Jets 3, Predators 1: Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford each recorded a goal and an assist while rookie Michael Hutchinson made 20 saves as visiting Winnipeg handed struggling Nashville its sixth consecutive loss.

Wheeler’s second-period tally snapped a 1-1 tie for the undermanned Jets, who increased their lead over Los Angeles for the second wild card in the Western Conference to three points. Michael Frolik also tallied while Hutchinson, who was pulled from Wednesday’s loss to Ottawa after allowing three goals in 32 minutes, stifled the Predators to record his 20th victory.

Defenseman Ryan Ellis scored in his second game back from a lower-body injury for the Predators, whose Central Division lead over St. Louis was reduced to two points. Pekka Rinne turned aside 23 shots for Nashville, which surrendered an empty-netter by Stafford in the final minute.

Winnipeg, playing without Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little, opened the scoring when captain Andrew Ladd forced a turnover at the blue line and fed Frolik, whose shot slid past Rinne at 14:54 of the first period. Nashville evened things at 10:17 of the second, when Ellis’ wrist shot off a faceoff changed direction before sailing past Hutchinson.

The Jets regained the lead 35 seconds later as Wheeler slammed home the rebound of defenseman Tyler Myers’ shot, and Hutchinson slid to his left to stop Nashville blue-liner Roman Josi’s shot at the post as the period ended. The Predators pulled Rinne with 3:12 remaining and Craig Smith came close to tying it seconds later as his shot sailed just over the crossbar, but Wheeler set up Stafford’s empty-netter with 49.9 seconds remaining to seal it.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Byfuglien will be sidelined 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, while Little is expected to miss at least two games with an undisclosed ailment. Both missed their first contest of the season Saturday. … Nashville D Cody Franson was helped from the ice after colliding with Ladd with 4:56 left in the second period but returned to action in the third. … Myers collected an assist on Wheeler’s goal, his eighth point in 10 games since being acquired from Buffalo.