Tag: Winnipeg Jets

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jets looking to regain momentum as they take on struggling Canadiens

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An all-Canadian matchup will take place in Winnipeg on Saturday night when the Jets face off against the Montreal Canadiens, with both teams looking for some consistency.

After a dominant 8-1 win over Boston on Tuesday, the Jets were unable to keep the momentum going, losing 3-2 to Vegas on Thursday. Late in the third period, they found themselves in a 5-on-3 situation, which allowed the tying goal and eventually led to Ivan Barbashev scoring the overtime winner.

“I don’t think we attacked like they attack,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel after the loss.

“When you get away from some of the things you want to do on a consistent basis, you just keep pounding it home,” he continued, referring to the team’s pace of play.

“You keep trying to make sure that guys recognize that there’s a way we need to play to create offense, the way we need to play (defense) to not allow the opposition opportunities… hopefully for next game that’ll be a lot better.”

Despite the challenges, there’s a bright spot for Winnipeg: Nikita Chibrikov. He’s scored in each of his first three NHL games (one last season and two this week), setting a franchise record.

“You see a lot of little plays that he’s making over there,” said teammate Josh Morrissey. “It’s not an easy transition coming up from the minors and not playing at the start of the season with our team… hopefully he keeps that pace up.”

Montreal Canadiens players celebrate a goal

On the other side, the Canadiens are struggling after a tough 9-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday, where they gave up six goals in the third period.

“To me, it was more disappointment. To me, anger is an emotion, disappointment is a feeling,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis when asked about his emotions during the game.

“Every play matters in this league. There’s not one action on the ice that can’t affect the outcome of the game. … Unfortunately, sometimes I feel it’s part of our growth and we hope that these moments happen less and less, and when they happen they can’t happen consecutive times.”

The Canadiens are looking to recover from this defeat, and they’ll need to quickly shake off the loss before facing the Jets on the road.

“It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing … but (we) should have every reason to respond with our best effort here in Winnipeg,” said forward Brendan Gallagher after the loss to Pittsburgh. “It’s a good challenge for us and I trust that our group will put forth a better effort.”

Montreal is led by Nick Suzuki, who has 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists). He scored one of the Canadiens’ two goals against Pittsburgh and has earned points in eight straight games (four goals, seven assists).

David Savard is uncertain to return for Montreal after being ruled out on Thursday with an upper-body injury. For Winnipeg, Dylan Samberg is still recovering from a broken foot, and Nikolaj Ehlers is skating again but hasn’t started progressing toward game action.

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Golden Knights secure win in overtime to extend their streak against Jets

Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets

Ivan Barbashev scored at 3:47 of overtime, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Barbashev received a pass from Shea Theodore during a two-on-one break and fired a wrist shot from the left circle, hitting the near post and past goalie Connor Hellebuyck for the game-winning goal. This was his team-leading 14th goal of the season.

Victor Olofsson and Keegan Kolesar also scored for Vegas, and Theodore added two assists. With this victory, the Golden Knights extended their winning streak to eight straight regular-season wins against the Jets.

Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Golden Knights, improving his career record to 6-0-0 against the Jets and 11-0-2 against Western Conference teams this season. This win also marked Vegas’ fourth consecutive victory, tying their season-high.

For Winnipeg, Josh Morrissey and Nikita Chibrikov scored, and Hellebuyck made 33 saves.

Despite being outshot 12-4 in the first period, Winnipeg took a 1-0 lead at 9:27 when Chibrikov scored off a rebound from a Vladislav Namestnikov shot. This was Chibrikov’s second goal of the season.

Vegas Golden Knights (NHL)

Vegas, coming off a five-day midseason break, quickly found its rhythm in the second period, holding Winnipeg without a shot for the first 13:01. By the end of the second period, Vegas had a 22-10 shot advantage but couldn’t get past Hellebuyck, who was helped by several blocked shots. The Jets blocked 25 shots in total, while the Golden Knights blocked 12.

Vegas tied the game 1-1 at 4:34 of the third period. Kolesar grabbed a loose puck along the right boards and scored with a wrist shot from the top of the circle, beating Hellebuyck on his glove side.

Morrissey put Winnipeg back in front at 10:55, blasting a slap shot into the top corner from the top of the left circle.

