Jets double up Vegas

If the Winnipeg Jets want to move deep into the NHL post season this year, they will need scoring from everyone on the bench.

And that includes Patrik Laine whose 15-game goal drought has been a source of consternation among Jets brass and his agent.

Patrik Laine finally snaps drought with two goals in in over Vegas – file photo by Lewis Bleiman

“It’s been a while,” Laine said. “I didn’t know how to react. It was a great pass from (Blake Wheeler), and even I’m not going to miss that again.”

On Friday night, Laine struck for two goals in a 6-3 Jets win over the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.

“I think there’s always meaning when we’re playing,” Laine said. “We had to win these games. We lost a couple of huge games here last playoffs. We kind of needed to win this one, and after the game in Colorado (a 7-1 loss on Wednesday), we needed a good bounce back and I think we did that.”

Nikolaj Ehlers, Adam Lowry, Andrew Copp, and Kyle Connor also scored for the Jets who reclaimed the top spot in the Central Division lead.

“It’s just confidence for everything,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said after his squad went 2-for-4 on the powerplay. “For the last two weeks, any time Patrik did something good on the ice, the bench is cheering him, pulling for him. It’s confidence.”

Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves in the victory.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Shea Theodore and Jonathan Marchessault scored for Vegas.

“We are, maybe, a part of the game for a decent amount of time, but it doesn’t really matter if that amount of time that we’re not in it we let in five goals,” Bellemare said. “It’s as simple as that. It’s tough to win when you let five goals against.”

The Knights are 3-9-1 in their last 13 games.

“Great team win. Everyone had a piece of that one. That was a great win to get back on track. Everyone did the right things that they needed to do,” Wheeler said.

[WATCH: All Jets vs. Golden Knights highlights]

A cooler has touched Marc-Andre Fleury who made 23 saves  in his firth straight loss.

“I hope as a hockey player, you look in the mirror and say, ‘I’ve got to do better.’ We’ve got to find the [Golden] Misfits again. I don’t see them lately. I don’t like what I’m seeing and I don’t like our game,” Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said after the loss.