Mark Scheifele Becomes Jets’ All-Time Goals Leader with Dramatic OT Winner Against Sharks
Mark Scheifele delivered a historic moment for the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, netting the overtime winner in a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over the San Jose Sharks. The goal not only extended Winnipeg’s impressive win streak to 10 games but also cemented Scheifele as the franchise’s all-time leader in goals.
The dramatic finish came just 1:33 into overtime when Scheifele crashed the net and buried a rebound off Nikolaj Ehlers’ initial shot, sealing his 329th career goal and surpassing Ilya Kovalchuk’s record from the Atlanta Thrashers era.
Winnipeg forced overtime in heart-stopping fashion, with Josh Morrissey finding the back of the net with just 26 seconds remaining in regulation. Morrissey pounced on a loose puck and fired a shot from the left circle past Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek, keeping the Jets’ streak alive.
Connor Hellebuyck stood tall between the pipes for Winnipeg, stopping 17 shots to secure the victory.
For the struggling Sharks, William Eklund was the lone goal scorer, striking on a one-timer from the right circle during a 4-on-3 power play in the first period. San Jose, now mired in a six-game losing skid and having dropped 12 of its last 13, got a stellar performance from Vanecek, who turned aside 33 shots in the tough-luck loss.
Despite his heroics, Vanecek couldn’t hold off the relentless Jets, who pushed for the equalizer late in the game. Earlier in the contest, he made a diving stop on Kyle Connor’s point-blank backhand attempt and fended off a barrage of shots in the final minute of the second period. San Jose’s Tyler Toffoli nearly extended the lead but rang a rebound attempt off the post.
The Jets continued to press in the third period, with Colin Miller striking iron and Adam Lowry being denied by a brilliant pad save from Vanecek. However, the Sharks’ defense finally cracked under the Jets’ pressure, setting the stage for Scheifele’s historic game-winner.
Heading into Monday’s contest, Winnipeg boasted the NHL’s second-best offense, averaging 3.60 goals per game, while San Jose’s defense remained the league’s most porous, surrendering 3.71 goals per game. The numbers held true as the Jets found just enough offense to extend their dominance and etch another milestone into franchise history.
