Kyle Connor put his nose down and kept on playing.
Ten games into his first Stanley Cup Playoffs, Connor’s confidence paid off in a Winnipeg Jets’ franchise rookie record and a pair of his first NHL postseason goals Saturday in a 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of their Western Conference Second Round.
"[Connor] has got a ton of confidence in himself," Jets captain Blake Wheeler credited the rookie postgame. "He's scored goals his whole life. Good for him. He's a young player used to putting the puck in the net, and when it doesn't happen right away in your first taste of playoff action, it can be tough to stay with it. His confidence hasn't wavered a bit."
Connor (2-1–3), who ended the 2017-18 regular season on a four-game point streak and with 13 points over the final 10 games, set a franchise record for most points by a Jets rookie in a single postseason game.
Connor, who earned the game’s first star, dropped jaws with a through-the-legs dangle to set up teammate Mark Scheifele for his third-period goal.
Nasty assist from Kyle Connor to set up Mark Scheifele pic.twitter.com/jtYfXweTEX
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 6, 2018
"[Connor] has been awesome all year," Scheifele began to describe the skill on display in the assist. "He's been awesome all playoffs. That pass and that move was pretty special, and it shows just how talented a player he is."
Puck drops on Game 6 at 9:30 p.m. ET Monday night, when Winnipeg can punch their ticket to the Western Conference Final in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd at Bell MTS Place.