The Winnipeg Jets’ first journey to the US in almost 20 months didn’t go nicely Wednesday evening.
John Gibson stopped 33 of 34 photographs and Mason McTavish scored in his NHL debut because the Anaheim Geese downed Winnipeg 4-1 within the opening recreation of the 2021-22 season for each golf equipment.
The Jets carried the majority of the play early on due to a pair of early energy performs however have been unable to get one previous Gibson.
On the different finish, Gibson’s fundamental competitors for the beginning netminder gig on the US Olympic crew was crushed on Anaheim’s first shot of the sport. Kevin Shattenkirk’s seeing-eye shot from the boards discovered its well past Connor Hellebuyck simply over six minutes into the primary.
Seven minutes later it was McTavish, one of many many younger gamers within the lineup for the rebuilding Geese, who notched his first profession tally.
Kyle Connor obtained the Jets on the board early within the second, burying a pleasant feed from captain Blake Wheeler previous Gibson.
However then the Geese energy play, which final season was the worst the NHL had ever seen since they began protecting monitor of energy play proportion in 1977, scored a pair of objectives to place the sport out of attain.
First, it was Adam Henrique deflecting one previous Hellebuyck late within the second. That was adopted by Rickard Rakell beating the Jets goalie with a deflection within the third.
It was a penalty-filled contest during which the Jets wound up going 0/5 with the person benefit whereas the Geese went 2/5.
The 2 sides will meet once more October twenty first in Winnipeg for the Jets’ house opener.