The Jets were then called for tripping penalties by Gabe Vilardi and Dylan DeMelo just 13 seconds apart, giving Vegas a five-on-three power play. Olofsson tied the game 38 seconds later with a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle, assisted by Mark Stone

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Golden Knights begin tough road trip with a matchup against the strong Jets

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

After a rare five-day break, the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights are heading out for what is likely their toughest road trip of the season.

Vegas will play three games in four days, including matchups against two teams that are tied for the NHL lead in points. The trip begins Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

After a day off on Friday, the Golden Knights will face a back-to-back schedule, starting with a Saturday afternoon game against Connor McDavid and the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Then, on Sunday morning, they will play the Central Division co-leader Minnesota Wild.

Winnipeg, which just beat the Boston Bruins 8-1 on Tuesday, and Minnesota both sit at the top of the NHL with 42 points.

Vegas has won its last three games, outscoring opponents 8-3, including a 1-0 win over McDavid and the Oilers in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights haven’t played since last Friday when they held off the Dallas Stars 3-2 with 38 saves from goalie Adin Hill.

“We have had time to recover,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought it was right for us because of the intensity of our schedule early on, so we needed it. It came at a good time for us.

“We’ll be back to work with three games in four days this week. We’ll be on the ice a lot. Hopefully, they’ll have lots of energy in the third periods. That’s what your rest does for you, should give you some legs each night and then on the last game on Sunday. Hopefully, we haven’t skated them into the ground this week where we have something left for that game, too.”

Cassidy said the Golden Knights spent a lot of time working on basic skills.

Vegas Golden Knights (NHL)

“Playing through hands, stick-on-puck details, all the stuff that when you’re playing a lot of games you’re not practicing,” he said. “I don’t want to say (it was a) mini training camp because that’s probably not accurate, but in some respects, (we did) daily drills we would have done in training camp for some of them.”

The first stop on the road trip will be against the Jets, who have won three of their last four games and tied their season-high with eight goals against Boston. This was the ninth time Winnipeg scored six or more goals in a game, the most in the NHL.

The top line of Mark Scheifele (two goals, one assist), Kyle Connor (one goal, two assists), and Gabriel Vilardi (one goal, one assist) combined for four goals and eight points against the Bruins, helping Winnipeg improve to 10-3-0 at home.

“I thought we played a helluva hockey game,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “I really liked just the fact that we were in attack mode all the game.”

Scheifele and Connor entered Wednesday tied for eighth in the NHL with 16 goals each.

“Usually when they play like that, it leads to a win,” forward Adam Lowry said. “They came up huge for us throughout the game. Dominant shifts, some huge goals at critical times to get us in the lead and things like that.

Their line has had a great year so far, and it kind of starts with Mark driving it down the middle. In order for us to be successful, that’s the line we look to.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Mark Scheifele equals team record as Jets fly past Bruins

Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins

Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each recorded three points to lead the Winnipeg Jets to an 8-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Scheifele, who scored two goals and added an assist, found the net in both the first and second periods, marking his 46th career multi-goal game, tying Ilya Kovalchuk for the most in team history. The Jets built a 3-0 lead before exploding for five goals in the third period, including three goals in just 7:19 and two more in a span of 10 seconds.

Connor had two assists and also scored during the third-period surge, while Gabriel Vilardi and Nikita Chibrikov each contributed a goal and an assist.

Alex Iafallo, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Mason Appleton also scored for the Jets. Neal Pionk recorded two assists, and Winnipeg went 3-for-6 on the power play to secure their third win in four games.

Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves to earn his league-leading 18th win, including eight saves in the first period.

David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins, and Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves in the loss. Boston had won four straight games before starting their current five-game road trip.

Boston Bruins (NHL)

The Jets took the lead at 12:09 of the first period on a four-minute power play. Pionk’s shot went wide, but the puck bounced off the wall, hit Nino Niederreiter, and went across the crease where Namestnikov was able to tap it in.

They doubled their lead late in the first period after a turnover allowed Scheifele to race to the slot and score off a pass from Connor with 1:59 left.

