WINNIPEG – The Jets were coming off a tough month of November as they struggled mightily with 10 loses and only 4 wins. They were hoping a fresh month would help and they opened December with a 6-1 thrashing of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Jets used a four- goal outburst in the third period to break open a close game.
With high expectations after last season’s strong play and playoff berth, big things were expected from this team. They are hoping to get things rolling again and started this month in the right direction.
Connor Hellebuyck was making his second NHL start after getting a win last week against Minnesota he showed poise and positional play stoning the Leafs Wednesday night. 
Hellebuyck stopped 32 shots and looked very calm and cool when he faced any trouble. He was named the games third star and will likely get the start on Saturday again for Winnipeg.
“It’s all just numbers,” Hellebuyck said. “It’s going to be a season-long grind, and I’ve got to give my best while I’m here.”
The Leafs opened the scoring early in the first as Michael Grabner scored his first of the season just two minutes into the game.
The Jets responded at the midway point as Drew Stafford ripped home his eighth of the season after some nice work from line mates Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. Stafford got his ninth and second of the game on the power play after he converted a Nik Ehlers pass into the back of the net.
“With the [past] month that we had, we need to start winning some games,” Stafford said. “We’re kind of hitting the reset button at home here in December, starting fresh with this month.
“I think it’s just mental, realizing that it’s just one game. We’ve got to manage the highs and lows, the ebbs and flows, of this league. Just because we have one solid 60-minute effort doesn’t mean the team we play next is going to hand it to us.”
After a scoreless second period it looked like the third would be a tight checking finish the Jets exploded for four goals as Scheifele got his ninth and third point of the game.
“I think it shows that if you play good defense and you stick to the system for a full 60 minutes, you’re going to get rewarded, and that’s what happened,” Scheifele said. “We stuck to the system. We didn’t stray from it at all.”
Andrew Ladd scored his seventh; Bryan Little got his 10th and tough guy and fan favorite Anthony Peluso showed some nice hands as he got his first on a sweet backhand drive to the net. It was Peluso’s first goal in 49 games dating back to last season.
Rookie Leafs net minder Garret Sparks was coming off a shutout in his debut gave up six goals on 35 Winnipeg shots. He falls to 1-1 and looked average after being a super star earlier in the week.
Coach Paul Maurice called a coaches challenge when it was 4-1 after Toronto scored , the Jets challenged that there was goalie interference on the play and the goal was called off , this proved to be a great move as the Jets hung on for a 6-1 victory.
“We had a fair amount of offense that didn’t go for us in the second period, and I think it did in the third,” Maurice said. “I thought that we generated enough in the second that maybe they became a little more cautious with us, and then we were able to open up the game in the third.”
Winnipeg will face the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon.
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