Jets defeat Canadiens, gain ground in wild card race

MONTREAL --Evgeny Svechnikov scored the go-ahead goal with 8:59 remaining in the third period for the Winnipeg Jets, who gained ground in the Western Conference wild card race with a 4-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Monday.

Svechnikov made it 3-2 when he finished off a passing play with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Connor in the slot. Adam Lowry then shot into an empty net at 18:31 for the 4-2 final.
Morgan Barron had a goal and an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for Winnipeg (35-28-11), which is 2-0-1 in its past three games, including a 4-3 win at the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
"We need to win a lot of games down the stretch if we want to get into the [Stanley Cup Playoffs]," Barron said. "I think everyone's mindset is still getting in and going on a run here. So we're taking it one game at a time, but just to come out with two points in a game like that, it's huge for us."

The Jets, who were without injured forwards Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, are five points behind the Dallas Stars for the second wild card from the West.
"We're in desperation mode right now, and it would be no different if we were in a playoff series and we were going back to back," Winnipeg coach Dave Lowry said. "That was the conversation that we had and understanding that we have to win every game here and just take care of business each and every night."
Josh Anderson scored his 100th NHL goal, and Sam Montembeault made 31 saves for Montreal (20-42-11), which has lost six of eight (2-5-1).
"[Montembeault] made two or three saves where the shooters were probably expecting the puck to be in the back of the net," Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher said. "He's battling, he's competing, he's worked hard all year and it hasn't been the easiest for him. But he's been giving us a chance every night, so he's been playing some really good hockey."

Joel Armia gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into the second period, batting in a rebound with his backhand from the edge of the crease.
Barron tied it 1-1 at 1:46 with a wrist shot glove side on Montembeault from the left circle after he received a drop pass from Nikolaj Ehlers. It was Barron's second NHL goal and first with the Jets since being acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers for forward Andrew Copp on March 21.
"It was a great play," Barron said. "It's funny, with 'Nicky' out there sometimes, you feel like he doesn't even see you, but I think that's what he wants everybody else to think, including their defensemen. So it kind of felt like he just sucked that defenseman in and created a hole for me, and I had some time to get the shot off and I just let it go."

Paul Stastny put Winnipeg ahead 2-1 at 4:00 of the second when he scored his 20th goal of the season on a one-timer off a pass from Barron.
Anderson tied it 2-2 at 6:19 of the third period, deflecting Jeff Petry's slap shot from the right point.
NOTES:Scheifele, who did not play after he sustained an upper-body injury Sunday, will be reevaluated Tuesday. Wheeler missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury. … Stastny reached 20 goals for the first time since 2013-14, when he scored 25 with the Colorado Avalanche. … Ehlers extended his point streak to seven games (five goals, seven assists), tying his NHL career high. … The Canadiens assigned forward Jesse Ylonen to Laval of the American Hockey League following the game.