impressive,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said of Perfetti’s goal. “I’m not sure that defenceman was ready or expecting him to do that. He makes a great move, but then, that was a heck of a shot.”
Winnipeg ended its four-game homestand going 3-1-0 and head out for a three-game road trip, starting Tuesday against the Los Angeles King. The Canucks host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
