After some mixed results on a four-game road swing, a return home proved to be just what the doctor ordered for the Winnipeg Jets.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Jets got the job done Tuesday night against the Rangers, edging New York 2-1.
The Jets are now unbeaten in regulation on home ice in seven straight games (6-0-1) going all the way back to mid-January. The Jets became the first team in the NHL to 45 wins and they did it in just their 66th game, which is the fastest the Jets have reached that mark in franchise history.
Gabriel Vilardi broke a one-one tie five minutes into the second period to wrap up the scoring and give the Jets the lead for good.
“There wasn’t really much either way,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti. “Some good goaltending and physical. It felt it was pretty physical and fast and so that’s what most of those games are going to be like coming down the stretch. So, it was a good one to prepare us.”
Perfetti was one of the best players on the ice and had a pair of primary assists in the victory. Vladislav Namestnikov notched the other marker for the Jets to end a nine-game point drought, while Mika Zibanejad replied with the Rangers’ lone goal in the loss.
Luke Schenn made his Jets’ debut after last week’s trade deadline deal. He skated on their third pairing alongside Haydn Fleury and also saw time on the penalty kill.
“It’s been about six days since I skated,” Schenn said. “It was nice to get the first one out of the way there.
“Just obviously trying to help the Jets win games. And it was a great crowd tonight. Obviously, the building had a great energy in it. Fans were on their feet at times in the third period especially. And it’s exciting to play in front of a passionate fan base like this.”
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Schenn had five hits and five blocked shots in 16:02 of ice time.
“He ran into some people, couple big shot blocks, keeps the game simple,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “He makes a good first pass, recognizes what’s ahead of him. I’m sure there was lots of nerves coming in here, first game against a team like the Rangers – that was a real good first showing.”
With his 39th and 40th point of the season, Perfetti set a new career-high for points, topping the 38 he had a year ago.
“That’s pretty cool,” he said. “I think that obviously it’s not all about points. Want to focus my goals this year, has just been focusing on my play and the points will come.”
Fleury appeared in his 300th career game as Logan Stanley and Colin Miller both came out of the lineup.
The game got off to a clunky start with seven whistles in the first 3:27, so it was fitting that an odd goal opened the scoring.
Nikolaj Ehlers carried the puck across the Rangers’ blue line before dropping it to Perfetti. He made a nice move, drawing Igor Shesterkin out of position before sending a pass to the front of the net that Namestnikov got a piece of before it ricocheted off the body of Sam Carrick and into the open net at the 5:18 mark of the first.
The tally snapped a 12-game goalless drought for Namestnikov and ended an eight-game run without a point.
New York drew level with exactly nine minutes to go in the first as the Rangers cashed in on the power play.
Artemi Panarin sent a cross-ice pass to J.T. Miller that Miller mishandled but the puck bounced off his stick right to Zibanejad in the slot and he roofed it past Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game.
Penalties were the story of the second period as Winnipeg’s top-ranked power play was able to restore their lead.
Matt Rempe started the parade to the penalty box at the 3:11 mark and less than a minute later, Ehlers and Miller were assessed offsetting minors which moved Perfetti up to the top PP unit.
After the Jets got set up in the New York end, Josh Morrissey sent the puck low to Perfetti who nearly lost the handle on it before he slid a backhand pass to Vilardi in the slot. With Shesterkin overcommitted to Perfetti after the near stumble, Vilardi had a yawning cage to score into for his 27th goal of the season.
The Rangers had a chance to equalize on the power play thanks to a Brandon Tanev penalty but were unsuccessful. As were the Jets after Miller picked up a cross-checking penalty just shy of the midway point of the period.
Each team had other chances to score with Namestnikov and Adam Lowry being stonewalled on breakaways by Shesterkin, while the Rangers rang one off the iron, their second of the game from a dangerous area of the ice.
The Jets’ fourth power play of the game began with 1:43 to go in the second when Brennan Othmann was called for high-sticking but it was perhaps Winnipeg’s worst power play of the night as the game stayed 2-1 heading into the third period.
Just over three minutes into the third, Dylan DeMelo blasted a one-timer past Shesterkin to make it 3-1 but the Rangers challenged the play, believing that Morgan Barron interfered with Shesterkin in the crease. The control room agreed with the Rangers and took the goal off the board, much to the chagrin of the Winnipeg fans.
Less than three minutes later, DeMelo went to the box for high-sticking but his teammates got the kill to keep it a one-goal game.
Shesterkin went to the bench for an extra attacker with just over two minutes left and New York had a couple of good looks before the Jets were able to run out the clock.
Hellebuyck made 21 saves to earn his 38th victory of the season.
The Jets will return to action Friday when the Dallas Stars visit for a massive Central division tilt.
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