Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler (26) celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Captain Blake Wheeler collected two goals and three assists to fuel the visiting Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
It was the second career five-point night for Wheeler, who had one goal and four assists in the Jets’ 5-2 win over Colorado on Nov. 9, 2018.
Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele recorded one goal and two assists, Kyle Connor added one of each and Pierre-Luc Dubois also tallied for the second time in as many nights.
Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 34 shots for the Jets, who scored three times on the power play to improve to 3-1-1 in their last five games.
Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene each scored early in the first period for the Predators, who yielded five unanswered goals en route to losing their second straight game.
Nashville defenceman Mark Borowiecki received a five-minute penalty for elbowing Evgeny Svechnikov and a 10-minute misconduct at 9:36 of the third period.
Winnipeg took advantage in short order, as Wheeler and Dubois scored 59 seconds apart on the extended power play to secure a 4-2 lead.
Wheeler redirected Scheifele’s slap pass past Juuse Saros (38 saves) at 10:53 before Dubois scored from the slot to record his 20th goal of the season.
Wheeler sealed the win by scoring into the empty net with 3:14 remaining of the third period.
Granlund unleashed a blast from the top of the right circle that sailed past Hellebuyck to open the scoring 3:26 into the contest. The goal was Granlund’s seventh of the season and second against the Jets.
Saros denied a 2-on-0 rush by Connor and Andrew Copp shortly before Duchene doubled the advantage with a power-play goal at 6:19 of the first period. Duchene’s wrist shot from above the right circle sailed past Hellebuyck for his 23rd goal of the season and sixth in his last six games.
Scheifele’s one-timer during a 4-on-4 session halved the deficit just 85 seconds later. The goal was Scheifele’s 13th of the season and second in as many games versus Nashville.
Winnipeg forged a 2-2 tie midway into the second period after Connor’s shot from the right faceoff dot beat Saros for a power-play goal.