Jets fall to Blackhawks to begin four-game stretch against Central

First period goals from Vinnie Hinostroza, Tommy Wingels, and Nick Schmaltz spotted Chicago a 3-0 lead. Patrick Kane and Michal Kempny scored the others for the Blackhawks (16-11-5), while Nikolaj Ehlers had the only goal for Winnipeg.
Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves in the loss, which drops the Jets record to 18-9-5.
The difference came when the Blackhawks scored three times in the opening 10:21.
"We came out a little flat. It's 3-0 halfway through the first period. It's an uphill climb. It's not insurmountable, but we couldn't find a way to get it back on our terms," said captain Blake Wheeler. "We just needed to find a way to pop one in, and change the momentum, change the feel of the game.
"We just weren't able to respond."

Chicago would open the scoring 1:50 into the game, when Hinostroza slapped home a one-timer on a dish from Patrick Sharp.
It was the first time this month where the Jets didn't score the opening goal at Bell MTS Place.
The fifth of the season from Wingels made it 2-0 for the visitors. He took a pass from Lance Bouma at the top of the circle, and his wrist shot beat Connor Hellebuyck on the glove side.
Then, when Schmaltz deflected Duncan Keith's point shot past Hellebuyck to make it 3-0, the Jets were trailing by three goals for the first time since a 4-0 loss to San Jose on Nov. 25.
"These guys are behind us in the standings but they're a good hockey team," said Wheeler. "It's the best league in the world. When you come out flat, you shouldn't expect anything less than being down 3-0.
"It was just a reminder… it might knock you down a couple pegs and figure out what it is that's given us success this year, because that wasn't it."

Despite the Jets opening the second period with some possession time, it would be Chicago that would find twine first. Kane's 12th of the season came when a rebound came off Hellebuyck's blocker, and Schmaltz sent a back door pass to Kane, who was waiting at the bottom of the circle.
"Some nights you execute better than others," said Adam Lowry. "Tonight was one of those nights where it seemed like the easiest plays were real difficult. We were hitting refs' skates, we were hitting the shafts of their sticks, we were missing two and three foot passes. It caused for a long night in our end."
Ehlers' power play marker came on the power play, when he took a pass from Tyler Myers at the top of the left wing circle, and fired a wrist shot short side on Corey Crawford for his 15th of the season.
But while the Jets would press for more, coming as close as Patrik Laine ringing one off the iron, Kempny's first of the season would put the Blackhawks up 5-1. His slap shot from the left wing deflected off Jacob Trouba's stick and beat Hellebuyck up high.

With the loss, the Jets are now only four points clear of Chicago in the Central Division.
"Earlier this morning I said we have 50 games left. There is still a lot of work to do," said Ehlers. "Looking at the standings right now, we're in good shape, but we need to keep working on our game. We need to get better. We can't start games the way we did today, and I'm positive that the guys are pretty set on getting that changed quickly."
The Jets don't have to wait long to get back on the ice, as they begin a home-at-home series with the St. Louis Blues on Saturday at Scottrade Center.