Stuart Skinner’s first night in a Jets sweater looked a lot like Winnipeg hoped it would.
The 27-year-old goaltender, the club’s prized off-season signing, stopped 29 of 30 shots Monday night and backed a veteran-heavy lineup to a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Winnipeg’s second pre-season game. It was his first start as a Jet, and he delivered exactly the kind of composed performance that can settle a rink fast.
The crowd was already leaning in before puck drop. Skinner drew the loudest cheer of the introductions, and after a brief hush before the anthems, “STUUU” chants filled the building.
Winnipeg didn’t get much going offensively early, but it did get the one goal that mattered in the opening period. With 1:05 left in the frame, Gabe Vilardi buried his first of the pre-season after a setup from Isak Rosen and Vladislav Namestnikov.
The Jets had the only power play of the period, though their big-five couldn’t crack Colorado’s penalty killers.
The second period brought the kind of finish Winnipeg wanted to see from its top players. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Gabe Vilardi, Cole Perfetti and Josh Morrissey were all in the lineup, and Morrissey helped spark the next two goals. First, he worked the puck at the point off a Cole Koepke setup and found Scheifele, who drove through the Avalanche defence before slipping it to Perfetti for a clean finish.
Winnipeg held a 15-14 edge in shots after 40 minutes and a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard.
Colorado briefly believed it had cut into that advantage, but Scott Arniel challenged for goaltender interference after Skinner made his case from the crease. The review backed the Jets’ goalie and wiped the goal off the board.
Moments later, Dylan DeMelo made it 3-0. Vilardi and Morrissey each picked up their second points of the night on the play.
Perfetti nearly added another on a sharp give-and-go with Scheifele, but Sam Malinski got just enough stick on it to keep it out.
Colorado finally got one past Skinner with 5:26 left when Georgii Merkulov pushed in a puck Skinner thought he had covered under his glove. It was the only blemish on an otherwise strong debut.
The Jets had dressed a veteran-heavy group for their first of two home exhibition games, and the schedule now turns quickly. Winnipeg hosts the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, then heads to Colorado on Friday for its final pre-season game of the shortened four-game slate.
The regular season begins October 2 at home against he Boston Bruins.
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