Jets 6, Maple Leafs 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Right winger Drew Stafford scored a pair of first-period goals, pacing the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Stafford fired his eighth and ninth goals of the season to give the hosts a 2-1 lead that held up through two periods. His center, Mark Scheifele, set up both goals.
Scheifele then scored his ninth and left winger Andrew Ladd added his seventh in a span of just over a minute early in the third period to supply some breathing room for the Jets (12-12-2).
Center Bryan Little scored his 10th on the power play midway through the final frame. Winnipeg's resident tough guy, right winger Anthony Peluso, showed some nifty hands for his first goal of the year late in the game.
Right winger Michael Grabner opened the scoring early in the first period for Toronto (8-12-5).
Toronto center Nick Spaling's goal off a scramble that would have cut the lead to 4-2 in the third period was overturned on a coach's challenge because of goaltender interference.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves for his second career win in as many starts. He was called up from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on Nov. 22 after goalie Ondrej Pavelec got injured.
Garret Sparks had a forgettable night, allowing six goals on 35 shots in net for Toronto in just the second game of his young career.
Grabner got the Leafs going with an easy tap-in goal just 2:02 into the first period. Toronto center Daniel Winnik started the play, walking out from the corner and sending a quick pass to Grabner left alone on the doorstep.
The Jets pulled even on Stafford's partial breakaway at 8:25. He slipped behind the Leafs defenders, took a pass from Scheifele and lifted a backhand behind Sparks -- the first-ever NHL goal scored on the young netminder after he posted a shutout over the Edmonton Oilers in his league debut Monday.
The Jets took the lead on Stafford's power-play goal at 17:32 of the first. Rookie right winger Nikolaj Ehlers snapped a shot off the cross bar and Stafford corralled the puck and fired it past defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who was crouched in the crease with Sparks caught in no-man's land.
Winnipeg had two power-play chances in the second period to beef up its lead but couldn't cash in, and headed to the dressing up 2-1 after 40 minutes. The period was tough on linesman Brad Kovachik, who left the game after getting smacked in the face by the puck on a clearing
NOTES: Leafs LW Joffrey Lupul was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a lower-body injury after being scratched Monday against the visiting Edmonton Oilers. LW Rich Clune was called up from the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies but was a healthy scratch in Winnipeg. ... The Jets had a tough November schedule, with 10 road games and only four games on home ice. The team went 4-9-1. ... Leafs RW Michael Grabner had three productive seasons with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL from 2006 to 2010, collecting 120 points (68 goals, 52 assists) in 180 games. ... Jets RW Joel Armia was recalled from the Moose on Nov. 23 but has been a healthy scratch for five straight games. He was acquired from Buffalo last season in the deal that sent LW Evander Kane to the Sabres.