Winnipeg Jets hockey news: the Jets lead the Vancouver Canucks 3 to 1 late in the first period at Canada Life Centre on Thursday night, and the fast start is exactly what this team needed after nine games without a win.
By Maplestime Sports Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 5, 2026
Sources: Sportradar live scoreboard, TSN | Last updated: November 5, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Winnipeg leads Vancouver 3 to 1 late in the first period, with 1:21 left on the clock
- Dawson Mercer scored on a snap shot with 5:56 left in the period to make it 3 to 1, assisted by Cole Perfetti and Dylan DeMelo
- Alex Iafallo and Cole Koepke scored the other Winnipeg goals, while Liam Ohgren scored for Vancouver
- Winnipeg outshot Vancouver 12 to 6 in the period, with Stuart Skinner stopping 5 of 6 shots
- Vancouver defenceman Zeev Buium took a delay of game penalty with 1:26 left, putting Winnipeg on the power play
Mercer Goal Caps a Fast First Period
Winnipeg came out flying in front of the home crowd. Mercer finished the best chance of the night so far, taking a feed from Perfetti and beating Vancouver goaltender Leevi Merilainen with a snap shot to stretch the lead to 3 to 1.
Iafallo and Koepke found the net earlier in the period, and Ohgren answered once for Vancouver, assisted by Marco Rossi and Jonathan Lekkerimaki. The Jets kept the pressure on after that, outshooting the Canucks 12 to 6 and forcing Merilainen into 9 saves on 12 shots.
Skinner, starting in net for Winnipeg, stopped 5 of the 6 shots he faced. The Jets also drew a late power play when Buium was called for delay of game with 1:26 left in the period, a chance to add to the lead before the intermission.
What This Start Means After Montreal
This is the first home game since Tuesday night in Montreal, when Winnipeg pulled off one of the wildest comebacks in NHL history. Down 4 to 0 with under three minutes left in regulation, the Jets scored four goals in the final 2:39 and won 5 to 4 in overtime, ending a nine game winless run.
That win stopped the slide, but one win does not fix a 5-8-3 record. A strong opening period at home against the league worst Canucks, who came in at 3-13-1, is the next step. Brayden Yager, recalled from the Manitoba Moose on Thursday morning, skated on the second line between Perfetti and Mercer, and the new look line delivered right away with Mercer finding the net.
Josh Morrissey remains out with an upper body injury, and Nick Bjugstad and Vladislav Namestnikov are out as well. Vancouver is without Filip Chytil and Thatcher Demko.
What to Watch in the Second Period
Winnipeg carries a power play into the break and a two goal lead into the second period. The question now is whether the Jets can keep their foot down. They were outscored 17 to 7 in first periods this season before tonight, so a fast start flips the script, but the Canucks have nothing to lose and have shown they can score in bunches.
If Winnipeg holds this lead through the second period, the building will start to believe the Montreal comeback was a turning point and not just one wild night.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Jets and Canucks game as announcements are made.
Have a tip about the Winnipeg Jets? Email [email protected]
Have a correction? Email [email protected]
Do you think this fast start proves the Jets have turned the corner after Montreal, or is it too early to believe? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian following the Jets tonight.
Enjoying Maplestime? Support independent Canadian journalism — no paywall, no corporate owners.
