Wheeler, Scheifele with Goal and 2 Assists Each, Jets Beat Flyers 7-3

WINNIPEG — Blake Wheeler continued his dominance over Philadelphia.

Already the Jets career leader versus the Flyers, the team captain scored one goal and two assists to lead Winnipeg to a 7-3 win Sunday afternoon.

Mark Scheifele also had a goal and two assists for the Jets (20-11-2) while Nikolaj Ehlers, Luca Sbisa, Logan Shaw, Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor rounded out the offence.

Matt Niskanen, James van Riemsdyk and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for the Flyers (17-11-5).

Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for the Jets. Brian Elliott, who was replaced at the start of the third period, made 11 saves on 17 shots for Philadelphia. Carter Hart made six stops in relief.

Connor Hellebuyck Winnipeg Jets
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Jets took advantage of an ugly incident midway through the second period by scoring twice in a five-minute power play. 

Philadelphia left winger Joel Farabee crashed into Mathieu Perreault long after the Jets winger no longer had the puck. Perreault stayed down on the ice for quite some time, then had to be helped off and went straight to the dressing room. He did not return.

Farabee was issued a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct at 9:03.

The Jets, who were leading 2-1 at the time, then scored two goals during that major and a total of four goals in 4:17 to take a 6-1 lead.

Wheeler scored his ninth goal of the season on that power play and Scheifele, who assisted on Wheeler’s marker, then added another 2:41 later.

Winnipeg Jets Blake Wheeler
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

It was Scheifele’s team-leading 15th. He extended his point streak to six games, the team’s longest of the season.

The Jets then scored two even-strength goals 16 seconds apart.

Shaw scored his first of the season at 14:35, followed by Laine’s 10th of the year.

Van Riemsdyk scored with 28 seconds left in the middle period to make the score 6-2 heading into the third.

Niskanen had scored a power-play marker earlier in the middle frame.

Matt Niskanen Philadelphia Flyers
Matt Niskanen, Philadelphia Flyers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Jets, who rebounded from a sloppy 5-2 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit on Thursday, are now 10-5-1 at home this year, and 8-1-1 in their own barn in their last 10 games.

Connor, who scored his 14th of the season on a third-period power play and assisted on Laine’s goal, also extended his scoring streak to six games, keeping pace with Scheifele.

Gostisbehere scored midway through the third.

Ehlers, with his 14th, and Sbisa also scored his second of the season on a blast from the point.

It was the third of a three-game road trip for the Flyers, who had dropped a 4-1 decision to the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul on Saturday night. They finished the trip 0-3.

The Jets host the Carolina Hurricanes in the second of a three-game homestand on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 15, 2019

Jim Bender, The Canadian Press