After Hellebuyck stopped a wrist shot from Nikita Zadorov, the Jets quickly made it 3-0. Josh Morrissey passed to Scheifele for a one-timer during a brief power play at 7:02.

Pastrnak responded with a power-play goal at 9:13 of the second, bringing the Bruins within 3-1. Charlie McAvoy assisted with a pass into the left circle, where Pastrnak beat Hellebuyck.

In the third, Connor scored just 1:15 in, capitalizing on a failed clearing attempt and netting a goal from Scheifele’s pass. Connor then assisted Vilardi, who scored on a wrist shot at 5:33 to make it 5-1.

Iafallo added another power-play goal at 7:19, tipping in a shot from Pionk.

The final two goals came late in the game, with Appleton scoring at 16:16 from an impossible angle and Chibrikov marking his NHL debut with a turnaround shot from the left faceoff circle.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Bruins aim to prove their strength as they begin road trip against Jets

Boston Bruins (NHL)

The Boston Bruins, winners of four straight and seven of their last nine games since Joe Sacco became interim head coach, are heading out on their longest road trip of the season.

Their five-game road trip starts on Tuesday with a tough matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, who are currently tied for first place in the Western Conference and are the only team in the NHL with 20 wins.

“We’ll get out there and enjoy each other’s company on the road,” said Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. “Sometimes these trips are a good opportunity for us to have some experiences together.”

The Bruins have been on a strong run since their 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 1, but traveling presents a new challenge after winning three of their last four games at home.

“I think it tells a lot about your team when you get on the road, about the identity of the group and how you respond in different environments,” said Sacco. “We’re going to face, obviously, one of the better teams in the league in our next game. I think it’s important that we remain true to our identity, and that’s what has given us success lately.”

In their last game on Saturday, the Bruins overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3, with David Pastrnak assisting Pavel Zacha for the overtime-winning goal for the second time in three games.

Pastrnak missed practice on Monday due to an upper-body injury, but the team expects it to be minor and is hopeful that he will be able to play on Tuesday. The team also is not carrying any extra players.

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

The team’s recent success has boosted confidence in the locker room.

“I think we’re believing that we can win those (close) games, even if you don’t have great starts,” said Zacha. “That’s something that we’re going to build on as a part of Bruins hockey: being the hard team to play against and winning these games.”

The Jets, who started the season 17-3-0, have cooled off with a 3-6-0 record in their last nine games. They had a two-game win streak snapped with a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Kyle Connor scored his 15th goal of the season to give Winnipeg the lead in the second period, but the Blue Jackets answered with two goals in a span of 2:27 in the third period to secure the win.

“We’re tied going into the third kind of like we’ve been the last few games, when we found ways to win hockey games,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “This one, we made mistakes and it ended up in the back of our net.”

Connor, who has scored twice in his last three games after a six-game scoreless streak, leads a deep Jets lineup that includes four other players with double-digit goals: Gabriel Vilardi (11), Nino Niederreiter (10), and Mark Scheifele (14).

“Obviously, it’s great to contribute and get some goals, but in the end, nothing is more fun than winning hockey games,” said Niederreiter after the Jets’ 4-2 victory in Chicago.

Tuesday’s game will be the second of a four-game homestand for the Jets, who recently completed a stretch of three games in four days against Columbus.

“We’ve talked about it as a group, we’re not looking for excuses based on the schedule,” said Arniel. “This is hockey.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Despite falling behind early, the Jets defeat the Blackhawks for their second consecutive victory

Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks

Mark Scheifele scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and Kyle Connor had two assists to help the Winnipeg Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Saturday.

Under interim coach Anders Sorensen for the first time, the Blackhawks led 1-0 and 2-1 but couldn’t hold on, resulting in their fifth straight loss, the worst of their season so far.

Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 12 saves as the Jets won their second straight after a four-game losing streak.

Scheifele scored the winning goal at 10:18 of the third period when he tapped in a rebound of Connor’s shot past Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom. It was Scheifele’s 14th goal of the season, tying him with Connor for the team lead.

Mason Appleton, who had a goal and an assist, sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:41 left.

The Blackhawks got on the board first with a power-play goal. Alex Vlasic scored with a point shot at 9:01 of the first period, just 21 seconds after the Jets were penalized for delay of game.

