SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- It was another happy homecoming for right winger Blake Wheeler and the Winnipeg Jets.

Wheeler, a Twin Cities native, scored early to set the tone in the Jets' 1-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.

Winnipeg (21-21-3) got 24 saves from rookie goalie Connor Hellebuyck in his second career shutout to win for the second time in as many nights.

Goalie Devan Dubnyk notched 25 saves for the Wild (22-14-8), who were shut out for the first time this season and have now lost three in a row.

"You can't get too crazy when you're one shot or one bounce away," Dubnyk said. "They get a lucky one, the first one, on a missed shot and that's the game. You can't be too fired up when you're one bounce or one shot away."

Minnesota, which has been plagued by slow starts at home recently, fell behind early once again, thanks to a turnover at the Jets' blue line.

The giveaway sprung Wheeler on a two-on-one break along with left winger Andrew Ladd. Wheeler carried the puck into the zone, made a deke that had Wild defender Jonas Brodin sliding out of the way, then launched a fluttering shot from 30 feet that fooled Dubnyk's glove.

"That's my changeup," Wheeler joked. "I think (Dubnyk) had the exact spot I was going to shoot covered and right when I let it go I think it hit something in the ice or did a little knuckle. It was a lucky bounce, but we'll take it."

It was the third goal in the past four games for Wheeler, who is among the top 10 in the NHL in points, and was a notable omission from the All-Star Game.

"He's been an All-Star for us, there's no doubt about that," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "This was a positional decision and a Central Division issue, not whether Blake is an All-Star. He's an All-Star for us, but he's an All-Star in this league."

The Wild got back-to-back power plays late in the first period and built an impressive advantage in shots on goal but did not score.

The Jets caught up quickly in the shot department in the second period after consecutive Wild penalties gave Winnipeg nearly a minute of five-on-three power play, but they did not add to their lead.

"Number one is giving up the first goal in the game," said Wild coach Mike Yeo, diagnosing what ails his team. "That has been a very common trend. For a team like that, it allows them on the road just to try to walk it down and play a very patient game and puts us in kind of a press mode for the whole game. That's been a big trend."

Minnesota got a power play with 2:42 left and pulled Dubnyk for a six-on-four advantage. The Wild controlled the play for the full two minutes but could not get a shot through to Hellebuyck.

NOTES: Jets D Dustin Byfuglien was back in the lineup after missing the final 12 minutes of regulation in Winnipeg's 5-4 overtime win over the Predators on Thursday. He was tangled up with a Nashville player and fell hard to the ice, suffering an apparent arm injury. He has not missed a full game this season. ... Retired Wild and Minnesota North Stars players had a friendly pickup game on an outdoor rink in downtown St. Paul on Friday evening to promote their upcoming alumni game against retired members of the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the NHL Stadium Series events at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis next month. ... With the U.S. Figure Skating Championships taking up residence inside Xcel Energy Center for the next nine days, the Wild head out on a four-game road trip that begins Saturday night in Nashville, then moves west for games in Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose. The Jets go back to MTS Centre for a six-game homestand that begins Monday against the Avalanche.