Connor, Scheifele, Wheeler help Jets beat Red Wings 6-2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler each had a goal and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-2 on Friday night.
Dylan DeMelo and Nikolaj Ehlers also had a goal and an assist, and Nino Niederreiter also scored as Winnipeg snapped a two-game skid. Mason Appleton and Vladislav Namestnikov each had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck finished with 23 saves.
David Perron and Joe Veleno scored 21 seconds apart midway through the third period for Detroit, and Magnus Hellberg had 23 saves. The Red Wings snapped a two-game win streak and lost for the sixth time in nine games.
WINNIPEG, CANADA - MARCH 31: Dylan Samberg #54, Nikolaj Ehlers #27, Blake Wheeler #26, Dylan DeMelo #2 and Vladislav Namestnikov #7 of the Winnipeg Jets celebrate a third period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at the Canada Life Centre on March 31
Connor gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 6:56 of the first period as he tipped Brenden Dillon's point shot past Hellberg's blocker side for his 29th goal of the season.
Wheeler got his 16th with 8:03 left in the first as he got a cross-ice pass from Nikolaj Ehlers and beat Hellberg from the right side. It snapped his 21-game goal-scoring drought.
Scheifele made it 3-0 a little more than 90 seconds later as he picked up a loose puck on the left side and quickly put it in for his 39th.
DeMelo added to the Jets' lead at 1:20 of the second as he fired a shot from the slot past Hellberg for his fifth, and Niederreiter got his own rebound and scored on a backhander for his 23rd with 6:18 remaining in the period.
Ehlers pushed the lead to 6-0 at 5:07 of the third with a shot from the slot that went inside the post for his 10th.
Perron got Detroit on the scoreboard during a power play at 10:41 of the third for his 20th. Veleno followed 21 seconds later with his eighth.
SLUMP BUSTERS
Jets coach Rick Bowness has been preaching offense lately and changed his top line for the game to try to spark some productive shooting.
Scheifele moved from center to right wing, with Pierre-Luc Dubois in the middle and Connor on the left. Scheifele ended his nine-game scoring drought, while Connor recorded his third goal in his past 19 games.
The last time Winnipeg scored more than three goals was in a 5-4 overtime win at Florida on March 11.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: At Toronto on Sunday in the second of a three-game trip.
Jets: Host New Jersey on Sunday in the second of a five-game homestand.