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson, center top, talks to his players during the third period of an NHL hockey game

The Jets tied the game 4:30 later when Gabriel Vilardi tipped Logan Stanley’s shot past Soderblom while the Blackhawks were still adjusting after a goaltending change.

Starting goalie Petr Mrazek left the game midway through the first period after getting hurt while stopping a shot from Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry. Mrazek had saved all four shots he faced before leaving, and Soderblom replaced him. This marked Soderblom’s first game since Nov. 19.

The Blackhawks regained the lead with just 13 seconds left in the first period. Alec Martinez took a pass from Ilya Mikheyev, skated to the left circle, and beat Hellebuyck with a wrist shot.

The Jets outshot the Blackhawks 29-14 and kept up heavy pressure in the second period. At 13:10 of the second, Nino Niederreiter tied the game when he took a pass from Appleton behind the net, skated along the red line, and scored with a backhand shot over Soderblom.

Soderblom finished with 21 saves. The Jets went 0-for-2 on the power play.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jets snap season-high losing streak with overtime victory

Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres

Adam Lowry scored late in overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets ended their season-high four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves. The Jets had struggled with a 3-7-0 record since winning 15 of their first 16 games. Lowry took advantage of a two-on-none with teammate Josh Morrissey, who had two assists, and scored with 1:01 left in overtime. The win ended their three-game road skid and also saw Mark Scheifele add two assists.

Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens scored for the Sabres, who have gone 0-3-2 after winning seven of their previous nine. Buffalo is also in a 0-2-2 slump at home.

The Sabres took the lead early, scoring just 3:27 into the game. Thompson, who was left open in the circle, hit the post for his 14th goal of the season, breaking an 0-for-16 power-play drought. Winnipeg quickly tied it less than a minute later when Haydn Fleury threw the puck toward the net, and Vilardi redirected it in for his 10th goal.

Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators (NHL)

Buffalo regained the lead with 8:31 left in the first period when Zach Benson set up Cozens for a goal.

The Jets answered in the second period, tying the game 3:06 into the frame with a power-play goal from Connor that got past Luukkonen.

Buffalo thought they had regained the lead with 2:24 left in the second when Tyson Kozak, a Manitoba native making his NHL debut, appeared to score. However, the goal was reviewed and overturned for goaltender interference.

The Sabres played without their captain, Rasmus Dahlin, who is dealing with back spasms.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jets and Sabres enter their matchup on identical 4-game losing streaks

Buffalo Sabres (NHL)

After only losing once in the first month of the season, the Winnipeg Jets are now struggling to win.

The Buffalo Sabres have also been having trouble getting victories recently.

Both teams will try to avoid their fifth consecutive loss when they play each other Thursday night in Buffalo.

Winnipeg had an incredible start to the season, winning 15 out of 16 games. During that stretch, the Jets averaged 4.6 goals per game. Since then, they’ve gone 3-7-0, averaging just 2.2 goals and scoring one or none in six of those games.

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint it now,” said Winnipeg star Mark Scheifele about the team’s offensive struggles. “I think it’s just a matter of wearing teams down. Obviously, everyone’s gunning for us and they know they got to play us hard. So, I think it’s just a matter of getting back to looking at the blueprint that we were doing earlier and just try to get back to that.”

On Tuesday, Winnipeg only scored one goal, a late goal by Scheifele, in a 4-1 loss to St. Louis, dropping their home record to 9-2-0.

“We need to be better as a group. That’s the biggest thing,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “We won all those games as a team and this isn’t going to change here. Everybody’s had a little bit of fault (with) these losses and now it’s a case of us sticking together and going on to the next game on the road here and finding a way to win that hockey game.”

Winnipeg Jets players in the 3rd period

Winnipeg has now lost six times on the road, and they’ve dropped three straight while in a 3-6-0 slump. The Jets are also in a stretch where 11 of their next 13 games are away from home.

Despite their road struggles, Winnipeg has won three in a row and five of their last six games in Buffalo, where the Sabres have lost three straight. Buffalo also blew a 4-0 first-period lead in their 5-4 loss to Colorado on Tuesday.

With that tough loss, Buffalo has gone 0-3-1 after winning seven of nine.

