Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves to win his 300th career game as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the visiting Nashville Predators 5-2.
Morgan Barron, Josh Morrissey, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, and Nino Niederreiter were the goal scorers for Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele added two assists, while Dylan DeMelo, Adam Lowry, Ville Heinola, and Nikolaj Ehlers each had one assist.
Roman Josi recorded a goal and an assist for Nashville, while Filip Forsberg also scored. Jonathan Marchessault and Vinnie Hinostroza contributed assists. Juuse Saros made 25 stops.
At 6:30 into the first period, the Jets opened the scoring when the puck squirted over the line after a scrum in the corner of the Predators’ net. Barron was the last Jet to touch the puck after Nick Blankenburg inadvertently swiped it into his own net.
Sixteen seconds later, Morrissey fired a shot right from the top of the circle to make it 2-0 for Winnipeg.
Predators forward Luke Evangelista suffered an apparent leg injury from a hit by the Jets’ Neal Pionk. He left the game late in the first period and did not return.
With 1:24 left in the opening frame, Connor extended the Jets’ lead. Scheifele would find him in the slot to put Winnipeg ahead 3-0.
Nashville next saw Steven Stamkos leave the bench with his final shift coming with 12:19 left in the second period due to an undisclosed injury. He also did not return.
Despite being short-handed, the Predators got on the board during a power play with 3:15 remaining in the middle stanza. Forsberg snapped the puck past Hellebuyck, scoring a 3-1 goal that ended an 18-game goalless drought.
The Jets responded on the power play themselves in the third period at the 7:51 mark, with Vilardi tipping in a shot to restore their three-goal lead.
The Predators fought back, pulling within two when Josi’s point shot deflected off Logan Stanley’s skate, making it 4-2 just 1:34 later.
Nashville wouldn’t get closer as Niederreiter scored from his defensive zone into an empty net with 2:05 left in regulation.
–Field Level Media
