Mark Scheifele scored a hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets’ first line combined for five goals and 11 points in a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena Monday afternoon.
The Jets improved to 25-10-1 with the win and will lead the Central Division and NHL heading into the holiday break. The Maple Leafs fell to 21-12-2 with the loss.
Connor Opens Scoring in First
After most of the first period went by with few good chances to speak of, the Jets opened the scoring on the power play when Kyle Connor banged a rebound past Joseph Woll for his 20th of the season.
Jets, Maple Leafs Trade Goals in Second
Connor notched his second of the game early in the second by redirecting Mark Scheifele’s cross-ice pass during a rush. The very next shift, Alex Iafallo and Max Domi dropped the gloves for a spirited tilt. Domi received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for initiating the fight, but the Maple Leafs killed off the minor.
That Scheifs and KC connection got us feeling some type of way 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Jc8G2r7DPA
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 23, 2024
The Maple Leafs were then presented with a great chance to get back in the game when Mason Appleton was assessed a double minor for high sticking. In the first half of the penalty, John Tavares cut the lead in half when he tapped in a precise Mitch Marner pass past Connor Hellebuyck.
Scheifele Nets Third-Period Hat Trick
The Jets re-took the two-goal lead early in the third when Scheifele redirected a Gabriel Vilardi backhand pass past Woll. Vilardi managed to outmaneuver two Maple Leafs’ defenders to get the puck to his teammate.
Scheifele scored again when he received a side-boards pass from Josh Morrissey that put him all alone. Woll made the initial save on Scheifele’s backhand tuck attempt, but Scheifele stuck with the puck and muscled it over the line.
Tavares scored his second of the game a few minutes by ripping a puck past Hellebuyck’s blocker side from the middle of the ice. The Leafs then pulled Woll for the extra attacker, but Scheifele put the puck into the yawning cage to complete the 10th hat trick of his career and round out the scoring.
MARK SCHEIFELE HAT TRICK!!! 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/ZbOsvFHuaW
— NHL (@NHL) December 23, 2024
Notes & Observations
It was the first time in seven games the Jets beat the Maple Leafs dating back to the 2021-22 season. With the win, the Jets became the first team in the NHL this season to reach the 50-point mark.
Auston Matthews missed his second-straight game since re-aggravating a recurring upper-body injury. Defenseman Chris Tanev was a late scratch for the Maple Leafs.
Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury suffered a lower-body injury late in the second period and did not return.
Connor is riding a five-game goal streak and has scored 20-plus goals in eight-straight seasons. Scheifele’s second goal was his 20th and he now has 20-plus goals in 10-straight seasons.
Tavares is riding a five-game point streak and his first goal was his 200th as a Maple Leaf. The former captain has five goals in two games against the Jets this season.
The Jets’ power play went one for two while the Maple Leafs went one for three on the man advantage.
William Nylander played a four minute, 55 second shift in the second. It started with 16:24 remaining (at the start of the power play on Appleton’s double minor.)
Related: Jets’ Arniel Provides Injury Updates on Logan Stanley and Dylan Samberg
Both teams are now on their holiday breaks. The Maple Leafs are back in action Friday, Dec. 27 on the road in Detroit against the Red Wings, while Jets play next on Saturday, Dec. 28 when they host the Ottawa Senators.