Schmidt Breaks Tie, Jets Beat Short-handed Sharks 4-1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Nate Schmidt broke a second-period tie with his first goal for Winnipeg and the Jets went on to beat the short-handed San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Thursday night.
Seven San Jose players and coach Bob Boughner missed the game because they are in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. John MacLean ran the team in Boughner's absence.
Schmidt, the defenseman acquired in an offseason trade with Vancouver, blasted a one-timer from the point past a screened James Reimer in the second period to make it 2-1.
"Mom and dad were here tonight, too," Schmidt said. "It was their first game in Winnipeg and I could hear my mom whistling. Seriously, from when you were a kid. It's wild, that was cool."
Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and assist and Kyle Connor and Jansen Harkins also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves.
"We did get the puck in, we did get our chances," San Jose forward Nick Bonino said. "We had some looks there to even it up. We had a three-on-one both in the second and in the third. Hellebuyck again, too, is a good goalie and we just couldn't get him."
Andrew Cogliano scored for San Jose, and Reimer stopped 30 shots.
"I thought we had a couple opportunities and we just weren't able to bury it," MacLean said. "We never really got any power plays so it's just one of those things. Guys tried and it just didn't come."
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