Jets Overcome 2-0 Deficit to Defeat Senators 4-2 – The Hockey Writers Winnipeg Jets Latest News, Analysis & More

The Winnipeg Jets overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Canada Life Centre Saturday night.

Goals 1:32 apart in the third period by Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers proved to be the difference in a game that was tied 2-2 and could have gone either way to that point.

PPG executed to PERFECTION 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/x0Wow69z4i

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 29, 2024

The Jets improved to 26-10-1 with the victory and have now won three straight. The Senators fell to 18-15-2 with the loss and have dropped two straight after enjoying a six-game winning streak.

Senators Bag Pair on Power Play

The contest was both team’s first out of the holiday break, but neither appeared to be suffering a turkey hangover as they played with excellent pace from the opening puck drop.

The Senators opened the scoring halfway through the first period on the power play. Tim Stutzle was left wide open by the side of the net and easily potted a Drake Batherson cross-crease pass past Connor Hellebuyck.

The Senators found man-advantage pay dirt again early in the second. In the first half of a Vilardi high-sticking double minor, Ridly Greig deflected in a Thomas Chabot point shot to double the lead.

Jets First Line Responds With Pair at Even Strength

The Jets got one past Mads Sogaard, who was making his second start of the season, at 12:46 to cut the lead to 2-1. Winnipeg’s first line, which combined for 11 points in their previous game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 23, converted when Kyle Connor rifled home a shot from between the hash marks after receiving a Mark Scheifele pass from behind the net. Scheifele’s assist was a nifty one as he passed the puck to himself off the end boards in a successful evasive maneuver.

81 and 55’s chemistry has gotta be studied at this point 😵‍💫🤭 pic.twitter.com/KhFJC1dHOk

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 29, 2024

2:15 later, Scheifele struck for a goal of his own, chipping a backhander past Sogaard’s short side on a partial breakaway. Ehlers’ primary assist, like Scheifele’s, was a nice one as he chipped it to Scheifele from the neutral zone.

Teams Trade Chances in Third, Vilardi & Ehlers go Back to Back

The Senators generated a couple good chances early in the third and then received a fourth power play when Ville Heinola was sent off for tripping. However, the Jets killed it off and their first line continued to be a handful thereafter, pinning the Senators down in the offensive zone. Eventually, Sogaard took a tripping minor of his own during a scramble.

On the ensuing power play, Vilardi, in his net-front “office,” one-timed in an Ehlers cross-crease pass to give the Jets their first lead of the night. Ehlers then scored a goal of his own when the Senators, looking lackadaisical on defence, allowed him to zip unencumbered into the zone and rip a shot past Sogaard.

The Senators pulled Sogaard with three minutes remaining in favour of the extra attacker, but couldn’t get another puck by Hellebuyck.

Notes & Observations

The Senators were without red-hot goaltender Linus Ullmark, who did not travel with the team due to a back injury, and without backup goalie Anton Forsberg as well. Leevi Merilainen dressed as backup.

The Jets went one for three on the power play, while the Senators went 2-4. The shots were 36-23 in favour of the Senators.

Connor’s goal extended his scoring streak to six games. Ehlers paced all players with three points. No one on the Senators had multiple points.

Related: Jets and Moose Return from Holiday Break on Different Trajectories

During one sequence halfway through the second with the Senators up 2-0, Josh Norris and Cole Perfetti both hit the post within a few seconds of each other.

The attendance was 14,734.

The Senators are back in action tomorrow when they visit the Minnesota Wild in the second game of the second leg of a nine-game road trip separated by the holiday break (the 2025 World Junior Championship is currently taking place in their home arena.) The Jets’ next game is Monday, Dec. 30 when they host the Nashville Predators at Canada Life Centre.