MONTREAL — Kyle Connor scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Tuesday.
Mark Scheifele also scored, while Gabriel Vilardi provided two assists to help Winnipeg (35-14-3) win its fourth straight. Rasmus Kupari added an empty-net goal.
Juraj Slafkovsky replied for Montreal (24-21-5), which lost a third consecutive game after winning 10 of its previous 13.
Sam Montembeault stopped 20 shots.
The Jets entered Tuesday’s action tied with league-leading Washington with 71 points. The Canadiens, meanwhile, were two points behind Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Slafkovsky opened the scoring at 11:03 of the first period when he buried a behind-the-net feed from Nick Suzuki past Hellebuyck.
The Jets battled back with four unanswered goals. Connor evened the score at 15:36 of the first before Scheifele — who was booed all night for his hit on Jake Evans during the 2021 playoffs — gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead in the second.
Connor added his second and 29th of the season with the clock winding down in the middle frame.
TAKEAWAYS
Jets: The stars got it done. Connor and Scheifele both moved up to 29 goals on the season, tying for second-best in the league. Hellebuyck, the favourite to win his third Vezina Trophy, earned his NHL-leading 31st win of the campaign.
Canadiens: Jumped out to a hot start and scored first, but let the Jets back in the game late in the first and during the second period. On top of the loss, Montreal defenceman Kaiden Guhle injured his leg from an awkward fall into the boards during the third period and did not return.
KEY MOMENT
Connor’s second goal of the night was a back-breaker. The star winger beat Montembeault from the slot with 1.5 seconds remaining in the second period to give the Jets a 3-1 lead and quiet the building.
KEY STAT
Despite the loss, Montreal held Winnipeg’s league-best power play off the board. The Jets, who were scoring at a 33.3 per cent clip this season, went 0-for-3 on the night.
UP NEXT
Jets: Continue their three-game road trip on Thursday against the Boston Bruins.
Canadiens: Host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday to conclude a three-game homestand.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press