Jordan Staal scored twice in a 4-3 Carolina Hurricanes victory Friday that put a damper on Eric Comrie’s first game as the Winnipeg Jets’ starting goaltender.
Comrie was replacing star netminder Connor Hellebuyck, whom the team said Friday was undergoing arthroscopic surgery for a knee problem dating back to training camp. He’s expected to be out four to six weeks.
The former backup made 24 saves for Winnipeg (12-8-0) and is 4-2-0 this season.
Gabriel Vilardi scored twice and defenceman Josh Morrissey added a goal for Winnipeg, extending his point streak to seven games with four goals and seven assists.
Seth Jarvis scored shorthanded for Carolina (14-5-2) and K’Andre Miller and Sebastian Aho each contributed a pair of assists. Backup netminder Brandon Bussi stopped 24 shots.
Staal scored 16 seconds into the game, making a move to get around Jets defencemen Dylan Samberg and firing the puck past Comrie on the stick side.
Morrissey tied it up with his fifth goal of the season at 3:45, followed by Vilardi’s power-play marker at 9:28 after a Carolina turnover.
Staal notched his second of the game when he got his stick on Jalen Chatfield’s point shot at 3:08 of the second period. Jarvis scored his 11th goal the season at 6:31.
Svechnikov stretched the lead to 4-2 three minutes into the third and Vilardi made it a one-goal game 54 seconds later.
Jets: Winnipeg’s defence needed to step up without Hellebuyck and Morrissey provided the first goal after a pass from Mark Scheifele. The top-line centre has 28 points through the first 20 games, tying his 2021-22 career-best through that span.
Hurricanes: The Jets played a video tribute in the first period for Carolina forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who played 674 games for Winnipeg before signing with the Hurricanes in the off-season. Ehlers skated away from the Carolina bench and clapped his gloves for the cheering second sellout crowd of the season at Canada Life Centre.
Ehlers sent a no-look pass across the front of the net for Svechnikov, who beat Comrie at 3:19 of the third for a 4-2 cushion that was needed after the Jets quickly replied with a goal.
Carolina, which is 3-0-2 in its last five games, has scored three or more goals in each of those outings.
Jets: Conclude three-game homestand Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Wild.
Hurricanes: End their four-game road trip in Buffalo Sunday afternoon against the Sabres.
