Winnipeg Jets launch season with 6-0 win over Edmonton Oilers
The Winnipeg Jets got to work putting last season's playoff disappointment behind them with Wednesday's season-opening trouncing of a team that went a lot further in the post-season.
Mason Appleton had a goal and two assists and goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for his 38th career shutout in a 6-0 thumping of the host Edmonton Oilers.
The Jets posted the fourth-best record in the NHL last season at 52-24-6, but exited the playoffs in the first round with a 4-1 series loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Oilers reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final and came agonizingly close to taking it in a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.
"To come into Edmonton, we know the roster they have here, they're a great team and to get the first win of the season right away, it's a good feeling and we're going to look to build on that," said Jets forward Adam Lowry, who had a goal and an assist.
Winnipeg's new head coach Scott Arniel said it's important the Jets put last season's conclusion in their rear-view mirror quickly, and the convincing win over Edmonton was a terrific start on that.
"It's great, just to get the season off on a good note," Arniel said. "I did have a sleepless night just worrying about some of these guys on the other team there and how powerful they are as a group.
"You want to go through camp, you want to make sure you have a good start to the year and this is a good way of doing it.
"It's a road win in a tough barn. We'll take that and move on."
Hellebuyck continued the form that earned him the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie last season and for the second time in his career.
The 31-year-old helped hold prolific Oilers producers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl off the scoresheet.
"The guys in front of me were just keeping everything outside, allowing me to see pucks, allowing me to feel it, clearing rebounds, clearing lanes," Hellebuyck said.
"They made my night really easy. Once in a while I made a big save, which allowed me to feel like a part of the team."
The Jets didn't tinker with their forwards as the 12 who started Wednesday were the same 12 who played last year's opener.
Rasmus Kupari, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Dylan Samburg also scored for the Jets.
Connor scored in his team's season-opener for an NHL-record seventh consecutive year.
"We just came out and one line did what they needed to do, the next line came out and did the same thing," Arniel said. "To win it the way that we did is big against that team."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
First-ever human case of H5 avian influenza in Canada found in B.C.: officials
B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.
Death confirmed at Ambassador Bridge after hours-long closure
More details have been released about a police investigation at the Ambassador Bridge that connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, MI.
After Trump’s win, some women are considering the 4B movement
Women are sharing information on social media about a feminist movement in which straight women refuse to marry, have children, date or have sex with men.
Woman killed after truck crashes through Fort McMurray Boston Pizza
A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.
Flower delivery leads to arrest for St. Thomas, Ont. resident
St. Thomas police say they arrested a 72-year-old St. Thomas resident after their ex-partner reported receiving flowers and a note left on the porch.
Cornwall, Ont. prepares for potential influx of asylum seekers following U.S. election
As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.
Here are new guidelines for preventing stroke
The majority of strokes could be prevented, according to new guidelines aimed at helping people and their doctors do just that.
Opinion Was music really better when you were younger? Or is your mind deceiving you?
As I see other generations of music lovers say music was so much better when they were younger, I wondered why. We can’t all be right — or maybe we are? I talked to experts in how music influences our brains to find out.
Actor Tony Todd, known for his role in the movie 'Candyman' and its sequel, dies at 69
Actor Tony Todd, known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and roles in many other films and television shows, has died, his longtime manager confirmed. He was 69.