Jets defeat Senators, extend point streak to four

OTTAWA --The Winnipeg Jets' push for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs gathered momentum with a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday.
Dustin Byfuglien, Mathieu Perreault and Josh Morrissey scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves to help Winnipeg (28-29-5) extended its point streak to four games (3-0-1) and moved within one point of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.

WATCH: All Jets vs. Senators highlights
Mark Stone and Zack Smith scored, and Mike Condon made 17 saves for Ottawa (31-20-6). The Senators are in second place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Montreal Canadiens with two games in hand.

Before the game, Senators coach Guy Boucher said forward Bobby Ryan would be out indefinitely because of an injury to his right index finger. Top-six forwards Mike Hoffman and Stone each left the game Sunday, and forward Tommy Wingels also left in the third period after he was hit by Byfuglien.
Hoffman left after the first period because of a lower-body injury, and Stone left at 6:42 of the third period after he was hit by Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba, who was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head.
"Right now, it looks like a disaster," Boucher said of the Senators' injury situation. "We'll see [Monday]. Maybe the disaster is not as bad as we think. Right now, I'd rather be ready for anything."
The Jets are 2-0-1 on their four-game road trip, which wraps up Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, their final game before a six-day break.
"I liked it a lot," Hellebuyck said. "We were doing the little things right again. I know I talk about that a lot, but it really makes a difference in the game. Getting sticks on pucks when they are about to shoot, it really changes my game. It also helps that we blocked a lot of shots tonight and a lot of key shots. You can go around the room and find a couple of bruises on each guy."

Byfuglien scored 1:09 into the game, and Perreault made it 2-0 at 12:28 of the first.
Stone scored on the power play at 5:10 of the second period to make it 2-1.
Morrissey scored at 2:33 of the third period, and Smith made it 3-2 at 5:05 when a pass deflected in off his skate.

Goal of the game

Byfuglien took a pass from Mark Scheifele and scored his ninth goal of the season at 1:09 of the first period.

Save of the game

Hellebuyck got his left pad on the puck with four seconds left in the third period as Pageau jammed by the right post. A video review was inconclusive. "We couldn't see the puck if it was in or not, but I was pretty sure [Hellebuyck's] pad got jammed into the net pretty hard that even if it had crossed the line it was going to be goalie interference," Jets coach Paul Maurice said.

Highlight of the game

Perreault scored for the second game in a row after some deft passing by Patrik Laine and Scheifele set him up alone in front of Condon. He swung the puck around the Senators goaltender and tucked in a backhand for his sixth goal of the season.

Unsung performance of the game

Jets forward Adam Lowry played 14:54 (2:49 shorthanded), had three shots (another was blocked), four hits and was 8 of 13 (62 percent) in the faceoff circle.

They said it

"That was guaranteed out. My pad was there and then he pushed my pad in and I got my glove right behind it. I'm kind of confused why the crowd was getting into it." -- Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on the video review

Need to know

Boucher dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards. After Hoffman was injured, defenseman Fredrik Claesson moved up to play forward. … Stone's goal on the power play was the 14th on home ice this season. They entered the game ranked 28th at home with the man-advantage.

What's next

Jets: At the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN4, TSN3,
NHL.TV
)
Senators: At the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, MSG+,
NHL.TV
)