Winnipeg Jets news: Tyrel Bauer dropped the gloves, scored his first NHL goal and picked up an assist on Tuesday night in Montreal, and that Gordie Howe hat trick sparked the wildest comeback in Jets history as Winnipeg beat the Montreal Canadiens 5 to 4 in overtime.
By Maplestime Sports Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 3, 2026
Sources: Inside The Rink, TSN and The Canadian Press, NHL.com | Last updated: November 3, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Winnipeg trailed Montreal 4 to 0 late in the third period at Bell Centre and won 5 to 4 in overtime.
- Tyrel Bauer fought Arber Xhekaj, scored his first NHL goal and added an assist for a Gordie Howe hat trick.
- Dylan Samberg scored the overtime winner at 3:30 of overtime to end the Jets nine game winless run.
- Kyle Connor scored twice in the final minute of regulation, including a power play goal with 33 seconds left.
- Winnipeg improved to 5-8-3 and next hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Bauer brings the fight Winnipeg had been missing
Montreal had the game in hand. The Canadiens led 4 to 0 with less than three minutes left in regulation, and Jacob Fowler had shut the Jets out until that point. Then Bauer gave Winnipeg a lifeline that had nothing to do with a goal at first.
Bauer dropped the gloves with Arber Xhekaj in an even fight. Moments later, captain Adam Lowry fought Florian Xhekaj with 4:58 remaining after Neal Pionk was roughed up. The Jets finally looked like a team sticking up for one another, and the goals followed.
Bauer scored his first NHL goal with 2:39 left, Morgan Barron scored with 1:57 left, and Connor scored with 1:00 left and again on the power play with 33 seconds left. Samberg then finished the comeback in overtime, beating Fowler after Lowry and Gabriel Vilardi set him up.
What Bauer and Arniel said after the win
Bauer summed up the losing run in plain terms after the game.
That is a long stretch. That is a long, hard stretch of hockey, Bauer said when asked about Winnipeg getting its first win in 10 games. We had each others backs in the room, and the guys had my back tonight.
On his first NHL goal, Bauer said: I think the only one that matters is in the room; it is a pretty special feeling for this group.
On getting the game to overtime, Bauer said: I do not think I have ever wanted to win a hockey game more.
Head coach Scott Arniel, who had faced heavy questions about his own future during the nine game winless run, could not keep the grin off his face after the win, Inside The Rink reported. Arniel made clear during postgame questions that he was not the one questioning his own future. The win does not erase the problems that built up over nine winless games, but it gives Winnipeg something real to build on before Thursday.
Why this win still leaves questions
One incredible night does not fix secondary scoring, special teams or defensive structure on its own. Winnipeg was quiet for most of the game and needed Fowler to finally crack. What changed was emotion and accountability, and Bauer supplied both in one night.
The test now is simple. Winnipeg must prove in front of its own fans on Thursday that Montreal was a turning point, not just one incredible night.
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Did Bauer just give the Jets their identity back, or was Montreal simply one wild night? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Jets fan who turned the game off early.
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