For the first time in three seasons, the Winnipeg Jets have won their season opener by defeating the Edmonton Oilers after coming from behind, 5-4. The Oilers had a 4-2 lead late in the third.
Both Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba scored their first goals of the season, with Trouba earning the first star of the game wit a goal and an assist, including the tying goal to notch it 4-4 with just under nine minutes left in the third. Scheifele scored his marker on the power-play.
Ondrej Pavelec came up big at times, but not as much as late in the third when Edmonton was desperate to tie it after pulling goalkeeper Devin Dubnyk and a man down after the Jets were charged with too many men on the ice.
The Jets looked to be running around in their own end at time and arrant passes did result in more than one turnover, including one for a dangerous-looking shot on goal by the Oilers Mark Arcobello that had Pavelec on his toes. The play could be described as sloppy with the Jets in the second period as a whole.
However, the defence core as a whole stuck together and helped their goal-tender when he needed it and the Jets were able to group together and make it happen. Head coach Claude Noel noticed Trouba in a big way.
"I thought [he] was outstanding," Noel said of the rookie defenceman, "I thought he did a lot of good things all over the ice."
After winning the first season-opening win for the Jets since 2011, this is also the first opening game the Jets scored more than one goal after only scoring once apiece against Ottawa and Montreal the last two years.
Let's hope the Jets can keep this momentum going to start a lengthy home stand minus two games.
