WINNIPEG — David Perron scored the late game-tying goal and then the winner 1:58 into overtime as the St. Louis Blues defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on Friday in exhibition action.
Perron tied the game with 33 seconds remaining in the third after Gabriel Bourque had given the Jets the 3-2 lead at the 16:59 mark of the period.
The game-winner came after Perron spun around and took a shot that went off the post and past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Klim Kostin and Joel Edmundson also scored for St. Louis. Kostin added two assists and Sammy Blais had three assists in the team’s third straight road game (2-1-0).
Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and assist for Winnipeg in his first pre-season game. Adam Lowry also scored.
Hellebuyck, also playing his first exhibition game, made 15 saves for the Jets (1-1-1)
Jake Allen was in net for two periods for the defending Stanley Cup champions, stopping 18-of-20 shots. Ville Husso replaced him for the third and made 10-of-11 saves.
Kostin opened the scoring at 5:32 of the first period.
Edmundson and Kostin then teamed up on a two-on-one for Edmundson’s goal at 12:11 to make it 2-0.
Ehlers did all the work for his goal.
After stripping the puck away from Blues defenceman Mitch Reinke at Winnipeg’s blue line, Ehlers used his speed on a breakaway to beat Allen between the pads 38 seconds after Edmundson’s goal.
Lowry tied it 2-2 at 6:53 of the second period when he tapped in the puck after an Ehlers’s shot had hit the crossbar and came out against Allen’s pad.
Winnipeg sat veterans such as Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey.
St. Louis didn’t play the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko or Brayden Schenn, but Conn Smythe and Selke Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly skated with Perron and Zach Sanford.
The Jets host the Calgary Flames on Sunday and the Blues are home to Columbus the same day.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2019.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press