In Winnipeg, the resurgent Toronto Maple Leafs made it nine straight with with a point in a 6-3 win over the Jets on Thursday.
William Nylander struck twice and added an assist in the win.
“The first one was a great play by [Adam Brooks], forechecking the goalie, and I just turned around and threw it at the net,” Nylander said. “I was a little blessed there that went in. And the second one was just a great pass from [Alexander Kerfoot] back door, just had to put it in.”
Frederik Andersen made 45 saves in the win.
“I thought we did a really good job in the third [period],” Andersen said. “We were really sharp early on and obviously made really good defensive plays. Obviously, it was a lot of shots but not a lot of danger, I think.”
Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele were the Jets’ strikers.
“They had 11 shots over halfway through the game, so that’s a pretty good number,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “We had 30-something.”
Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott, Pierre Engvall, and Mitchell Marner had single markers for the Leafs.
“We probably gave up a little bit too much [more] than we would have liked in the first few minutes, but everyone stuck with it and cleaned it up and we controlled the play in their half of the ice which, especially with the lead, you want to do,” John Tavares said. “No question, [Frederik Andersen] has been our backbone all year.”
[WATCH: All Maple Leafs vs. Jets highlights]
Connor Hellebuyck got the start for the Jets but was given the hook in the second intermission after making 12 saves and yielding five goals.
“I think we made a couple bad reads defensively,” Laine said. “[With] that kind of talent, we didn’t give them too much, but gave them enough. They put up six [goals] and it’s hard to win when we give up six.”
Laurent Brossoit mopped up in the third and made 10 saves in relief.
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