Kyle Connor drives Jets’ power play in tight 3-2 win over Red Wings

Kyle Connor scored twice on the power play and added an assist on a third man-advantage marker Sunday as the Winnipeg Jets edged the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in Detroit. Cole Perfetti supplied the other Jets goal and chipped in two assists, while Josh Morrissey also finished with a pair of helpers.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner turned aside 33 shots to secure Winnipeg’s first win of the season, coming on the heels of an overtime loss to the Boston Bruins in the opener on Friday. At the other end, John Gibson made 24 saves for Detroit, which dropped to 0-2 after being shut out 2-0 by the New York Rangers in its first game.

Jets cash in on early Red Wings penalties

Winnipeg took control in the first period by striking on back-to-back power plays created by unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to Keegan Kolesar and J.T. Compher. Perfetti opened the scoring on the first opportunity, and Connor quickly followed with a man-advantage tally of his own to put the Jets firmly in front.

Connor added his second power-play goal from the right circle in the middle frame, giving Winnipeg a three-goal cushion. That surge with the extra skater proved critical for a Jets team still without regular starter Connor Hellebuyck, who remains on the suspended/inactive list after requesting a trade.

Red Wings rally falls short amid key absences

Detroit finally broke through late in the second period, when Viktor Arvidsson ended the club’s season-opening scoring drought with 3:08 remaining. Emmitt Finnie cut the deficit to one at 4:56 of the third, setting up a tense finish as the Red Wings pressed for the equalizer.

The Red Wings had a late power play but could not convert, and Skinner preserved the lead with a sharp stop on Lucas Raymond in the final minute. Detroit was missing several notable players, including captain Dylan Larkin with an upper-body injury, unsigned defenceman Simon Edvinsson and forward Marco Kasper, also out with an upper-body issue. On the Winnipeg side, Hellebuyck’s absence lingered in the background, as both he and Larkin have trade requests pending, adding an extra layer of intrigue to an early-season meeting between two clubs already linked to off-ice drama.