“We just need to be better,” said Sabres star Alex Tuch, who got his team-leading 23rd point with an assist against Colorado.

“Call (Tuesday’s loss) a learning experience. Honestly, just don’t forget how this feels. … We didn’t want to lose multiple games in a row, let alone four now.”

While Winnipeg is struggling to score, Buffalo has allowed 12 goals in their last three games, including nine in two home games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 36 saves on Tuesday, has been in goal for Buffalo’s last two home games. Meanwhile, James Reimer, who has been the backup since the Sabres claimed him off waivers on Nov. 13, has stopped 48 of 52 shots in his two starts.

“We have a top-three team in Winnipeg (Thursday), we have to be ready for them,” Tuch said.

Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor is tied with Scheifele for the team lead with 13 goals, and he has scored six in 12 games against Buffalo. However, he hasn’t scored in his last six games.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has allowed eight goals in his three-game losing streak. Backup Eric Comrie, a former Sabre, has a 3.04 goals-against average and is 3-3-0.

It’s unclear if Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, who has 19 points this season but none in his last four games, will play after leaving Tuesday’s game with back spasms.

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Jordan Kyrou scored two goals to help the St. Louis Blues secure a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday

St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets

Jordan Kyrou scored twice, and Dylan Holloway and Robert Thomas each added a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Tuesday night, handing the Jets their fourth straight loss.

Kyrou and Holloway both scored 39 seconds apart late in the second period. The Blues outshot the Jets 32-23, improving to 3-0-1 under new coach Jim Montgomery. Joel Hofer, a Winnipeg native, made 22 saves, earning his fifth win in eight starts this season.

Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets with 4:15 left in the game after they pulled their goaltender. Winnipeg, who had won 15 of their first 16 games, is now 3-7-0. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 28 shots in the loss, as the Jets have scored only six goals in their current losing streak.

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

The Jets had a slight edge in shots on goal in the first period, 8-6. St. Louis had the first scoring chance, but Hellebuyck denied Zack Bolduc’s partial breakaway attempt. Winnipeg came close to scoring with Kyle Connor’s shot, but Hofer made a key save to keep the game scoreless.

In the second period, the Blues finally broke through. Brayden Schenn passed to Kyrou, who scored on a backhand with 1:56 left. Just 39 seconds later, Holloway scored off his own rebound. St. Louis dominated the second period, outshooting Winnipeg 19-3.

Hofer continued his strong play in the third period with a glove save on Neal Pionk, who was on a break. The Blues added a third goal when Kyrou passed to Holloway, who sent the puck into the net while sitting on the ice for a 3-0 lead.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The Golden Knights continue their strong performance, defeating the struggling Jets

Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets

Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev each scored two goals as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on Friday night.

Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each had two assists, and William Karlsson and Shea Theodore also added one assist each. Adin Hill made 22 saves in goal for Vegas, which has won four of its last five games.

Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets, both goals assisted by Josh Morrissey. Neal Pionk also scored for Winnipeg in the loss. Nikolaj Ehlers, Vladislav Namestnikov, Haydn Fleury, and Kyle Connor each earned an assist. Eric Comrie made 26 saves for the Jets, who have lost three out of their last four games.

The Jets took the lead 6:57 into the first period when Morrissey’s shot from the top of the circle was tipped by Perfetti, who scored to end his 11-game goalless streak.

With 1:47 left in the first period, the Golden Knights tied the game at 1-1. After a turnover by Morgan Barron in the Jets’ zone, Howden grabbed the puck, sped down the ice, outran Logan Stanley, and scored on a breakaway.

Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club

Vegas took the lead with 16 seconds remaining in the first period when Barbashev scored on a loose rebound in front of the net, making it 2-1.

Ehlers left the game in the second period after a hit from Dorofeyev along Winnipeg’s bench caused him to fall awkwardly. He did not return.

Perfetti scored his second goal of the game with 5:32 left in the second period, tying the game at 2-2. Morrissey’s long shot bounced off Hill’s pads to Perfetti, who scored.

Barbashev scored his second goal of the game 4:43 into the third period, giving Vegas a 3-2 lead. Eichel’s backhand pass in the slot set him up for a shot that beat Comrie.

