Third-period goals by Nate Schmidt and Cole Perfetti broke open a tie game and the league-leading Winnipeg Jets claimed a 3-1 road victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for the Jets, who are riding a five-game winning streak and 13-1-2 run that has rocketed them up the standings. Goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 37 saves, 16 of them in the third period, and Vladislav Namestnikov collected two assists.
Winnipeg has earned points in 11 consecutive games (9-0-2).
Mason McTavish scored for the Ducks, who have managed only one win in seven games (1-5-1) during an eight-game homestand, and have only four victories in their last 23 outings (4-18-1). Goalie John Gibson stopped 24 shots in a losing cause.
With his team trailing 1-0, Ehlers sent the Jets off and running with his 13th of the season at 7:57 of the middle frame. Ehlers gained the puck just inside the blueline, worked to the right circle and found the mark through the screen.
Schmidt put the Jets ahead 1:57 of the third period with his first goal in 46 games. The defenseman joined a rush and, upon grabbing the drop pass, buried a shot from the slot for his first of the campaign.
Perfetti’s power-play goal at 13:03 of the third period rounded out the scoring. Perfetti cruised to the right face-off dot and converted a one-timer set ups by Namestnikov for his 11th goal of the season and first goal in eight games.
The Ducks pushed valiantly to come back and snap their skid but could not solve Brossoit on a night they surrendered a lead.
Anaheim held an edge when McTavish opened the scoring at 15:51 of the first period. He took a feed from Alex Killorn at the high slot and covered a backhand shot for his 11th of the season.
–Field Level Media
