Brian Little scored twice and Michael Hutchinson made 40 saves to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Stuart each added a goal for Winnipeg, which improved to 3-1-0. The victory ended a four-game road trip to begin the season for the Jets.
Despite being outshot 20-8 in the period, the Jets went into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead thanks to Little’s short-handed goal at 18:49. Little, whose 52 points were third most on the Jets last season, one-timed a feed from Jacob Trouba.
His power play goal at 10:35 of the third period sealed the game for the Jets, who handed New York its first loss of the season.
Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves.
Mats Zuccarello scored New York’s lone goal.
The Rangers actually led 1-0 when Zuccarello’s third goal of the season opened the scoring 6:45 into the game. The sequence began with Rick Nash harassing Blake Wheeler into an offensive zone turnover. Nash dumped it to Derick Brassard, who quickly found an uncovered Zuccarello.
The advantage lasted for all of 46 seconds.
Ehlers tied the game 1-1 with a power play strike from above the right faceoff circle.
Stuart’s empty netter at 17:56 ended the scoring.
NOTES: Winnipeg scratched defencemen Paul Postma and Ben Chiarot, and right wing Anthony Peluso. New York scratched right wings Jesper Fast and Emerson Etem, and defenceman Dan Boyle. The only Ranger not to play in the first four games of the season is Etem, who was acquired in a draft day trade from Anaheim. “I would say we’re going to look for an opportunity to put him in the lineup,” New York coach Alain Vigneault said during his pregame press conference. “I’m not exactly sure when that’s going to be.” … Vigneault noted defenceman Kevin Klein would get to play on New York’s man advantage units. “(He’s) got a good shot, a heavy shot,” Vigneault said, before joking, “I’m not the smartest guy in the world.”
