NHL

NHL: Winnipeg Jets extend win, point streaks

By Sports Desk January 07, 2024

Mark Scheifele scored two goals and the Winnipeg Jets dominated the Arizona Coyotes from start-to-finish to extend their point streak to 12 games with Sunday's 6-2 victory.

The Jets outshot the Coyotes by a 36-17 margin en route to their sixth consecutive victory. Connor Hellebuyck needed to make just 15 saves for the Western Conference leaders, who improved to 10-0-2 since Dec. 13.

Nikolaj Ehlers chipped in a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, which also got goals from Vladislav Namestnikov, Cole Perfetti and Adam Lowry.

Namestnikov recorded the lone goal of a first period in which the Jets finished with a 14-4 shot advantage. Ehlers made it a 2-0 lead early in the second before Nick Schmaltz scored off a Clayton Keller feed to get the Coyotes on the board later in the period.

Perfetti restored Winnipeg's two-goal advantage by scoring unassisted with 5:56 left in the second, and Ehlers set up Scheifele's first goal 5:11 into the third to extend the margin to 4-1.

Scheifele and Lowry each scored in the final two minutes after Arizona cut the lead to 4-2 on Dylan Guenter's unassisted goal with 7:27 remaining.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 of 35 shots in the Coyotes' third straight loss.

 

Carlson's late goal gives Capitals comeback win over struggling Kings

John Carlson's goal with 52.9 seconds remaining capped a third-period rally that lifted the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win over the scuffling Los Angeles Kings.

Carlson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored in the final 11 1/2 minutes to bring the Capitals back from a 3-2 deficit and allow Washington to avoid a third straight loss on its current homestand.

Aube-Kubel added two assists and Nic Dowd had a goal and an assist to support a strong 38-save effort from Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

Kevin Fiala's second goal of the game, a power-play tally 1:01 into the third period, gave Los Angeles a 3-2 lead it held until Aube-Kubel fired a wrist shot past Kings goaltender Cam Talbot with 11:24 left to play.

Carlson later sent a shot on net that got through a screened Talbot inside the final minute for the eventual game-winner.

After a scoreless first period, Dowd put Washington ahead 4:22 into a frantic second period before the Kings answered less than three minutes later on Adrian Kempe's power-play goal.

Fiala knocked in a rebound with 6:58 left in the second to send Los Angeles in front, though the Capitals countered just 2:33 afterward on Dylan Strome's 15th goal of the season.

Talbot finished with 30 saves for Los Angeles, which has lost a season-high five straight games (0-3-2).

 

Blackwell lifts Blackhawks in first game without Bedard

Colin Blackwell gave the Chicago Blackhawks a needed spark with two goals and an assist that led the way in a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames.

Blackwell capped his big day by scoring the eventual winning goal on a power play with 5:23 remaining, helping Chicago win in its first game since rookie sensation Connor Bedard fractured his jaw in Friday's loss to the New Jersey Devils.

The Blackhawks stopped an overall five-game losing streak behind Blackwell and Nikita Zaitsev, who registered a goal and an assist to back 28 saves from Petr Mrazek.

Calgary held a 2-1 lead following Andrew Mangiapane's power-play goal 3:26 into the second period, but Philipp Kurashev and Zaitsev scored 2:40 apart later in the stanza to send Chicago ahead.

After Blackwell's second goal of the day gave the Blackhawks a 4-2 advantage, Nazem Kadri got the Flames closer by recording his second goal of the game with 4:41 left to play. 

Calgary managed just two more shots on Mrazek the rest of the way, however, and was dealt a second straight loss following a three-game winning streak.

Blackwell and Kadri traded goals in the opening period as the teams entered the first intermission tied at 1-1.

Dan Vladar ended with 16 saves for the Flames.

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