WINNIPEG - Blake Wheeler and what could be Winnipeg's top scoring line this season started to click Saturday night as the Jets closed their pre-season with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
Wheeler scored the Jets first goal and made it tough for Flames' netminder Jonas Hiller to see the second — from defenceman Jacob Trouba off a feed from Wheeler's new linemate, Evander Kane.
Kane then made it 3-1 just over two minutes into the third off a feed from centre Mark Scheifele, the third member of a line coach Paul Maurice is hoping will finally exploit Kane's potential.
It was the first goal for all three in the pre-season. Bryan Little finished things off with a short-handed empty-net goal at 18:20 of the third.
David Jones scored for the Flames (5-4-0), who beat the Jets 4-2 in Calgary on Thursday. The Jets finished the pre-season at 4-3-0.
It was the first time this season coach Paul Maurice was able to ice anything close to the starting lineup for the Jets as injuries have sidelined a number of veterans. Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian were the biggest no-shows Saturday for the Jets.
Winnipeg generated almost all the offence in the opening minutes.
But it was Jones, just back on the ice after a tripping penalty, who slipped the puck out of the pack behind the Winnipeg net and caught Ondrej Pavelec napping as he slipped it between Pavelec's pads and the post at 9:17.
Wheeler evened things up with his power-play goal at 12:08 as he redirected Paul Postma's shot from the point past Hiller.
He then positioned himself in front of Hiller again, although the puck didn't touch him off Trouba's wrist shot 4:30 into the second period.
Kane and sophomore centre Scheifele played a little give-and-go with to beat Hiller in the third.
It was a rough, penalty-filled contest but the Jets limited Calgary to five shots in each of the first and second periods and finished the game ahead 25-18.
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