THREE THINGS: Jets top line dominate Blackhawks

WINNIPEG – Gabriel Vilardi scored twice as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 at Canada Life Centre. Vilardi (2G, 1A), Mark Scheifele (1G, 2A) and Kyle Connor (1G, 2A) combined for nine points, Josh Morrissey (1G, 1A) and Dylan DeMelo (2A) also had multi-point efforts for the Jets who will now host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon.

TOP LINE DOMINANT

After Kyle Connor scored the overtime winner at Minnesota on Tuesday night, the Jets top line continued their dominance against the Blackhawks. With the Jets up 1-0 thanks to a Vlad Namestnikov power play goal, Chicago had taken back some of the momentum thanks to a friendly bounce off the stanchion and onto the stick of Teuvo Teravainen to tie the game at one. Connor Hellebuyck had to bail out his teammates to make a huge save on a Ryan Greene breakaway. Soon after, Scheifele and Vilardi would break out 2-on-1 with Vilardi finishing.

“I thought we played really well in the first. Like you said, an unlucky bounce, not much you can do about those goals,” said Vilardi.

“I thought we played really well in the second and kind of dominated most of the third but had that little spree there. It was one of our more complete games of the season.”

After that the Jets took off and even though Chicago pulled within two goals in the third period, Connor put the game away for good with this effort.

MORRISSEY GETS SOME HELP

The Jets defenceman has been off to a good start offensively with eight assists coming into tonight but had to yet to score. That changed in the third period as Morrissey’s slap shot from the point went off the goal post and then off the back of Spencer Knight’s left leg and into the net.

“I just tried to make a good, quick shot, and I kind of faded away after, I guess, like a Kobe shot,” said Morrissey.

“I didn't see it. I just heard it. And then I heard the fans, and it went in. So, it was nice to nice to get one there.”

NOT ALL THE NEWS WAS GOOD

The Jets lost Gustav Nyquist tonight, Scott Arniel said that the Swedish forward tweaked something and they will look at it on Friday and go from there. This is nothing new for Winnipeg who are already without forwards Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti.