Scheifele, Hellebuyck carry Jets past Senators, 5-1
Jan 21, 2023, 4:58 AM | Updated: 8:10 pm
Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) reacts after a stick-check by Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg (54) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
(Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Mark Scheifele scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots in the Winnipeg Jets’ 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler and Cole Perfetti also scored to help Winnipeg improve to 30-16-1. Ehlers, who missed 36 games with an abdominal injury, has four goals and eight assists in nine games since returning to the lineup.
“He’s a fantastic player for us, and he played great for us tonight, too,” Scheifele said. “We need him with his ‘A’ game for us to win. He was fantastic again tonight, and still only a few games in from him coming back.”
Josh Norris scored for Ottawa. Anton Forsberg made 25 saves. The Senators were coming off a 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Friday night, while the Jets were waiting for them in Ottawa.
“It’s not good,” Senators defenseman Thomnas Chabot said. “No one’s happy right now, but, I mean, it’s the game of hockey and they were the better team tonight and that’s it.”
Winnipeg was playing the third contest of a five-game trip. It lost the first two to Toronto and Montreal.
Senators fans had little to cheer about and headed for the exits as Scheifele scored his second of the game with just under four minutes remaining.
Wheeler picked up his 900th point with an assist on Perfetti’s late goal.
Winnipeg scored twice in the second and dominated play for much of the period.
Scheifele scored his 27th of the season on a one-timer at the five-minute mark and some poor defensive coverage by the Senators allowed Wheeler to jump on Ehlers’ rebound to put the Jets ahead 3-1.
UP NEXT:
Jets: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
Senators: Host New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
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