The Jets responded when Pionk scored to tie the game at 3-3 with 11:05 left in the third period.

The Golden Knights regained the lead with 4:05 left in the game when Howden scored after Karlsson passed him the puck perfectly, and Howden sent it into the open net.

This was the first loss of the season for the Jets when they scored first.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Former Kings players Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari make their return to Los Angeles with the Jets

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

The Winnipeg Jets are in the middle of their longest road trip of the season and are happy with what they’ve achieved so far.

The Jets will look to keep their strong play going when they face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Winnipeg has won two of the first three games on their six-game road trip, including a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Monday.

The Jets started the season strong, winning 15 of their first 16 games. However, they had lost three of five games before their matchup with the Wild, who were just four points behind Winnipeg in the Central Division.

“Yeah, it’s a big, big step, but obviously we’ve got to work on some things,” said Winnipeg forward Alex Iafallo, who scored twice in Saint Paul, Minn. “But, going forward, I think it’s a big win for us, and especially on the road. Finishing off that third period is huge for us — and building that momentum of hard plays and doing it right to the end.”

Iafallo, who played his first six NHL seasons with the Kings, has found a spot on Winnipeg’s fourth line alongside Rasmus Kupari and Morgan Barron. Kupari, a former first-round pick by the Kings, spent his first three seasons in Los Angeles.

The Jets also welcomed back defenseman Ville Heinola on Monday after he missed 22 months recovering from two ankle surgeries. He recorded two shots on goal and had a hit in 12:14 of ice time against the Wild.

“There were a lot of things that I liked,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel about Heinola’s performance. “He has patience and poise. We know that. Especially on the breakouts and things like that.”

Los Angeles Kings celebrate after a goal

The Kings will be eager to get back on the ice after a tough 7-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

The game was tied 2-2 going into the third period, but the Kings gave up three goals in the first four minutes of the period.

“We completely fell apart in the third period,” said Kings coach Jim Hiller. “That’s just unacceptable, what happened in the third. So we can talk about the first 40 (minutes), but it’s washed away with that third period.”

Two of the Sharks’ five goals in the third period came on the power play. The Kings have allowed 16 goals on their penalty kill, which is tied for the fifth most in the NHL.

“We went through this at the beginning of the year,” said Hiller. “We took too many penalties. The coach doesn’t have too many options but to take ice time away, that’s basically it. We had got ahold of it pretty good; we’ve had a pretty good run of not giving up a lot of power plays. (On Monday), we were careless, but it just goes with our mindset, particularly in the third period.”

Los Angeles will turn to some of its most experienced players to help bounce back against Winnipeg.

Anze Kopitar has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in his last seven games. He has reached 25 points in a season for the 19th time in his career, becoming the 32nd NHL player to do so.

Adrian Kempe had two assists against the Sharks, marking his 77th multipoint game, which ties Jari Kurri for the 19th-most multipoint games in team history.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Alex Iafallo scores two goals as Jets dominate Wild in a big win

Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild

Alex Iafallo scored two goals as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Monday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry also scored for Winnipeg, which kept the best record in the NHL with their 18th win in 22 games this season. Neal Pionk added two assists.

Jake Middleton scored the only goal for Minnesota.

Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 43 saves to improve his record to 15-2-0 this season.

Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots but dropped to 9-4-3.

Minnesota took the lead with 11:23 left in the first period. Marcus Johansson took a shot that Hellebuyck stopped, but the rebound went to Middleton, who scored to give the Wild a 1-0 lead.

Iafallo tied the game at 1-1 with 9:57 remaining in the first period, scoring on a backhand shot with an assist from Rasmus Kupari.

Filip Gustavsson defends against St. Louis Blues’ Jake Neighbours during the second period of an NHL hockey game

Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead with 7:55 left in the second period when Niederreiter scored against his former team. He made a move in front of the net and scored his ninth goal of the season.

Iafallo added his second goal of the game and fourth of the season, giving the Jets a 3-1 lead with 6:40 left in the third period. He redirected a shot from Pionk on the power play for his 100th career goal, achieved in the same state where he played college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Lowry sealed the win for Winnipeg with an empty-net goal with 1:03 left, his fifth goal of the season.

The Jets were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Wild went 0-for-2.