Hobey Baker Runner Up Kyle Connor Shreds the Preds
The Winnipeg Jets played a crucial game five in Nashville tonight, and Michigan Man Kyle Connor was on it.
Filthy move from Connor before the return pass to Scheifele to put the Jets up 3 pic.twitter.com/Fp9f5VpOvn
— Born Salty (@cjzero) May 6, 2018
This dazzling assist polished the game off, but it was Connor's two goals earlier in the game, his first two of his career in the playoffs, that did the heavy lifting to push the Jets to the brink of advancing to the conference finals. A terrific performance in a 6-2 road win.
For no particular reason I would like to point out that Jimmy Vesey accounted for 28 points this year for the Rangers, who are not in the playoffs. Isn't that nice.
Hard to not root for the Jets in this Playoffs. The crowd has been amazing and really has been since NHL hockey has returned to Winnipeg. They're really well built that is fun to watch play.
I'd love to see them win the Cup to finally bring it to Winnipeg after the original Jets were ripped away from them and also to make up for those really good teams they had in the 80's but always had to go through the Oilers in the Smythe.
They also have three recent Michigan players, Connor, Jacob Trouba, and Andrew Copp.
Jets are definitely the team to root for with the Red Wings not in.
to set up the goal in the 3rd. I don't follow the NHL too much anymore, didn't realize Conner had 31 goals this year. Must be in the running for Rookie of the Year? Go blue!
Michigan's Kyle Connor led all NHL roookies with 31 goals and seven game-winning goals, and he finished fourth in the rookie scoring race with 57 points in 82 games, helping the Jets to the second-most points (114) in the NHL this season, just behind the Predators' 117. (Vancouver's Brock Boeser, runner-up among rookies with 29 goals, played in only 62 games.)
Matthew Barzal of the Islanders led all NHL rookies in points with 85 on 22 goals and 63 assists to win the rookie scoring race by 20 points over Arizona's Clayton Keller (played one season at Boston University where he was Hockey East's Rookie of the Year) whose 65 points came from 23 goals and 42 assists. Yet neither of their teams made the playoffs and both of those teams were awful. The Islanders were seventh in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of only the Rangers, and the Coyotes were dead last in eight in the Pacific Division.
Rookie-of the Year consideration will have to go to the Tampa Bay Lightning's Yanni Gourde whose 64 points were third among all rookies (25 G, 39 A) because he was an incredible plue 34, far and away the best +/- rating for any rookie. The Lightning led all Eastern Conference teams with 113 points.
Barzal is a very good young hockey player and I think many have just gone ahead and crowned him as Rookie of the Year, but I think Conner may very well end up being the better player.
I’m a Lightning fan, have met Yanni Gourde, own one of his practice jerseys from last year, and told people he would score over 20 goals this season, but his role is so different than the others on this list. He’s a third line center who is a pest, gets to the front of the goal, and doesn’t mind pushing and shoving a lot, but his “skill” is doing the little things right. What I saw out of Conner was dominance.
The Jets just might do this, I gave them nearly zero shot of beating Nashville, really thought they were too deep for Winnipeg.
That was a thing of beauty! GO BLUE
Hell it would be nice to see any Canadian team win, its been since what early 90s and as long as its not Pittsburgh
I believe you're right
I've no idea how Connor didn't win it. He was absolutely ridiculous here at Michigan, and now we see his game carrying right over to the NHL . He's going to be a total beast, and is playing alongside some other good, young talent. The Jets could be a force for years to come.
As long as Byfuglien is still in their Top-6, they’ll be good. Trouba, Morrissey, Myers are a SOLID set of Dmen to build around. Ehlers, Copp, Connor, Laine are some of the better younger [core of] players
Datsyukian. Bravo.