The Winnipeg Jets are just fine these days with all systems in the green.
On Sunday night, Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves to help the Jets to a 7-2 win over the visiting Florida Panthers.
Kyle Connor struck twice in the win to pace the offense.
“I just try to play the same game no matter who I’m playing with,” Connor said. “Playing with lots of speed, creating havoc. Whether you’re playing first or fourth line, you’ve got to make the most if it when you’re on the ice. That’s what I’m trying to focus on every day.”
Five other skaters added goals for the Jets who broke open a tight 3-2 advantage with four goals in the final frame.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault and Patrik Laine scored in the big offensive outburst.
“You look at the very first shift there, his (Connor) directness to pucks when he doesn’t have them. He was on the puck, on the forecheck, containing pucks. His skill with the puck has always been there,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “He’s a gifted young man, with a great shot. But when he can get in with that kind of speed, that is such a fast line. Their transition speed, their forecheck speed – and he’s a big part of it.”
The Jets improved to 35-15-9 with the win and sit atop the Central Division with a two-point clearance.
Blake Wheeler kicked in three assists for his 51 helper of the season.
“It just kind of shows you the difference in what our team looks like when we’re playing well and when we’re a little bit off it,” Wheeler said. “Earlier in the year, when we were a little bit off it, we struggled and we had to fight really hard to get our game where we wanted it.”
Denis Malgin and Aleksander Barkov scored the Panthers goals who seemed lost in the third period.
“I think we played a good game, our first two periods,” Barkov said. “I don’t know, they just started scoring. We played a bad defensive game today and it cost us (the) whole game.”
Florida dropped to 26-24-6 wtih the loss.
“I wasn’t unhappy at 2-2 with 90 seconds to go in the second period even though we didn’t have great legs,” Panthers head coach Bob Boughner said. “I thought that we were managing the game OK. It got away from us in the third and that’s when the back-to-back hurts. … That’s when you’re chasing and that’s when the brain starts going on you.”
[WATCH: All Panthers vs. Jets highlights]
James Reimer made 27 saves in the loss.
“Yeah, I don’t know if you can take too much. I mean, I think we played well for 30 minutes. Obviously, it’s a tough schedule and a little adversity for us. They came hard, just the way the game went,” Reimer said after the game. “There’s games like that in the NHL in the course of a season. I don’t think you can take too much from it, negative or positive, it just happens and you move on.”
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