WINNIPEG 鈥� Rick Bowness continues to be impressed with the hockey smarts Winnipeg Jets' defenceman Josh Morrissey is displaying this season.
Morrissey had a goal and assist, and Kyle Connor scored twice and added one helper, as the Jets downed the Ottawa Senators 5-1 on Tuesday.
Connor and Morrissey both extended their point streaks to 10 games. Morrissey also reached a career-high for points with 38.
鈥淗e has elite hockey IQ, that鈥檚 what he has,鈥� Bowness said of Morrissey. 鈥淓lite players are one step ahead, that鈥檚 what they see.鈥�
Case in point was Morrissey鈥檚 heads-up pass to Connor in the second period. It looked like Morrissey might shoot, but instead he quickly sent the puck over to Connor and he fired it into the open side of the net at 1:02 to make it 4-1.
鈥淢aybe next time I shoot it, who knows?鈥� Morrissey said. 鈥淏ut if a guy is there I鈥檒l try to make that pass.鈥�
Kevin Stenlund and Sam Gagner had the other goals for the injury-riddled Jets (21-10-1), who are 3-3-0 in their past six games.
David Rittich made 35 saves for Winnipeg. It was the first time this season the netminder has started consecutive games. Connor Hellebuyck was missing because of a non-COVID illness.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a great thing (we鈥檙e) not having him here, but it feels good to have two starts in a row and finally get a win,鈥� said Rittich, who was in net for Winnipeg鈥檚 3-2 loss Sunday to Seattle and is now 5-3-0 this NHL season.
Bowness said Hellebuyck would be on the team鈥檚 upcoming two-game road trip.
Drake Batherson scored a power-play goal for the Senators (14-16-2), who are 4-2-0 in their past six games but went 1-2 on this latest road trip.
Cam Talbot stopped 19 shots for Ottawa.
鈥淣ot good enough, bottom line,鈥� Talbot said. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 ready to start and they made us pay early.鈥�
Winnipeg led 3-1 after the first period and 5-1 heading into the third.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to provide more offence than that from our top guys,鈥� Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to find ways to put the puck in the net five on five and create more. Their top players found the net tonight.鈥�
Playing in his fifth game for the Jets, Stenlund batted in his own rebound to record his first goal of the season at 1:58 of the opening period.
Morrissey made it 2-0 five minutes later when his shot went through traffic for his sixth goal of the season.
Batherson fired in a one-timer on the power play at 8:28 to trim the deficit to 2-1. Alex DeBrincat registered the first assist while playing in his 400th career game.
Gagner scored with 13 seconds remaining in the first period to give Winnipeg a 3-1 lead.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 allow goals in the last minute of a period, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� Senators forward Parker Kelly said. 鈥淟ike I said, we鈥檝e just got to flip the page here and regroup. We've really got to win these two games before the (Christmas) break.鈥�
The Senators outshot the Jets 16-10 in the opening period.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 give them a lot, but hockey is a game of mistakes and we probably did less than them and we take the win,鈥� Rittich said.
Connor notched his 14th and 15th goals of the season in the second period.
After his first goal made it 4-1, he scored his second with 5:37 left.
ALREADY A CAREER BEST
Morrissey鈥檚 goal and assist gave him 38 points in 32 games, one more point than the 37 he produced in 79 games last season.
Playing in his seventh full NHL season, the Calgary native鈥檚 38 points is second among the league鈥檚 defencemen. San Jose鈥檚 Erik Karlsson had 41 points heading into Tuesday鈥檚 late game against the Flames.
Morrissey鈥檚 10-game point streak includes one goal and 12 assists. He and Connor are tied for the lead in team scoring.
POINTS PILING UP
Connor鈥檚 10-game point streak features seven goals and 10 helpers.
Batherson鈥檚 point run moved to nine straight games, with six goals and seven assists.
UP NEXT
Jets: Begin a two-game road trip Thursday against the Boston Bruins.
Senators: Host the Washington Capitals Thursday in the first game of a three-game homestand.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2022.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
