Patrik Laine scored three goals as the visiting Winnipeg Jets beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 Monday night.
Laine gave the Jets an insurmountable 4-1 lead midway through the second period with his first goal of the night. The tally came after Kyle Connor forced a turnover near the Vancouver net and sent him a quick pass.
The flashy Finn added two third-period goals, the final one an empty-netter, as the Jets posted their fourth win in five games. The injury-riddled Canucks lost their sixth consecutive game.
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck produced 22 saves on 25 shots, while Vancouver counterpart Jacob Markstrom stopped 43 of 48.
Winnipeg scored on one of five power plays, while Vancouver was good on one of three.
Connor had a four-point night for the Jets, scoring once and adding three assists, while Bryan Little and Mark Scheifele each scored once and added an assist.
Winnipeg led 3-1 after the first period and 4-3 following the second.
Elias Pettersson, Tyler Motte and Nikolay Goldobin scored for the Canucks.
Little opened the scoring just 1:13 into the game as Markstrom came out of his net to clear the puck but sent it straight to the Jet -- and then could not get back to the empty goal in time.
Pettersson pulled the Canucks even at 8:09 of the first period as he one-timed Ben Hutton's pass during a power play. Scheifele gave the Jets a 2-1 lead at the 14-minute mark of the first as he stuffed in Nikolaj Ehlers' rebound. The goal came on Winnipeg's 17th shot of the frame.
Connor put the Jets ahead 3-1 on a power play just 39 seconds later, squeezing a shot between Markstrom's shoulder and the post from the short side.
Laine padded Winnipeg's lead midway through the second period after Connor forced a turnover near the Vancouver net and sent him a quick pass. However, the Canucks rallied on a short-handed breakaway goal by Motte at 11:21 of the second, followed by a solo effort from Goldobin at 16:08 after he stole the puck in the Jets' zone.
Sam Gagner played his first NHL game of the season for the Canucks after being recalled from a loan to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
--Field Level Media
Winnipeg | Vancouver | |
Kyle Connor 4 | Points | Nikolay Goldobin 2 |
Patrik Laine 3 | Goals | Nikolay Goldobin 1 |
Kyle Connor 3 | Assists | Nikolay Goldobin 1 |
Kyle Connor 1 | Power Play Goals | Elias Pettersson 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | Tyler Motte 1 |
Connor Hellebuyck .880 | Save Percentage | Jacob Markstrom .896 |
Connor Hellebuyck 22 | Saves | Jacob Markstrom 43 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Winnipeg | 49 | 6 | 1-5 | 2-3 | 11 | 32 |
Vancouver | 25 | 3 | 1-3 | 4-5 | 25 | 36 |