Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves for his fifth shutout of the season, and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the visiting Washington Capitals, 3-0, on Thursday night.

Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist, and Dmitry Kulikov also scored for Winnipeg, which snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) as it competes for a Western Conference wild-card spot.

It was Hellebuyck's 19th career shutout.

Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for Washington, which was shut out for just the second time this season and remains four points in front of Pittsburgh for the Metropolitan Division lead.

The Capitals defeated the visiting Jets 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday, but Winnipeg rallied from a 3-0 deficit to force overtime and carried the momentum into Thursday's game.

The Jets scored the opening goal for the first time in 10 games when they took a 1-0 lead at 6:33 of the first period, on defenseman Kulikov's slap shot from the point off a pass from Blake Wheeler.

Winnipeg had a chance for more in the period but was unable to convert despite getting nearly two minutes on a 5-on-3 power play.

Connor made it 2-0 when he scored his second goal in two games and 32nd of the season at 7:20 of the third period. Scheifele won a puck battle behind the Capitals net and fed to Connor in the slot for the one-timer.

Washington pulled Samsonov with a little over two minutes remaining, and Scheifele added an empty-net goal at 18:32.

Scheifele has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in a six-game point streak.

Jets forward Patrick Laine left the game with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the first period and did not return.

--Field Level Media