In Winnipeg, the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves in a 5-1 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Friday night.
Gabriel Vilardi hit for a goal in his fifth straight match.
“Gabe came in and has been absolutely on fire from on the first line,” Winnipeg’s Nino Niederreiter said of Vilardi. “They have played 200-foot hockey, and I think the whole team is knowing that if they do it, the whole team is doing it too. … [Vilardi has] been fantastic for us.”
The Jets improved to 20-9-3.
“Regardless of what other people think about us or [how they] measure us, we just measure ourselves against ourselves,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “Our standards. This is how we want to play. This is the Winnipeg Jets hockey team. … We believe in ourselves, and that’s all that matters.”
The Jets jumped out early and often on offense, taking a 4-0 lead in the game.
The Jets’ Josh Morrissey scored with eight seconds left in the first period for a 1-0 lead.
Morrissey had had a goal waved off earlier in the period for a kicking motion.
“[Morrissey is] dominant. Dominant,” Bowness said of the defenseman. “He can take over the game, both sides of the puck. He loves the challenges. He just loves to be challenged, and he rises to it. He wants to be out there. Like I’ve always said: He wants the ball. He wants to be out there in all those key situations. He wants to play against the best lines on the other team. He loves those challenges and, more often than not, he answers the bell.”
Vilardi potted his goal at 11:17 of the middle frame for a 2-0 advantage to the Jets.
“I thought [the Jets] were really good in all facets of their game,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “I thought the biggest thing is they won 1-on-1 battles. We weren’t good. They were really good.”
Niederreiter, who had a double and three points in the win, hit off the power play at 17:41 of the second for a 3-0 lead.
Adam Lowry then ballooned the lead to 4-0 at 1:25 of the third period .
Boston dropped to 19-6-6, off their third straight loss.
“The type of team [the Bruins] have, the start they’re off to, what they’ve done not just in the last few years, but the type of team they have over there that’s been built in their DNA for a long time — every time you play against them you know it’s going to be a tough battle,” Morrissey said. “We were ready to go right from the drop of the puck.
“Measuring-stick games in December I don’t really believe in, but I felt we knew and respected the type of opponent we had. We didn’t give them too much respect and came out and played on our toes and tried to play our game and play aggressive. It’s a huge win for us, but I guess I’m careful to try to compare [us] against a team in December, right?”
Boston’s Brandon Carlo stopped the Jets’ run with a goal at 14:22 of the third to cut the hole to 4-1.
“We didn’t come to play tonight, and that’s on us,” Carlo said. “Obviously they did and it showed, especially in the first period and then throughout the game. We didn’t really get much momentum at any point. They played a really good game tonight, but luckily we have the opportunity to leave this in the rearview mirror and have an opportunity tomorrow (at the Minnesota Wild).”
Niederreiter hit for his double with 19 seconds left on the regulation clock for the 5-1 final count.
“I think we came out wanting to win the game and go into the Christmas break with a good feeling,” Niederreiter said. “I think we left it all on the line. I think we gave ourselves the feeling that we can compete against anyone.”
Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves in the loss.
“[Winnipeg is] hard, taking away time and space,” Montgomery said. “They’re physical. Their puck support is excellent in all three zones and they just keep coming up with pucks. We had zero offensive zone time, they had tons of it.”
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