Mark Scheifele scored once and added a pair of assists as the Winnipeg Jets handed the Boston Bruins their third straight loss with a 4-3 victory on Thursday.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored the game-winner with seven minutes remaining in the third period after defenceman Jacob Trouba made it 4-2 early in the period.
Charlie Coyle cut Winnipeg’s lead to 4-3 with 2:56 left, but the Bruins couldn’t tie it up with an extra attacker.
Blake Wheeler had a goal and assist for the Jets (41-25-4) and Patrik Laine contributed two assists.
Charlie McAvoy and Joakim Nordstrom also scored for the Bruins (42-20-9) and David Krejci added two assists.
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Connor Hellebuyck made 36 saves for Winnipeg, which moved three points ahead of Nashville for first place in the Central Division.
Tuukka Rask stopped 20 shots for the Bruins, who were without injured defenceman Torey Krug (upper body).
The Jets ended a two-game losing skid and are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Winnipeg’s top line of Laine, Scheifele and Wheeler did the early damage, giving the home team a 2-0 lead in the opening period that turned into a 2-2 contest midway through the second.
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Wheeler scored his 20th goal of the season 1:08 into the first off a rebound after Laine’s one-timer hit the crossbar.
Laine found Scheifele rushing to the net on the power play and sent him a pass for his career-high, team-leading 33rd goal of the season at 11:24. Scheifele had been held off the scoresheet the previous four games.
McAvoy’s high shot at 17:23 cut the lead to 2-1 and Nordstrom tied it up at 10:00 of the second when he banged in a rebound behind a sprawled Hellebuyck.
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The Jets had a chance to go ahead with their second power play of the game a few minutes later, but Laine twice hit a post.
Boston had outshot Winnipeg 30-19 after two periods.
Winnipeg wraps up a three-game homestand Saturday against Calgary. Boston hosts Columbus on Saturday.
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