The Winnipeg Jets continued their west coast dominance and now have themselves a share of first place in the North Division.
Andrew Copp scored four goals as the Jets defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 Wednesday night to sweep the two-game set.
Winnipeg is now 4-0 in Vancouver this season and 8-0 in their last eight visits. They outscored the Canucks by a combined margin of 9-1 over the two-game mini-series and have now beaten Vancouver in five of their seven meetings so far this season.
With the win, the Jets (20-11-2) move into a three-way tie for top spot in the North Division with the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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It was Copp’s first career NHL hat trick and the first four-goal game he can remember.
“I’m gonna have a hard time remembering my last four-goal game,” Copp said. “I don’t know if that’s ever happened before, so pretty cool experience.
“Pretty cool feeling. Obviously, the powerplay was working today and then just kinda getting two at the end were kinda cherries on top.”
Copp’s unforgettable night began in the second period when he scored a pair of powerplay goals and he added two more late in the third period, including an empty netter, which puts him at 10 goals on the year.
He’s now just one goal shy of tying his career-high.
“He’s really worked at his offensive game,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “Spent an awful lot of time on the ice handling pucks, taking passes. I think his relationship with Mark Scheifele has helped that. I think that they spend a lot of time working on those things. While it may not be the first strength that he has, he’s developed it now into a strength.”
Connor Hellebuyck made 38 saves and was 1:25 away from a second straight shutout before it was snapped late in the contest with the game already out of reach. His shutout streak ended at 129 minutes.
“It stings a little bit,” said Hellebuyck. “I love shutouts, but at the end of the day – we win. And that’s all I really care about.”
Scheifele added the Jets other goal for his 13th of the season and the first in his last six games.
Nils Hoglander had the lone goal for Vancouver.
The Canucks took a pair of too many men on the ice penalties in the second period, and the Jets scored on the man advantage both times. Winnipeg finished the night 2-for-3 on the powerplay.
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Jets rookie Logan Stanley fought Zack MacEwen in the first period for his first NHL fight.
Jets defenceman Tucker Poolman played in his 100th career NHL game, logging 20:08 of ice time.
The Jets continue the road trip Friday in Calgary. The pregame show begins on 680 CJOB at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop shortly after 9 p.m.