Little leads Jets past Hurricanes
WINNIPEG — Bryan Little slammed home the winner, his first goal of the season, as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Sunday night to open a six-game home stand.
Patrick Laine broke open the scoreless game at 4:14 of the third and Kyle Connor added an empty-net goal with one second left to play as all three Jets (3-2-0) goals came in the third period.
Backup goalie Laurent Brossoit stopped 42 shots in net for Winnipeg.
Micheal Ferland tied it up for Carolina (4-1-1) a few minutes after Laine’s goal. Petr Mrazek made saves on 23 of 25 shots for the Hurricanes. Laine one-timed a pass from Blake Wheeler on a power play to put the Jets ahead early in the third.
The lead lasted until Ferland poked home a shot from Dougie Hamilton that was drifting behind Brossoit on Winnipeg’s goal-line.
The Hurricanes went into the game undefeated in regulation play and dominated the first period, outshooting Winnipeg 18-6.
But they couldn’t crack Brossoit, making his backup debut as Connor Hellebuyck got his first night off this season.
The Jets had more chances in the second but Mrazek and the Carolina goalposts stopped everything they could throw his way. HEARING TODAY Panthers defenceman Mike Matheson will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety today as a result of his hit on Vancouver Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson on Saturday night in Florida.
Pettersson was taken hard into the end boards and slammed to the ice by Matheson in the third period of Vancouver’s 3-2 win. There was no penalty on the play.
The 19-year-old Swedish centre appeared woozy afterwards and needed assistance to get to the locker-room. He did not return to the game.
In a post on its official Twitter feed on Sunday, the Department of Player Safety said Matheson would have a hearing for “interference/unsportsmanlike conduct” on Pettersson.
After the game, Canucks head coach Travis Green called the hit “a dirty play.”
Pettersson has eight points (5-3) in five games this season. He was selected by the Canucks with the fifth overall pick in last year’s NHL Entry Draft.
Fourth-line centre Jay Beagle also left the game with an apparent hand/wrist injury after blocking a shot.
A team spokesman said the Canucks were travelling Sunday and that injury updates would likely be provided on Monday.
Bo Horvat came through with the winning goal on a milestone night.
Horvat, playing in his 300th NHL game, scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, leading the Canucks to the win. “I think that was the icing on top,” Horvat said. “The win feels that much better.”