Jets’ Kyle Connor offers more than just scoring in dominant win over Canucks

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor wasn’t about to pat himself on the back. 

He hardly ever does. Even after scoring a first-period natural hat trick — the second-fastest one in Jets 2.0 history (6:38) — Connor downplayed the beauty of his first 20 minutes.

Connor has never been one to bask in his glory. And that’s why, despite an incredible offensive outing, he didn’t waver from his low-key and unassuming demeanor when asked to reflect on his dominant performance during the Winnipeg Jets 6-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. 

“You’re the recipient of a nice pass on the first one from (Gabriel Vilardi). And then the next, just kind of being in the right spot, where the bounces just seem to be going the right way,” Connor said post-game, completely omitting his highlight-reel worthy final tally of the night. 

Connor — who has recorded 26 goals and 59 points in 45 games this season — attributed it to being “just another one of those nights” that brought about fortunate puck luck. But his three-goal, four-point outing was far from a coincidence. It was yet another example of how Connor’s cerebral nature allows him to weaponize his world-class talent. 

As much as it’s easy to marvel at Connor’s shot, his hands and elusiveness — his brain is the driver behind him being one of the NHL’s most lethal offensive threats.

It’s why his first goal wasn’t solely a byproduct of Vilardi’s well-placed pass or Kevin Lankinen misplaying the puck before that. Once Vilardi gained possession, Connor shifted gears instantly and cut into the middle of the ice, positioning himself in the perfect position to receive that pass. 

“He is always in the right spot,” Jets teammate Cole Perfetti said. “He just has that instinct, that ability to find the soft area, find a weak spot in the coverage.”

It’s why the second goal wasn’t your typical garbage goal. While most players would’ve just fired the puck on net after scooping a rebound, Connor waited an extra half second to toe-drag and curl the puck onto his backhand — catching Lankinen out of position.  

“It’s just that ability to recognize what the next play is going to be and it’s kind of almost like he’s one step ahead of it,” Jets coach Scott Arniel explained. 

And his thought process is what led to his third goal — which came 36 seconds after his second — being so jaw-dropping. In all alone against Lankinen, Connor stickhandled rapidly before motioning to his backhand — fooling Vancouver’s netminder — before pulling it back to his forehand and shooting into open real estate. 

“I’ve seen that move a few times. Seen it a few times in a game as well. It’s either that or, well, I’m not going to say …” Perfetti said before nearly revealing Connor’s playbook. “He’s got a couple moves, but that one you see a lot. He can make goalies look silly, for sure.”

The naked eye may chalk up that goal as another example of Connor’s silky mitts, but it’s more than that. 

“You just see a guy that’s in complete control,” Perfetti siad. “He’s not second-guessing himself.” 

His split second decisions are well-calculated. 

“Analyzing everything, reading the goalie,” Connor said, when dissecting his thought-process on the breakaway. “I’ve got a couple moves in my head that maybe I’m thinking, and just seeing where he reacts off of what I do, and just kind of take the space that’s there, make him make a move.”

There’s an art to it. 

“I was always jealous because you hear about those skill guys, those great players, they say it’s like they slow down and go in slow motion. I was the opposite,” said Arniel, a veteran of 730 NHL games. “I was the opposite. My brain was going 100 miles an hour. But it’s exactly what they say. He’s thinking about probably three different moves that he might try. The normal person is probably just trying to do something as fast as possible.”

Connor isn’t just a run-of-the-mill player, though. 

“When he has the puck, he’s got ice in his veins,” Arniel said.

By now, we’ve all come to know that about a player that’s on pace for a career-high 108 points and ranks fourth in even-strength goals since 2019-20 (with 148). But what’s become more apparent this year is just how elite his hockey sense really is. 

Take what he’s done on the penalty kill, as an example. 

He’s shown a knack for not only breaking up plays but also pouncing on loose pucks and creating chances for the Jets, even when they’re down a man. Connor ranks seventh in penalty-kill scoring chances per 60 minutes (6.81) among forwards who have played at least 30 minutes.

“He recognizes where that next play’s going, probably because he plays on the power play, but he’s really good at anticipating plays,” Arniel said.

Even during five-on-five play, Connor’s defensive game has taken a sizeable step forward. Over the previous three seasons, Connor was on the ice for 13.4 five-on-five high-danger attempts per 60 minutes — ranking him in the 15th percentile among forwards who played at least 600 minutes. This year? That figure’s down to 9.52, placing him in the 72nd percentile among forwards who have played at least 200 minutes.

“He’s a guy that, when he doesn’t have (the puck), he goes and gets it,” Arniel said in October.

It’s hard not to get lost in the beauty that is Connor’s stickhandling, shooting, passing and skating. But it’s his hockey IQ that stitches it all together to make him the gamebreaker that he is. 

And that’s why Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will surely be offering Connor a blank cheque once he’s eligible for an extension on July 1.

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