Jets continue to dominate ‘Hawks with 5-3 win in Chicago

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This article was published 26/01/2017 (3151 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO — The inconsistent Winnipeg Jets consistently find ways to beat the Chicago Blackhawks.

Call it luck, call it quirky or simply give the club credit for rising to the occasion against one of the NHL’s top teams, but the Jets certainly have the Blackhawks’ number this season.

Winnipeg scored three times late in the hockey game — all coming in exactly two minutes of play —  to post a 5-3 triumph Thursday night over Chicago before 21,746 dissatisfied customers at the United Center.

Goals by Andrew Copp and Bryan Little late in the third period were the difference as the Jets rallied after trailing 3-2 to snap a two-game losing skid in the final contest before the NHL all-star weekend. Mark Scheifele slid in an empty netter to seal it.

Winnipeg (23-25-4) has now won all four games against Chicago (30-16-5) this season and the much-maligned Connor Hellebuyck has been between the pipes for the Jets each time.

He wasn’t picture perfect Thursday, but put in a solid comeback performance, stopping 38 Chicago shots.

The 23-year-old Michigan-born goalie hadn’t started a game since Jan. 13 when he was given the hook early against the Arizona Coyotes after giving up three goals on just six shots. Two nights earlier, he gave way to backup Michael Hutchinson after allowing three goals on seven shots to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Jets lost both games and then dropped two more — an overtime decision to Los Angeles followed by a loss to San Jose. That skid resulted in the promotion of goalie Ondrej Pavelec from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

Pavelec was handed four consecutive starts, going 2-2, but it was clearly time to hand the reins back to Hellebuyck — the guy the Jets have pinned their hopes on moving forward.

And he responded.

“I worked on the things that I needed to work on, I got my mind right. I got a little more relaxed, I don’t know if you can notice it but I could feel it,” said Hellebuyck. “I’m refreshed, I’ve been practicing so I was   hungry to play. I think I just had the nerves going, which has been awhile for that, I think that drove it a bit.”

Hellebuyck was poised in the first period, specifically in the game’s opening minute when he turned aside three quick shots from in tight by Chicago captain Jonathan Toews, left-winger Ryan Hartman and then Toews again. 

Chicago had eight shots before the game was even five minutes old.

Head coach Paul Maurice said Hellebuyck showed a lot of heart in a solid, bounce-back performance.

“Simple game plan by Chicago, everything went to the net,” he said. “They threw everything and he looked solid, he controlled the front… really good game for him.”

Buoyed by his work, the Jets struck for a pair of goals in just 48 seconds as Patrik Laine scored on the power-play and left-winger Shawn Matthias knocked in his seventh.

Even as Chicago scored a power-play goal of its own later in the period — a point blast Hellebuyck seemed to have difficulty locating because of a screen thrown by centre Artem Anisimov — the Jets goalie looked sharp, blocking 17 of 18 shots.

Nick Schmaltz’s unassisted goal to even the contest 2-2 just four minutes into the middle frame changed all that. He walked out from the corner untouched and, with the Hellebuyck on his knees, roofed the puck for just his third goal of the campaign.

Hellebuyck then whiffed on the go-ahead goal, surrendering a shot through the five-hole to Chicago’s young centre, Tanner Kero, his third, with less than four minutes left in the final period.

He kicked out all nine shots he faced in the final frame, including a save off Toews who had scooted in on a breakaway.

Copp deflected a point shot by defenceman Josh Morrissey for his eighth goal of the year with 4:03 left in the game to even the contest. He’s now scored in three consecutive games since being promoted to a top-six role.

Little then fired his 13th past goalie Scott Darling just 32 seconds later. Mark Scheifele added his 22nd, tying him for the team lead with rookie Laine.

Chicago has now dropped its last two, and it’s the second straight time the club has lost when heading into the third period with a lead.

“I don’t have a great explanation for you,” said captain Blake Wheeler, when asked about the Jets’ dominance over Chicago. “They’re a great team in our conference, perennially. It must be a match-up thing. They bring out the best in us, we look forward to these matchups because we like to see how we stack up against the best — and they certainly are.”

Following the all-star break, the Jets resume a four-game road trip against Central Division foes next Tuesday with a battle with the St. Louis Blues, then make their way to Dallas to play the Stars Thursday before finishing up Saturday in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca                  

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell