COLE PERFETTI

Cole Perfetti Drives Winnipeg’s best looks in the opener

Center piles up quality chances and a power-play helper while the team seeks its first win of the season.

The Jets left their first game with only a point, but Cole Perfetti left a calling card: he was at the heart of Winnipeg’s best looks.

He set up a power-play finish for his lone point and fired four shots in 17.1 minutes. The puck didn’t go in for him — his shooting percentage sits at 0 — but the danger in his chances says this wasn’t about timid offense.

Start with the quality of what he generated. Perfetti’s individual expected goals — the value of his own chances — came in at 1.03 (expected goals), strong goal-scoring territory for a single night. That’s the kind of shot mix that usually pays off over time. Add in the on-ice picture: when he was out there, Winnipeg’s expected goals share — how much of the chance quality the Jets owned — was a towering 83.5%. In plain terms, his line produced most of the dangerous looks while allowing very little the other way.