Hobey Baker Runner Up Kyle Connor Shreds the Preds

Submitted by stephenrjking on

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. 

Harbaugh's Lef…

May 6th, 2018 at 12:50 AM ^

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.

MGOTokyo

May 6th, 2018 at 1:17 AM ^

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!

chatster

May 6th, 2018 at 8:30 AM ^

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.

LINK for NHL Rookie Stats

michfan23

May 6th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^

I watch a lot of hockey, but until I watched the Preds/Jets series I had no idea how good Conner is. Have to admit, the Jets are a very good team, and while I knew that, I don’t see many of their games.



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.

M Go Cue

May 6th, 2018 at 8:22 AM ^

Kinda rooting for Winnipeg. Former Atlanta team, inventors of the white out. It would be nice to see a relatively small Canadian town win the cup.

HHW

May 6th, 2018 at 10:06 AM ^

Has scored 33 goals in two full seasons with Rangers. Conner should have won the Hobey and he’s still the better player.

SouthOfHeaven

May 6th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^

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. 

Sideline

May 6th, 2018 at 6:18 PM ^

The Jets will 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

goblueram

May 6th, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^

Love watching the Jets in these playoffs with all the Michigan connections - both UM and the state. Absolutely rooting for them to win the Cup. Go Jets Go

NinjaDMM

May 6th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^

I didn’t think the Jets would be able to get by Nashville but they have played great. Right there on the brink. Having said that, I want Las Vegas to do it. It’s been incredible for the city, especially after 1 Oct. It’s brought the city together, the people have embraced the game. I even have my sister, who is a 24 year old hipster with zero interest in any sporting event in the history of the country, texting and calling me during games. She’s caught up in the fever and has become a hockey fan for life, even watching the other games. It’s just so unbelievable that hockey, in Las Vegas of all places, is a hit.