NHL roundup: Jets prevail in triple OT to sweep Oilers
Field Level Media
25 May 2021, 17:19 GMT+10
Kyle Connor scored the triple-overtime winner to give the Winnipeg Jets a 4-3 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Monday night and the first playoff sweep in franchise history.
The Jets, who beat the Oilers 4-0 in the opening-round North Division playoff series, will await the winner ofthe series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
Connor gained the puck as he raced down the right wing and ripped a shot home at the 6:52 of the third OT for the Jets, who won the final three games of the series in extra time. The victory came in the longest game in Jets franchise history.
Posted: May 25, 2021 7:44 AM ET | Last Updated: May 25
A cast of first-round playoff heroes emerged for the Jets during their first-round series sweep of the Oilers, including centre Adam Lowry, right, and netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who allowed just eight goals on 159 shots for a .950 save percentage. (Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
Three teams the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild were up for elimination on Monday. Two survived. Edmonton nearly lived another day, but Winnipeg knocked the Oilers out in triple overtime, sealing a series sweep. The loss sets up another long offseason ahead for Connor McDavid & Co.
Tuesday night brings a lighter slate, with just two games. But that includes a key Game 5 matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators, while the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens don t have much time to think about Monday s game, as they ll face off again tonight.
Check out the ESPN NHL Playoffs Daily to catch up every day of the postseason until the Stanley Cup is handed out in July.
You ve got to keep it light because it s obviously a very tense situation, said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. But we ve had a good vibe in our room all year so you just try to keep it light and keep everyone loose and keep everyone hydrated - and tell the young guys like Kyle (Connor) to get going and put an end to this thing.
Connor did just that, scoring in triple overtime to lift the Jets to a 4-3 victory over the Oilers on Monday, ending Edmonton s playoff run. The win gave the Jets a 4-0 sweep of the best-of-seven first-round series.