Jets hang on, defeat Flames to begin three-game series

CALGARY -- The Winnipeg Jets won their third straight game, 3-2 against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday in the first of a three-game series.

Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor and Paul Stastny each had a goal and an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for the Jets (21-11-2).
"Our game has been good, our game has been right on for a bit here now," Wheeler said. "You have confidence, and that can give you a chance to win every single night now. There's going to be nights where it doesn't go your way, and that's where you build confidence knowing that even when it doesn't go your way, the next night you can rely on a brand of hockey that can give you some success."

Milan Lucic and Matthew Tkachuk scored, Noah Hanifin had two assists, and Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves for the Flames (15-17-3), who have scored four goals during a four-game losing streak.
"We're coming off three losses in a row, we need to be way better than that," Calgary forward Sean Monahan said. "We gave ourselves a chance to come back, but we put ourselves in a situation we were chasing the game. On home ice, we want to be much harder to play against. We've got to show that tomorrow."
The teams will play again here Saturday and Monday.
"We've just got to take it one game at a time, focus on winning one game," Lucic said. "Back at it tomorrow night at home against the same team here. We just have to focus on winning that one game and try to get on a roll. All year long, we haven't been able to really get on a roll, and no better time than now to get on one. It starts with the first one."
Wheeler gave the Jets a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 9:13 of the first period. Connor's shot was deflected in the slot by Stastny before going in off Wheeler.
Connor scored his Winnipeg-leading 17th goal on his own rebound on a breakaway to extend the lead to 2-0 at 5:33 of the second period.
Lucic scored on the power play at 6:52 of the third period to cut the lead to 2-1.

Stastny made it 3-1 at 14:54 when he one-timed a pass from Wheeler on a 5-on-3 power play. After Lucic received minor penalties for roughing Neal Pionk and boarding Mason Appleton at 12:07, Markstrom was called for delay of game for playing the puck over the glass at 14:37.
"We saw what the other (power-play) unit is doing," Stastny said. "They kind of play downhill, they're aggressive, they're always shooting, and that's when you create a lot of chances. We tried not being so stagnant today. It was a couple big goals there, and that was the difference in the game."
Tkachuk scored at 18:01 with Markstrom on the bench for the extra attacker to make it 3-2.
"The urgency is there when we're down a goal, but you have to have the strength and the mental toughness to always play through that," Flames coach Darryl Sutter said.
The Jets killed a tripping penalty against Stastny with 1:53 remaining.
"It's never ideal to go down 6-on-4, but the four guys on the ice did an outstanding job," Wheeler said. "Clearly, we have a ton of confidence in our goalie too. It's not an ideal situation, but it's one of those things where it may happen again at a crucial moment, so it was nice to get the job done tonight."
NOTES: It was Winnipeg's first win in Calgary since a 2-1 shootout victory Jan. 20, 2018, and first in regulation since a 5-3 win April 11, 2014. ... Hellebuyck leads the NHL with 27 starts and 770 saves. ... The Jets are 12-1-2 when leading entering the third period; the Flames are 1-14-1 when trailing entering the third.