Rookie Brad Lambert scores 1st NHL goal as Jets take 5-2 win over Penguins

Geoff Kirbyson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Nov 01, 2025 6:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: November 2

Brad Lambert volition ne'er hide his archetypal NHL goal, not lone due to the fact that it helped the Winnipeg Jets bushed the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins but due to the fact that helium had to bash post-game interviews wearing idiosyncratic else's garment and pants.

When the Jets rookie entered the location dressing country aft his team's 5-2 triumph astatine Canada Life Centre Saturday afternoon, his ain outfit had mysteriously disappeared.

"I was really looking for my clothes, I don't cognize wherever they went. I person yet to find retired what's going on. They were implicit determination astatine my stall erstwhile I went to play the crippled and I came backmost and they were gone," helium said.

Lambert fulfilled his puerility imagination astatine 2:43 of the archetypal play erstwhile helium was parked to the close of Penguins' goalie Arturs Silovs and chap freshman Parker Ford carried the puck down the nett and attempted a wrapper around. The puck squirted done the crease for Lambert to convert.

He said the world of the concern blew a beingness of expectations retired of the water.

"For definite I've been dreaming of that moment. When you're playing roadworthy hockey arsenic a kid, you're benignant of envisioning those moments truthful it's beauteous special," helium said.

The information that it was acceptable up by chap freshman and erstwhile linemate with the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose, Parker Ford, made the infinitesimal adjacent sweeter. The helper was Ford's archetypal assistance of his career.

"Yeah, it's awesome. You couldn't constitute it up immoderate better. I wouldn't person it immoderate different way. He made a large play connected that goal," helium said.

Jets sniper Kyle Connor scored a brace of goals, his seventh and eighth of the season, including 1 connected a short-handed punishment shot. Gabriel Valardi and Vladislav Namestnikov besides scored for Winnipeg (9-3-0), which outshot the Penguins 34-30. Eric Comrie stopped 28 shots successful the Jets' net.

Unusual short-handed goal

Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte countered for the Penguins and Silovs made 29 saves successful a losing origin for Pittsburgh (8-3-2).

Connor scored 1 of the much antithetic short-handed goals you'll ever see. With the Jets short-handed conscionable aft the midway constituent of the 2nd period, helium skated successful connected the forecheck arsenic Silovs went to play the puck successful the corner. The Latvian netminder misplayed it and arsenic Connor lunged for the puck conscionable a fewer feet successful beforehand of the net, Silovs threw his instrumentality successful that direction.

The officials whistled the play down and Connor was awarded a punishment shot. He bushed Silovs to the mitt broadside for what was technically a short-handed extremity to springiness the Jets a 4-0 lead.

Connor said helium can't retrieve ever having a goalie propulsion his instrumentality astatine him.

"I wasn't truly definite what was going on. Kind of missed an unfastened nett is what was going done my mind. I really didn't cognize the regularisation truthful I didn't cognize if they were discussing whether it was a goal. I didn't truly expect a punishment shot. It was bully I got different changeable astatine it," helium said.

Silovs admitted helium whitethorn not person respected Connor's forechecking quality arsenic overmuch arsenic helium should have.

"It's benignant of a misplay. He came truthful fast. I thought helium was going to beryllium a small spot slower," Silovs said.

Jonathan Toews, who signed with his hometown Jets successful the off-season aft missing much than 2 years owed to illness, assisted connected Namestnikov's sixth extremity of the play conscionable 77 seconds into the 2nd period. He had a uncommon off-night successful the faceoff circle, winning conscionable 5 of 11 draws but helium inactive leads the league with a 63.6 per cent winning percentage, up of Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators successful 2nd spot with 62.5 per cent.

Crosby said he's blessed to spot his erstwhile Olympic teammate backmost successful the NHL.

"It's great. I'm blessed for him. He's evidently inactive got a passionateness for it. It's bully to spot he's feeling bully and backmost connected the ice," helium said.