The Winnipeg Jets got scoring from everyone as they defeated the Arizona Coyotes to snap their four-game losing streak. There were nine different goal scorers in the game, while Pavelec finished his first game back in the NHL with a .909 save percentage.
The Jets received scoring from all four lines, only three players on the team failing to register a point. They also dominated the faceoff circle as a team, going 66%. Scheifele had an assist tonight, continuing to leave the Jets with 43 points.
Burmistrov played in his first game against his former team and registered an assist while spending over 20 minutes on the ice. Original Jets player Doan also got an assist on the night, playing possibly his last game in Winnipeg. The Coyotes are now 2-11-1 in their past 14 games as they continue to fall down the NHL standings.
First Period
After a scramble in front of the Coyotes net and a few big saves by Smith, Crouse picked up the loose puck and sent it to Jooris. Jooris came down the wing and fired a shot by Pavelec from the dot, putting the Coyotes up by one less than four minutes into the game. The goal was exactly what the Jets were looking to get rid of when they called Pavelec up.
Morrissey tied up the game less than a minute later. The Jets maintained control in the Coyotes end and got the puck back up to Byfuglien, who fired it across to Morrissey. He walked into the zone and fired a shot past Smith. The puck looked like it was tipped by a Coyotes player and fooled Smith as it went through his legs.
A couple of penalties by Postma and Enstrom led to a Coyotes power play goal, as a won faceoff came straight to Ekman-Larsson who wristed a shot high on Pavelec. The penalty by Enstrom was committed against Burmistrov, the former Jet player.
Second Period
The Jets took over in the second period, firing 19 shots at Smith. Three minutes in, the Jets had sustained pressure in the Coyotes end. After a blocked shot, the puck proceeded to touch every Jets player before finally ending up on the stick of Wheeler, who tapped it into the wide-open net.
After a big save by Smith, the Jets controlled the puck in the Coyotes end. The puck was fired back at the net, where the rebound was corralled by Copp in front of the net. Copp outlasted Smith and from a bad angle, but the puck into the net.
A little later in the period, the Jets added to their lead. Byfuglien fired a pass up to Matthias, who brought it in the Coyotes zone on the wing. A quick stop up and pass fooled both defencemen and went to a wide open Armia, who tipped his third of the season past Smith. The play took all of five seconds to go from behind the Jets net to the Coyotes net.
Third Period
Trouba added to the Jets lead partway into the third, making it 5-2 Winnipeg. A failed clear by the Coyotes gave Stafford room to shoot. Trouba was on the doorstep to jam home the rebound.
The Jets continued to pressure the Coyotes, firing another goal past them later in the period as Ehlers broke down the wing and got a shot off. The save was made, but the Jets kept control of the puck and gave it back to Ehlers, who fired a hard wrister over the glove of Smith.
Chychrun added a late goal to bring the Coyotes within three, but that was as close as the Coyotes would come. The Jets snapped their four-game losing streak as they defeated the Coyotes 6-3 in friendly Manitoba.
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Scoring Summary
FIRST PERIOD
ARI – Josh Jooris (2) assisted by Lawson Crouse (3)
WPG – Bryan Little (8) assisted by Josh Morrissey (7) and Dustin Byfuglien (20)
ARI – Oliver Ekman-Larsson (9) (PPG) assisted by Shane Doan (9)
SECOND PERIOD
WPG – Blake Wheeler (14) assisted by Mathieu Perreault (10) and Bryan Little (11)
WPG – Andrew Copp (5) assisted by Chris Thorburn (1) and Nic Petan (10)
WPG – Joel Armia (3) assisted by Shawn Matthias (2) and Dustin Byfuglien (21)
THIRD PERIOD
WPG – Jacob Trouba (3) assisted by Drew Stafford (8) and Mark Scheifele (23)
WPG – Nikolaj Ehlers (15) assisted by Paul Postma (10)
ARI – Jakob Chychrun (2) assisted by Alexander Burmistrov (4) and Radim Vrbata (19)
THW Three Stars
First: Bryan Little (1 goal, 1 assist, 77% faceoffs)
Second: Dustin Byfuglien (2 assists)
Third: Nikolaj Ehlers (1 goal)
NEXT UP
St Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets
MTS Centre – 2:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, January 21
Broadcast Channels: TSN3
2016-17 Season Series: December 3 – Winnipeg (3) at St Louis (2) (OT)
Arizona Coyotes at Minnesota Wild
Xcel Energy Center – 6:00 p.m. MT on Thursday, January 19
Broadcast Channels: FS-A PLUS
2016-17 Season Series: December 17 – Arizona (1) at Minnesota (4)