With just 15 seconds left in overtime, Chris Kreider found the back of the net to secure a dramatic 5-4 victory for the Anaheim Ducks against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. The win extends Anaheim’s hot streak to four consecutive victories and marks their 11th win in 13 games.
With the clock winding down in overtime, Chris Kreider delivered the decisive blow with just 15 seconds remaining, lifting the Anaheim Ducks to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
The game-winning sequence unfolded when Kreider and Beckett Sennecke executed a perfect 2-on-1 breakaway in the final moments of the extra period. Sennecke, who recorded his third helper of the evening, set up Kreider with the championship pass.
The triumph marks Anaheim’s fourth consecutive victory and continues their impressive 11-2-0 record over their past 13 contests.
Pavel Mintyukov contributed both a goal and an assist for the Ducks, while Jacob Trouba, Leo Carlsson, and Ryan Poehling added the remaining tallies for Anaheim.
Between the pipes, Lukas Dostal turned away 29 of 33 attempts to secure his 23rd victory of the campaign. Lady Luck also smiled on Dostal, as Winnipeg struck iron five times throughout the contest on direct shots and deflections.
The Jets have collected points in four of their previous five outings (2-1-2 record), though they squandered another opportunity to climb in the postseason standings.
Alex Iafallo and Kyle Connor each recorded a goal and assist combination for Winnipeg, while Logan Stanley and Cole Perfetti contributed two helpers apiece. Gabriel Vilardi and Elias Salomonsson rounded out the scoring for the visiting Jets.
Despite the defeat, Connor Hellebuyck delivered a strong performance, making 35 saves on 40 Anaheim attempts.
The action began immediately, with Iafallo lighting the lamp just 74 seconds after the opening faceoff on Winnipeg’s initial shot attempt. The Jets struck again early in the middle frame when Vilardi converted a power-play opportunity at the 2:25 mark, firing a one-timer from the slot.
The second period featured fast-paced action with Anaheim outshooting Winnipeg 17-14. Among the numerous scoring chances, Trouba’s seemingly harmless shot from the point managed to beat a screened Hellebuyck with 41 seconds remaining before the intermission.
Winnipeg caught the Ducks off-guard once more just 1:27 into the final period when Salomonsson netted his inaugural NHL goal and point in his 15th professional appearance.
Anaheim rallied to level the contest by the halfway point of the third period. Carlsson converted on the man advantage 6:32 into the frame, followed by Mintyukov capitalizing on a substantial rebound opportunity at the 9:59 mark to tie the game.
Poehling produced a spectacular goal to give Anaheim the lead at 16:50 of the third period, but Connor answered back with the tying goal at 18:38 to force overtime.