Kyle Connor Is Giving the Jets Exactly What They Need in Tight Games
Written by Gina Anton
With a game against the Colorado Avalanche tied in the final minute, the Winnipeg Jets needed someone to make the most of a final opportunity. Kyle Connor delivered, scoring with 60 seconds remaining to secure a 3-2 victory on Oct. 7.
Connor's second goal of the night gave Winnipeg its third consecutive win and extended the team's season-opening point streak to four games. But the goal was more than another addition to his early-season scoring total. It reflected the value of having a player who can turn a single opportunity into the difference between a win and a loss.
The Jets had already seen their 2-1 lead disappear when Colorado's Fedor Svechkov tied the game midway through the third period. With the Avalanche pushing for a comeback, Winnipeg needed to find a way to respond before the game went to overtime.
Connor and longtime linemate Mark Scheifele provided the answer. Scheifele carried the puck into the offensive zone before threading a pass through traffic to Connor, who finished the play with a wrist shot at 19:00 of the third period. The goal capped a two-goal performance for Connor, who had also tied the game early in the second period with a deflection of Neal Pionk's shot.
The play highlighted the connection between two players who have developed an understanding of each other's movements over years of playing together. Connor said he was not surprised by Scheifele's pass, explaining that his teammate has an almost instinctive sense of where he will be on the ice.
“He almost has a sixth sense of knowing where I'm at at all times,” Connor said after the game. “I just know that in the back of my mind, I've just always got to be ready.”
That readiness is part of what makes Connor so valuable to Winnipeg. Scoring in the final minute requires more than finishing ability. It also means recognizing where a chance might develop, trusting a teammate to find him and being prepared to act when the opportunity arrives.
Connor's early-season production suggests that he is already finding those opportunities. Through Winnipeg's first four games, he recorded five goals and two assists for seven points, including two-goal performances against Detroit and Colorado. His scoring has helped the Jets collect points in every game despite having to navigate several close finishes.
Still, Winnipeg's victory over Colorado was not solely Connor's doing. Goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 32 shots, including several important saves during the opening half of the game, to keep the Jets within reach. Afterward, Connor credited Skinner with giving the team a chance to win even when it was not playing its best hockey.
“We just stuck with it,” Connor said. “(Skinner) kept us in it when we weren't at our best. He made some incredible saves and was such a calming presence for us.”
That acknowledgment matters because late-game goals often receive the most attention, even when a win depends on contributions throughout the lineup. Skinner's performance gave Winnipeg the opportunity to stay in the game, while Scheifele created the final chance and Connor finished it. Each contribution mattered, and the result depended on all three.
For Connor, however, these are the moments that can define his value to the team. Winnipeg can create chances throughout a game, but converting one when there is almost no time left requires the right combination of awareness, trust and execution.
The Jets are still in the opening stages of the season, and four games are not enough to establish what their year will become. Their early results do, however, offer an encouraging sign: when a game remains undecided late, Connor has already shown that he can help determine the outcome.
His goal against Colorado will be remembered for its timing. Its greater significance may be what it says about the relationship between Connor and his teammates, and the importance of having someone ready when the game comes down to one final play.
