Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., on Dec. 10.Alex Gallardo/The Associated Press
Gabe Vilardi snapped a tie with 1:42 left as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Sunday.
Winnipeg rallied after losing scoring leader Kyle Connor to a knee injury in the second period when he took a knee from Ducks’ defenceman Ryan Strome, who received a game misconduct.
The Jets have won four straight and nine of 12, while the Ducks have dropped three in a row and 12 of 13.
Nino Niederreiter and Morgan Barron also scored, Mark Scheifele added an empty-netter with 29 seconds remaining and Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves.
Vilaradi scored his first goal of the season. His his shot from the top of the left circle trickled past goalie John Gibson to give the Jets a 3-2 lead.
Alex Killorn and Adam Henrique scored for Anaheim. Gibson made 27 saves.
After the Jets failed to score on the five-minute power play from Strome’s penalty, they bungled a 3-on-1 rush midway through the second when Cole Perfetti delivered a wayward centring pass just beyond the blue line.
On their second power play of the second period, the Ducks opened the scoring when Killorn pounced on a loose puck in front of the goal and lifted a wrist shot past Hellebuyck. Anaheim took a 2-0 lead at 1:15 of the third when Jakob Silfverberg threaded a pass to Henrique, who scored past Hellebuyck.
The Jets got their dormant offence back on track quickly, pulling within a goal when Niederreiter scored at 1:58 of the third period off a centring pass by Vladislav Namestnikov from the left corner.
The Jets tied it four minutes later. Barron scored after the Ducks were unable to clear a puck from in front of the goal.
UP NEXT
Jets: At San Jose on Tuesday night.
Ducks: At New York Islanders on Wednesday night.