Field Level Media
16 Oct 2021, 05:10 GMT+10
The Winnipeg Jets will be looking for a much better effort as they continue their season-opening West Coast swing this weekend.
The Jets dropped their first game of the new campaign, 4-1, to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.
Playing six of its first eight games on the road, the Jets will play in San Jose Saturday night in the Sharks' season opener.
Winnipeg dominated play early, outshooting the Ducks 11-1, but the visitors could not take advantage on offense, allowed 18-year-old rookie Mason McTavish his first goal and a two-point outing in his NHL debut and left with a disappointing defeat.
"I liked the chances that we got. The mentality of putting the puck to the net. Our penalty kill probably got what it deserved," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, whose squad surrendered two goals on five Anaheim power plays.
Kyle Connor finally broke the ice for the Jets, one-timing a laser at 3:48 of the second period to cut the deficit to a more manageable 2-1.
Connor, 24, has been a top contributor for Winnipeg since joining the club in the 2016-17 campaign.
The former University of Michigan fleet left winger has averaged 32 goals a season over the last four years.
The good news for the Jets is that they will get back Mark Scheifele for Saturday's match.
The star center served the final game of his four-game suspension Wednesday from last season's playoffs when he laid out Montreal's Jake Evans, who was stretchered off the ice and later diagnosed with a concussion.
San Jose will face the tough task of playing an opponent that already has a match under its belt, but that could be just the beginning of an obstacle-laden season for the Sharks.
They went 21-28-7 last year in coach Bob Boughner's first full season at the helm.
The former Florida Panthers bench boss has a 35-48-10 record with the Sharks after taking over for fired coach Peter DeBoer.
He was named their coach last September after going 14-20-3 in an interim role.
For a team that has missed the playoffs the last two seasons, San Jose made very few changes in the offseason.
The club added Andrew Cogliano, Nick Bonino and Nicholas Merkley, plus brought in journeyman goaltender James Reimer -- a replacement for Martin Jones after buying out the final three years of the goalie's contract.
The club is excited about forward William Eklund, who turned 19 on Tuesday and will make his NHL debut against the Jets.
Sharks captain Logan Couture compares Eklund, the No. 7 pick in this year's NHL Draft, to Chicago's Patrick Kane when it comes to avoiding hits.
"Try to find a time where Kane got hit hard in open ice. Not very often," Couture said. "(He and Eklund) just see the game. They're almost a step or two ahead, where they see guys coming with their vision."
Left winger Evander Kane - a 506-point producer (264 goals) in 769 games over 12 years - was listed as a non-roster player pending the NHL's investigation into sexual abuse claims made by the Vancouver native's estranged wife.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Long Beach Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Long Beach Star.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, New York: At a Walmart Supercenter in New Jersey, buttercream borders and edible-ink cartoons aren't just about sweet...
NEW YORK, New York - Wall Street delivered a split performance on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite notching up gains while the Dow...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Luxury group Kering is in exclusive discussions to sell a stake in its prime New York real estate asset on...
CINCINNATI, Ohio: Facing global economic headwinds and mounting tariff pressures, Procter & Gamble announced plans this week to cut...
CHICAGO, Illinois: McDonald's is bringing back its much-loved Snack Wrap in the U.S. starting July 10. The wrap, which includes chicken,...
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tennessee: Dollar General reported record sales of US$10.44 billion for the latest quarter and raised its full-year...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia's principal security agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), has accused British intelligence of using the...
SYDNEY, Australia: Australia will not ease its strict biosecurity rules during trade talks with the United States, Prime Minister Anthony...
The Israeli Navy has intercepted a ship carrying humanitarian aid and a number of activists including Greta Thunberg, Rima Hassan,...
TOKYO, Japan: Japan's demographic challenges intensified in 2024, with the number of births falling to another all-time low—underscoring...
BEIJING, China: A little-known office inside China's Ministry of Commerce has become a powerful chokepoint in the global auto and tech...
OMAHA BEACH, France: Eighty-one years after the D-Day landings, a small group of World War II veterans has returned to the beaches...