Ehlers lifts Jets over Ducks
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered two goals and an assist, Brian Little recorded a goal and two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-1, on Friday afternoon at Honda Center.
Winnipeg (14-5-3) won its fifth game in six contests and improved to 2-1-0 on a four-game road trip.
Anaheim (10-9-3) lost its second straight game. Francois Beauchemin scored the lone Ducks goal. John Gibson made 31 saves.
Ehlers' goals came in the first five minutes of the game to stake the Jets to a lead they would not surrender. His ninth goal of the season opened the scoring 40 seconds in. Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen turned over the puck in the Anaheim zone to Little who found Patrik Laine for a wrist shot that Gibson stopped, but Ehlers was left unguarded at the left post to convert the rebound.
Ehlers then found the net on the power play for his 10th goal of the season to extend the Winnipeg lead to 2-0 at 4:59 of the first period. Ehlers took a pass from Tyler Myers and beat Gibson with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle to his stick side. Little registered the secondary assist.
Anaheim drew to within 2-1 on Beauchemin's first goal of the season at 5:36 of the second period. The defenseman's wrist shot from the left point found its way through a screen by Logan Shaw and past Hellebuyck. Mike Liambias registered his first NHL point with the primary assist with Dennis Rasmussen adding the additional assist.
Little reestablished Winnipeg's two goal lead at 3-1 with a power play goal, his third of the season at 12:06 of the second period. Little was left unchecked at the right point and drifted to the top of the faceoff circle for a wrist shot that beat Gibson cleanly. Tyler Myers and Ehlers recorded assists.
Kyle Connor added an empty-net goal, his sixth of the season with 1:40 left in the game to close out the scoring.
NOTES: Winnipeg did not dress D Tucker Poolman, C Shawn Matthias and C Marko Dano. ... The Jets conclude their four-game road trip in San Jose tomorrow. ... Anaheim did not dress D Kevin Bieksa and Korbinian Holzer. ... Anaheim reassigned G Reto Berra and D Jaycob Megna to its AHL San Diego affiliate. ... The Ducks will fly north to face the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow at Staples Center. The second meeting with their Southern California rivals is the start of the six-game road trip.