Jets upend Canucks 1-0

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This article was published 21/01/2018 (2792 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There wasn’t much high drama to this one, no major panic attacks, no frenetic finish — just a rather unspectacular but no less stable and satisfying NHL triumph.

But wins come in all shapes and sizes and the Winnipeg Jets won’t be finicky.

Enjoying the comforts of home for the first time in two weeks, the Jets capped off a perfect weekend with a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.

Right-winger Patrik Laine’s 21st goal of the year, coming midway through the first period, was the difference as Winnipeg (28-13-7) earned its sixth straight victory at Bell MTS Place.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck got cut near his right eye after taking a stick to the mask when winger Thomas Vanek and Jets blue-liner Josh Morrissey got tangled up in front with less than four minutes left in the third period. He finished the game to blank the Canucks on 29 saves for his fourth shutout of the season.

The Jets vaulted over idle Nashville and into top spot in the Central Division, although the Predators – winners of five straight – have three games in hand.

The hosts held a firm grip on their one-goal lead for 48 minutes, yet another sign of the squad’s major improvements on the defensive side of the game.

“As a team it doesn’t matter if we’re chasing or leading, we want to play the same game. We want to play tight defence and give them nothing and try to be patient. We can’t open up our game,” said Laine, who took a pass from Blake Wheeler and beat goalie Anders Nilsson from close range at 11:45 of the first period.

“It’s going to be like this for the next couple of months but everybody here in this locker room is comfortable with that kind of game and that’s the reason why we’re winning. We’re a tight defensive team and we’ve got to score on the few chances that we get.”

Both teams played their second contests of the weekend and the lethargy showed, although the Canucks easily had the lower reading on the spirit meter but showed some spunk in the final frame.

Winnipeg was coming off a 2-1 shootout win over Calgary Saturday afternoon, while Vancouver suffered a 5-2 defeat to Edmonton Saturday night.

For the most part, Hellebuyck’s night wasn’t overly hectic but the stops he did make were memorable.

The Canucks’ finest scoring chance came 15 minutes left in the third period. Centre Markus Granlund scooted in on a breakaway but was met early by Hellebuyck who slid on his belly to make the stop, and then Brandon Sutter missed the open target on the rebound.

“I kind of hesitated for a second, which put me in a little tougher spot. But I realize the puck was still sliding pretty good and I might as well try out some defence for once,” described Hellebuyck, who had a visible nick near his right eye. “I came out and realized he was going to beat me to the puck so I might as well just sprawl out and hope for the best.”

The 24-year-old goalie from Commerce, Mich., is now 25-6-6 on the season.

His calmness between the pipes has been a major factor in the Jets’ rise to the upper tier of the NHL.

“I’ve always felt it. I’ve always described my game that way. I like to think that I’m a calm goalie,” said Hellebuyck. “I like to have things around me at ease. I think that helps the team and I like to stick to it.”

Rookie winger Kyle Connor had a brutal giveaway with 90 seconds left in — and was forced to take a penalty. The Canucks pulled their goalie, Anders Nilsson, but couldn’t muster a shot on goal.

“What you find in young players is they make a good move (that) in the past would open up a lot of ice… here, (players) don’t come off you,” said Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice. “He can’t make that play and he knows it as soon as it happened, and he was easily the most nervous man in the building for that last stretch of hockey. (It’s) important learning experiences.”

Nilsson finished with 35 saves.

Winnipeg’s penalty killers quashed two Canucks’ man-advantage chances, including the late 6-on-4 with Nilsson on the bench.

The defensive pairing of Morrissey and Jacob Trouba, in particular, was outstanding, keeping the Canucks big shooters like rookie Brock Boeser and Vanek and Bo Horvat to the perimeter, while blocking shots and breaking up passing plays.

The duo’s effort did not go unnoticed by Maurice.

“(They) were outstanding, really good box out by (Morrissey) at the end and the clear (of the puck) during the 6-on-4. Those two guys really excelled,” he said.

The Jets are 13-3-0 record against teams in the Pacific Division this season. They head to California this week for a pair of games against Pacific squads, facing the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. CT) and then battling the Ducks Thursday (9 p.m. CT) in Anaheim prior to the NHL All-Star Weekend.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell