Perfetti scores hat trick, helps Jets cool off Utah Hockey Club

WINNIPEG -- Cole Perfetti scored his first NHL hat trick, including the go-ahead goal, for the Winnipeg Jets in a 5-2 win against the Utah Hockey Club at Canada Life Centre on Friday.

“It's awesome, because you see there's growth,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said of Perfetti. “When guys buy in to what you're preaching, and him recognizing, not getting farther away from the net but staying close -- ‘Get inside, win your battles,’ making sure he's good defensively -- when you build that stuff throughout your team, that's how you have a winning hockey club."

Perfetti made it 3-2 at 5:51 of the third period with his second goal of the game, scoring on a loose puck at the left side of the net.

He hadn’t scored in 14 games.

“He has a night like tonight where he's in the right spot and plays great and gets three goals,” Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers said. “Sometimes you've just got to keep grinding, keep shooting. And I've been telling him that: ‘Shoot, shoot, shoot.’ He's got a pretty good shot. So it's pretty exciting for him.”

Ehlers had a goal and two assists and got his 500th NHL point for the Jets (33-14-3), who have points in seven of their past nine (6-2-1). Dylan DeMelo had two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves.

After missing the morning skate Friday, Ehlers was a game-time decision because of an illness.

“You don't want to know how I woke up this morning,” Ehlers said. “Obviously not the greatest day, health-wise, for an NHL game. But you know what? I felt better throughout the day and I feel good now, so I'm glad I could be out there.”

Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton scored, and Clayton Keller had two assists for Utah (21-20-7), which had won three straight, all against Central Division opponents, including a 5-2 home victory against Winnipeg on Monday and 4-0 win at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Connor Ingram made 24 saves.

“I think we're all pretty [ticked] off about losing that game,” Hayton said. “That was a big one for us as a group.”

Perfetti put the Jets in front 1-0 with a power-play goal at 17:52 of the first period. Ehlers set it up on the rush with a cross-ice feed to Perfetti for a one-timer from low in the right face-off circle.

“Just trying to focus on the input, on the small things, on doing every little detail as best as I can, and then the play is going to develop for you,” Perfetti said. “[Ehlers] and [Vladislav Namestnikov] made some great plays. And just going, trying to go to the soft areas of the ice and find them, find the open spots. And when it's your night, [it] kind of just bounces your way. And [I] haven't had those bounces lately, but just trying to be consistent with my game. And you get rewarded eventually.”

Schmaltz tied it 1-1 on the power play at 1:13 of the second period when he tipped Michael Kesselring’s point shot.

“What we need to do is be the best version of ourselves every day,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “And I think today we were, and we played against a good team and we didn't win. That will happen. I can live with that, but we need to show up every night like we did tonight, and I believe that way we will end up at the end of the year with a big smile.”

David Gustafsson gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead at 8:48 with his first goal of the season, coming in his 18th game. DeMelo’s dump-in took a strange bounce off the boards in the right corner, and with Ingram behind his goal getting ready to play the puck, Gustafsson shot into an open net from the left circle.

Hayton tied it 2-2 at 1:19 of the third, scoring with a wrist shot from above the right circle after taking a pass from John Marino as the trailer on the rush.

“I think tonight was a heck of a hockey game, too,” Hayton said. “I think we were right in it -- [it] was a one-shot game all along. It was tough seeing it end 5-2 but I think we competed tonight, and I'm not happy with the way it finished, but I think there's a lot of good stuff in the game.”

With the Jets ahead 3-2, Utah forward Nick Bjugstad hit the post from the left circle at 9:50 following a Winnipeg turnover.

Ehlers pushed the lead to 4-2 on a breakaway at 12:16 by scoring on a backhand inside the left post.

“[Ingram] did a good job,” Tourigny said. “First goal is a [heck] of a play for them. The second goal hit the partition -- it is what it is. Third goal, it's a rebound [and] I think we could have been better a little bit with the pucks out of that. Next one is a breakaway, so no, I think [Ingram] did a great job.”

Perfetti scored into an empty net at 18:15 for the 5-2 final. Ehlers got an assist for his 500th point (216 goals, 284 assists).

“It's special, but I think what's the most special is doing it here at home,” Ehlers said of the milestone. “Getting closer (to 500), it wasn't in my head much. But I was hoping that I could do it at home in front of our fans that I think they're feeling pretty good tonight. So very, very special.”

NOTES: Ehlers became the first Denmark-born player in NHL history with 500 points. The closest to the mark is Frans Nielsen (473). … Winnipeg is tied with the Washington Capitals (33-10-5) for the most wins in the NHL. Washington has played two fewer games. … Perfetti’s hat trick was the fifth scored by a Jets player this season, tying the Colorado Avalanche for the most by one team. … Schmaltz has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in an eight-game point streak. It’s the longest of his NHL career. … Hayton has four goals in a three-game goal streak, six points (two assists) in a four-game point streak and eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past five games.