The Winnipeg Jets kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 win over the Golden Knights – Winnipeg

They didn’t get the help they needed on the out-of-town scoreboard, but the Winnipeg Jets took care of their own business on Tuesday night as they fought to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

For the second time in their last 11 regular season meetings, the Jets were able to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights, defeating them 4-1 at the Canada Life Centre.

The Jets didn’t even have a single shot on goal for nearly 10 minutes to start the game, but they completely turned things around, scoring the first three goals en route to their second straight win to start the homestand.

“They surrounded us early,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said. “There were more shots from the outside. I mean, it was eight-nine-nothing or whatever, but there were a few that were in front of Helly (Connor Hellebuyck). A lot more were going to the outside. I just think that then we started going and playing fast and we took over the game from then on.”

Vegas has won in their last five consecutive trips to the Manitoba capital.

The Jets now have at least a point in six of their last seven games.

However, thanks to Nashville’s win over San Jose, Winnipeg remains five points shy of a playoff spot with 11 games left to play.

Mark Scheifele hit the fourth Gordie Howe hat trick of his career. After registering a pair of assists, Scheifele scored an empty-netter and also battled with Oakbank’s Brett Howden in the second half after Howden equalized Kyle Connor.

“Just the thing to do,” Scheifele said. “That was my son. Just a hockey game. That was my friend. I didn’t like the hit, so, it happened.

“I’m a bad fighter. I think I caught him with a left, so, I don’t think anyone expected me to throw a left tonight. But, yeah, I don’t know how I have as many Gordie Howe hat tricks as I have.”

Connor, Cole Perfetti and Alex Iafallo also scored for Winnipeg in the win.

“Actually after the first half, I thought we just shut down their rushing game and their O-zone time,” Perfetti said. “They’re definitely a team that likes to make a lot of plays and they’re very talented in that area. And I thought in the second and third half we closed them down quickly, didn’t give away a lot of chances, and they were still trying to make plays, and I think we found the attack from there.”

Vegas has scored just five goals in their last five games with four of them being losses.

The Golden Knights got off to a better start, registering nine shots on goal over the first nine-plus minutes before Winnipeg got one going.

The Jets got their first on the power play when Nic Dowd was called for a pretty weak interference penalty and got one shot on goal but never really threatened to score.

Winnipeg broke the ice with 2:35 remaining thanks to some of their star players. Scheifele tracked down a loose puck in Vegas’ corner and hit a shot to make the play, sending the puck back to Josh Morrissey at the left point.

Morrissey made a good move to avoid the Golden Knights before sliding down. He then saw Connor open at the opposite faceoff point, so he delivered a perfect pass across the ice that Connor one-timed on a top corner kick past Adin Hill for his 32nd of the season.

Winnipeg maintained its slim lead heading into the second quarter, despite being outscored 13-5 in the opening 20 minutes.

The top line struck again 2:08 into the second quarter. Shea Theodore put the puck behind his own net and sent the puck on target, but there were no Golden Knights nearby, so Scheifele was able to intercept it. He sent a pass to Alex Iafallo at the opposite point and Iafallo fired a shot past Hill to make it 2-0 with his 12th goal of the season.

Less than two minutes later, the Jets made it 3-0.

Dylan DeMelo sent the puck in from his own end as several members of the Golden Knights made line changes. Brayden McNabb sniffed the puck as he skated over it, allowing Gabriel Vilardi to pick it up and carry it into the Vegas zone in a 2-on-1 with Perfetti.

Vilardi held it as long as he could as he neared the goal before throwing the puck past Theodore who rolled right onto the stick of Perfetti, who tipped it in for his 10th of the season.

The Golden Knights got their first power play of the night with 11:06 left in the second quarter as Iafallo was called for roughing and Vegas took advantage. Rasmus Andersson got the puck near the faceoff point and sent a pass into the crease that went over Colton Sissons’ skate and through Connor Hellebuyck’s legs.

Less than two minutes later, Neal Pionk was given a tripping penalty but with 42 seconds remaining in the minor, Sissons was given a penalty for hooking.

Both teams would eventually return to 5-on-5 but it wasn’t long before Noah Hanifin came into the box for a trip. Winnipeg didn’t want to change the power play.

In the final minute of the round, Howden caught Connor with a hard but legal blow, and Scheifele immediately took exception. He launched himself at Howden and shoved him several times before both men dropped their gloves.

The score remained 3-1 in Winnipeg’s favor heading into the third quarter after the Jets outscored Vegas 9-8 in the middle frame.

Vegas was only able to muster one shot over the first 11 minutes of the third quarter before putting Winnipeg on their fourth power play of the night but for the fourth time, the Jets failed to convert and to make matters worse, after Cole Smith came out of the box and skated down the ice for the puck, he was cross-checked onto the boards by Elias Salomonsson to give Vegas a power play with 7:04 remaining.

Winnipeg managed a kill but with 4:18 remaining, Dylan Samberg was given a hard penalty and Vegas decided to pull Hill to make it 6-on-4. The Jets got it done before Scheifele scored into an empty net with 1:18 remaining to seal the deal with his 32nd goal of the season.

Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots for the win, his seventh in his last 21 shots.

The Jets will be back in action Thursday night against Colorado. Pre-game coverage on 680 CJOB begins just after 5 p.m. with puck drop shortly after 7 p.m.

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