Vilardi scores shootout winner, Jets ahead Flames 4-3

After a scoreless first period, Mark Scheifele opened the scoring in the second. Kyle Connor sent a cross-ice feed to Scheifele as he burst into the zone, and the Jets center ripped a wrist shot past Dustin Wolf’s blocker for his 11th of the season to make it 1-0.

Just 32 seconds later, the Flames took the lead in strange fashion. Jake Bean fired a quick shot from the side wall that deflected off Cole Perfetti and fooled Connor Hellebuyck, making it 1-1.

Winnipeg responded quickly. Less than a minute later, Tanner Pearson pounced on a loose puck off a block and slid it past Wolf, who never saw it, restoring the Jets’ one-goal lead.

Calgary evened the score again before the end of the period. Kevin Bahl’s point shot was sent in off Logan Stanley’s skate, another unfortunate bounce against the Jets, tying the third period 2-2.

Early in the final frame, Winnipeg took advantage of a power play. Kyle Connor’s one-timer rang off Wolf and then the post, and Perfetti hammered in the rebound for his first goal of the season, putting the Jets back up 3-2.

But with 1:14 to go, a late Winnipeg penalty proved costly. Rasmus Andersson’s first shot was stopped by Hellebuyck, but Matt Coronato took the rebound tightly and buried it to tie the game and force extra time.

Overwork brought its own drama. Scheifele was called for pinning Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, leaving Winnipeg short. The Jets managed to kill the penalty and force a shootout, but Scheifele wasn’t done expressing his frustration with the call. As he continued to argue with the officials before the shootout started, the officials gave him a game foul, sending him off and leaving Winnipeg without their top center for the skills competition.

After both teams came up empty on their first tries, Gabriel Vilardi put an end to it on Winnipeg’s third try, beating Wolf with his glove to seal the victory. Hellebuyck, who made 31 saves on the night, stopped all three Flames shooters he faced in the shootout.