While Kyle Connor has given the Winnipeg Jets fireworks to open the season, Cole Perfetti has quietly put together a good start.
In Monday night's win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, which saw Clay Stevenson debut at goaltender, Perfetti knocked home the game-winner. The winning goal came at the 9:02 mark of the third period, a mere nine seconds after Declan Carlile tied the game 2-2.
With PPG Paints Arena in a frenzy and the hometown crowd in the Penguins' corner, Perfetti and defenseman Josh Morrissey ensured a short-lived celebration. Just after the ensuing faceoff, Morrissey collected the puck after a Penguins player fumbled it, skated down the ice, passed the puck through four Penguins players, and Perfetti drilled home the one-timer past netminder Sergei Murashov.
Morrissey's risky pass had highlight-reel written all over it, but Perfetti's clutch moment immediately swung the momentum. Winnipeg didn't look back, and the Jets skated away from PPG Paints Arena with the win. For Perfetti, it was just another example of his hot start to open the 2026-27 season.
Perfetti is tied for the team lead with five points alongside Connor. He now has a point in all three of Winnipeg's contests. That includes a three-point onslaught against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, where he scored a goal and landed two assists.
Perfetti's case is an interesting one. Through three contests and despite pitching in for five points, Perfetti has a minus-3 rating. While plus/minus is no longer a go-to stat, Perfetti's Corsi For Percentage at even strength is just 46.6. This comes despite taking 61.1 percent of his starts from the offensive zone.
The reason behind the bleak Corsi For is that Perfetti's game-winner was the only goal he'd been on the ice for at even strength. The other four came on the power play. This gives him a wild even-strength on-ice shooting percentage of 3.2. Meanwhile, he's clocking in a 28.6 on-ice shooting percentage on the power play.
Some fans will say that Perfetti's even-strength and 5-on-5 play so far in 2026-27 is a knock on his game. But the Jets are three games into an 84-game campaign, and Perfetti has plenty of time to turn it around.
Chances are, that will be the case. Perfetti's career Corsi For Percentage at even strength is a solid 53.0. His on-ice save percentage is 91.7 — though having Connor Hellebuyck in the net helped that cause — and his on-ice shooting percentage is a manageable 9.2.
Perfetti has also produced well at both even strength and on the power play in recent seasons. With his history, chances are that he will once again be effective at even strength. And that could lead to a career year if he keeps up his current production.
The Jets are giving Perfetti every chance, too. He's averaging 18:05 of ice time per night, well over his 14:50 career average. Currently, Perfetti's 2024-25 season has been his high-water mark. That year, he put up 50 points and 18 goals.
Right now, he's on pace for an eye-popping 140 points. While everything typically deviates back to the median, Perfetti has a realistic chance to end the season with a point per game should he keep producing. He will get that chance on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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