WINNIPEG — Jason Zucker and Joel Eriksson scored 26 seconds apart with less than two minutes to play in the third period as the Minnesota Wild beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday for their fourth straight win.
Zucker beat a screened Connor Hellebuyck at 18:33 and Eriksson had his goal withstand a review and a goaltender interference challenge by Winnipeg at 18:59.
Brad Hunt had the other goal for Minnesota and Devan Dubnyk made 30 saves for the Wild (31-27-6), who have also won all four games against Winnipeg this season.
Patrik Laine scored once and added an assist and Mark Scheifele also had a goal for the Jets, who are 1-4-1 in their past six games.
Hellebuyck stopped 36 shots for Winnipeg (37-22-4).
After a pre-game ceremony to induct Lars-Erik Sjoberg and the late Ab McDonald into the Jets Hall of Fame, Scheifele kept the fans at Bell MTS Place cheering.
The centre scored on the power play at 8:53 of the opening period, his first point in six games. Laine had the primary assist.
Hunt’s high shot past a screened Hellebuyck tied the game at 11:50 of the second, but 14 seconds later defenceman Ben Chiarot’s shot went off Laine for his 29th goal of the season.
Laine stretched his point streak to four games with four goals and two assists. He has goals in his past three games, coinciding with him playing on a line with Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Laine hadn’t scored in 15 straight games before the change.
Wheeler and Kyle Connor also recorded an assist each, extending their point streaks to four games with five points apiece.
Wild forward Ryan Donato, acquired in a trade with Boston on Feb. 20, had two assists. He has points in each of his first four games with the team (one goal, five assists).
It was the first game Winnipeg was without top-pair defenceman Josh Morrissey, who’s out until at least early April with an upper-body injury after being hit into the boards in last Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Arizona.
Winnipeg picked up two blue-liners in its six trades Monday. Nathan Beaulieu took Morrissey’s spot with Jacob Trouba. Defenceman Bogdan Kiselevich didn’t arrive until late Tuesday afternoon.
It was the Jets debut for centre Kevin Hayes, who was acquired from the New York Rangers. He played between left-winger Mathieu Perreault and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg also added forwards Matt Hendricks from the Minnesota Wild and Par Lindholm from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were scratches.
Kevin Fiala played his first game for Minnesota after being traded from Nashville. He lined up with centre Luke Kunin and left-winger Zach Parise.
Winnipeg hosts Nashville on Friday. Minnesota plays in Calgary Saturday.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
