Kyle Connor had an assist and an empty-net goal in the Winnipeg Jets’ 4-1 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
Nino Niederreiter, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the Jets, who are on a two-game winning streak.
Winnipeg leads the NHL in wins (17) and points (34).
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 17 of 18 shots for his league-leading 14th win. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is enjoying another superb season, with a .924 save percentage in 16 games.
Michael Bunting scored the Penguins’ only goal, and Tristan Jarry stopped 26 of 29 shots.
Pittsburgh has just one win in its last six games (1-3-2). The Penguins had a season-low 18 shots on Friday, topping their previous low of 19 shots in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Winnipeg struck quickly at 1:22 of the first period after Evgeni Malkin’s turnover. Malkin made an awkward clearance attempt on a puck that deflected off the end boards, and Niederreiter capitalized on the loose puck in front of the Penguins’ net. It was his eighth goal of the season.
On his 32nd birthday, Namestnikov celebrated with a goal 4:53 into the second period. The Jets’ three-on-two rush led to an initial shot from Namestnikov that was stopped, but he converted his own rebound for his sixth goal of the season.
The Jets added a dagger on the power play late in the period. Vilardi converted a quick wrist shot from the slot just 59 seconds before the second intermission.
The Jets were 1-for-3 on the power play on Friday and lead the NHL in power-play percentage at 35.6.
Pittsburgh’s frustration over the first 40 minutes emerged in a rare fight from Sidney Crosby, who dropped the gloves with Connor near the start of the third period. Crosby’s fight seemed to spark his team, leading to a more competitive effort from the Penguins in the final frame.
Bunting’s power-play goal, his fourth goal of the season, got the Penguins on the board at the 5:49 mark. This was all Pittsburgh could muster, however, as Connor sealed the game with an empty-net goal 18:49 into the third period.
–Field Level Media
