Tavares’ Hat Trick Interrupts the Winnipeg Jets’ Winning Streak

Summary:

• The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-4 on Monday. 
• John Tavares had a hat trick while Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly each scored a goal; William Nylander netted one and had two assists.
• The Jets’ unbeaten streak has come to an end following the defeat.

The Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Winnipeg Jets its first defeat of the season with help from Mississauga-born John Tavares (34) who netted the 12th hat trick of his career and propelled his team to a 6-4 victory.

The Jets, previously the NHL’s last unbeaten team, had opened the season with a franchise-record eight consecutive victories. The impressive winning streak came to an end on Monday night. 

Leafs Scored Season-High in Goals

Craig Berube’s team scored a season-high in goals, even though they were all at even strength. 

The Leafs’ power play, which entered the game at 10 percent (3 for 30), remained ineffective on two opportunities.

Calgary-born William Nylander (28) contributed a goal and two assists, while 22-year-old Matthew Knies from Phoenix, Arizona, and 30-year-old Morgan Rielly from Vancouver also found the net for Toronto, which snapped a three-game skid (0-2-1). 

Canaan, Connecticut-born Max Pacioretty (36), elevated from the fourth to the second line, added three assists while Anthony Stolarz (30) from Edison, New Jersey made 19 saves. Tavares said about Pacioretty on the Prime broadcast after the game. 

Patch has been a really good player for a long time and understands what you need to do to impact the game

Pacioretty, who had been benched in a couple of games as he worked to regain his form following a long recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, shared with Prime the challenge of finding his place in Toronto.

It can go two ways; you can try to force the play – or play the right way.

Strong Special-Teams Play for the Jets

For Winnipeg, Kyle Connor tallied three goals (two power-play goals) and an assist, extending his point streak to nine games (nine goals, five assists).

The 27-year-old born in Shelby Township set a franchise record for the longest point streak to start a season, surpassing the previous mark set by former captain Blake Wheeler in 2015-16.

Kitchener, Canada-born Mark Scheifele (31) added a goal and an assist, while Calgary-born Josh Morrissey (29) had three assists for the Jets. 

Michigan-born goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (31) stopped 30 shots. Still, the Jets fell into a 4-0 deficit by 3:25 of the second period due to uncharacteristic defensive lapses. 

Their strong special-teams play helped mitigate the damage, helping them kill off two penalties.

After outshooting the Jets 19-6 and scoring twice in the first period, Winnipeg’s slot coverage faltered, allowing Knies to bury a rebound just 56 seconds into the second period, stretching the Leafs’ lead to 3-0.

Up next, the Maple Leafs will host Seattle Kraken on Thursday, while the Jets are getting ready to head to Detroit to play against the Red Wings on Wednesday. Get the best NHL odds and opportunities for the season with Betting.ca.