Mason McTavish scores in NHL debut as Ducks beat Jets

Mason McTavish became the youngest player in Ducks history to score a goal as they opened the season with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old McTavish — the third overall pick in this year’s NHL draft — put in a loose puck 13:20 into the first period to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made a pad save on a shot by Isac Lundestrom, but McTavish gathered in the rebound.

Officials originally ruled no goal because the whistle had blown, but replay overturned it as the culmination of a continuous play where the result was unaffected by the whistle.

At 18 years, 256 days old, McTavish surpassed the previous franchise mark set by Oleg Tverdovsky (18 years, 259 days) on Feb. 1, 1995, at Dallas. McTavish is the second-youngest player to score within 15 minutes of his NHL debut in more than 25 years (Columbus’ Nikita Filatov did it on Oct. 17, 2008, vs. Nashville) and the sixth youngest in NHL history.

McTavish also had an assist on Adam Henrique’s power-play goal during the second period that extended the Ducks’ lead to 3-1.

Kevin Shattenkirk and Rickard Rakell also scored for the Ducks, who have won four of their last five season openers. Lundestrom and Jakob Silfverberg both had two assists, and John Gibson made 33 saves.

Kyle Connor scored Winnipeg’s goal with a one-timer from the right faceoff circle less than four minutes into the second. Hellebuyck stopped 18 shots.

Shattenkirk scored Anaheim’s first goal of the season with a wrist shot from the right wing near the boards that Hellebuyck was unable to see after being screened. It was the Ducks’ first shot on goal after the Jets took the first seven.