WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets put an end to their longest losing streak of the season.
Mathieu Perreault had a three point night as the Jets ended a three game slide with a 5-1 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Monday at Bell MTS Place.
After a shaky first period in which the Jets mustered only four shots, Winnipeg settled down in the second and only got stronger as the game wore on.
“I think the first period we gave them too much ice to play on.” Nikolaj Ehlers said.
“We weren’t playing hard enough, and they got some big chances. But I think the second and third period we shut them down pretty well, scored on our chances, and played the way we wanted to play.”
Perreault had two goals including the 100th of his career while Ehlers, Dmitry Kulikov, and Josh Morrissey each scored once in the victory.
“That’s a darn good NHL win.” head coach Paul Maurice said.
“No part of our game was easy. What is difficult to do is what they did, is they got better in the second period. So we survived the first and there are times in the National Hockey League you need to survive. We did that in the first, come out even and then we got better and stronger.”
With the victory the Jets have now won 11 of their 14 games on home ice this season including their last seven in a row.
“Somehow we’ve been doing it at home.” Perreault said. “I’m not so sure why, but it seems like in this building we feel very comfortable in our game, and we’ve been playing some solid hockey here.”
It was the second time the Jets beat the Canucks this season after winning in Vancouver back in early October.
“Sometimes it’s tough coming back home after a bit of a road trip, time change and that.” Morrissey said. “So we knew the first period wasn’t going to be super pretty which it wasn’t. But we found a way to grind and started to get our game going and sort of got better as the game went on.”
Brock Boeser scored the Canucks only goal as Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 25 shots to stay unbeaten in regulation on home ice this season.
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The Jets got right down to business, scoring just 88 seconds into the contest. Kulikov squeezed a point shot between the legs of Jacob Markstrom. His second goal of the season was assisted by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
The Canucks then took the game over and answered back just a few minutes later. Henrik Sedin spotted a wide open Boeser in the slot and he ripped the shot past Hellebuyck for his 16th goal of the season. Daniel Sedin also had an assist on the Canucks’ first goal. It was tied after the opening period with the shots 10-4 in Vancouver’s favour.
The Jets’ fourth line put them back out in front five minutes into the middle stanza. Joel Armia fed Perreault in the slot and he buried the one-timer for his eighth goal of the season. Bryan Little also drew an assist as the Jets went up 2-1.
Winnipeg added another goal on the powerplay later in the period. Tyler Myers sent a slapper on goal and Markstrom kicked the puck out right to Ehlers. He fired it in for his 14th goal of the season. Perreault had the secondary assist and it was a two goal Jets’ lead through two periods. Winnipeg outshot Vancouver 11-7 in the period.
The Jets added an insurance marker with just over eight minutes left in regulation. Racing in on the odd man rush Adam Lowry threw the puck out front and Morrissey shoveled the puck past Markstrom for the Jets fourth goal. Andrew Copp also had an assist on Morrissey’s fourth goal of the campaign.
In the final minute Markstrom sent the puck up the middle of the ice right to Matt Hendricks. He shot the puck towards the open goal and it went off Perreault’s stick and in. It was Perreault’s 100th career NHL goal as the Jets held on for the 5-1 triumph.
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Steve Mason was taken off injured reserve earlier on Monday to dress as Hellebuyck’s backup. He missed the last two weeks with a concussion.
Dustin Byfuglien was scratched for the Jets after suffering a lower body injury that will keep him out of the lineup until after the Christmas break. Marko Dano and Shawn Matthias also sat out for Winnipeg.
The Jets are back in action on Thursday when they wrap up their mini two game homestand against Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks.
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