The NHL’s best team in the month of October got November started on the right foot Friday night in Columbus.
Fresh off an impressive win in Detroit, the Winnipeg Jets knocked off the Blue Jackets 6-2 to improve to 10-1 on the season.
Nikolaj Ehlers recorded a hat trick and Kyle Connor extended his season-opening point streak to 11 games as the Jets remained undefeated on the road, now a perfect 6-0.
“They made us work,” said Ehlers. “But we found a way. So, we got to continue trying to find ways to win games. And I think if we keep playing with the defensive structure that we do have, that gives us a really good chance.”
Eric Comrie made 20 stops to improve to 3-0 on the season.
The Jets had twice as many shots as the Blue Jackets, outshooting them 44-22.
“Our offence is generated by good defence,” Comrie said. “I think we come back so hard, we back check so hard. We play great in our D-zone and we really take pride in what we do, and it forces teams to try and push stuff, and it allows us to capitalize on the turnovers and mistakes.”
The Jets scored at least four goals for the fifth straight game and are now the highest scoring team in the NHL with 52 markers in their first 11 contests.
“We’re trying to keep people out of our end of the rink so that means you are playing probably down in the other end,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “And when we get teams caught on the ropes there a little bit, get them tired, and sorta zone timing them. That’s when we try to kinda keep our foot to the gas and keep the pressure on them. And it’s not always going to end up that way, but you gotta take what is being handed to you right now.”
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Ehlers also had an assist for a four-point night. It was his fifth career hat trick to tie Connor for the fourth most in franchise history. He also now has the most career hat tricks for a Danish born player in NHL history. It was his first hatty since December of 2018.
“When he puts his speed on display like he does like that, he’s a hard player to defend,” Arniel said. “We had KC (Kyle Connor) going at a 100 miles an hour the other night and him going tonight, that’s nice depth, great to see.”
Ehlers got the scoring started at the 5:28 mark of the first when he wheeled into the Columbus end and beat Elvis Merzlikins with a long-range slap shot.
Sean Kuraly answered for the Jackets just over 11 minutes into the period. James van Riemsdyk won a puck battle behind the Jets’ net and fed Kuraly in front, who potted it past Comrie to level the score.
But just over four minutes later, Ehlers restored the Jets’ lead. Columbus had chances to clear the puck but failed to do so thanks in part to some good stick work by Dylan Samberg at the blue line. After a scramble near the blue line, the puck eventually found its way to Ehlers in some open ice and he buried a hard wrister to make it 2-1.
It stayed that way until the 2:20 mark of the second period when the Jets make it 3-1 thanks to some nice puck movement in the offensive end. Adam Lowry dropped it off to Neal Pionk as he drove down the wall before Pionk fed Mason Appleton in the slot. He one-timed it home for his fourth of the year.
Winnipeg kept the pressure on as they searched for more goals and Connor came very close when he rang one off the crossbar but Merzlikins kept his team in the game.
Columbus found some life late in the period after Mark Scheifele was called for tripping and just eight seconds later, Sean Monahan tipped a point shot past Comrie to make it 3-2.
Before the period ran out, though, Winnipeg regained its two-goal cushion. After a scramble in front of Merzlikins, the puck escaped and landed on the stick of Ehlers who had a wide-open net to score into for his fifth career hat trick and first since Dec. 2018.
The Jets took the 4-2 lead into the third period after outshooting Columbus 19-8 in the second and 31-16 over the first two periods.
It stayed a two-goal game until the 11:39 mark of the third when Josh Morrissey blasted one home from the point on the power play to make it 5-2.
Gabriel Vilardi made it 6-2 with just over five minutes left, finishing off a brilliant play from Connor who made a nice toe drag around a defender before sending it to Vilardi in front of the crease.
Merzlikins turned aside 38 shots in defeat.
The Jets will return home to face the Tampa Bay Lightning Sunday afternoon. Puck drop is just after 2 p.m. with pregame coverage on 680 CJOB beginning at noon.
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