Jets 1, Penguins 0
WINNIPEG -- After going into the Christmas break on a downer, the Winnipeg Jets resumed play with a win.
In a game devoid of emotion and physical play, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck posted his first NHL shutout with a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night at the MTS Centre.
The much-heralded rookie stopped all 30 shots he faced to boost the Jets' record to 16-17-2 and breathe some life into their playoff aspirations.
Hellebuyck was sharp when he had to be -- which wasn't often -- but he also had some last-minute help when defenseman Tyler Myers blocked a near goal with the final seconds ticking away.
Jets center Bryan Little nearly opened the scoring late in the first period on a breakaway but was thwarted from behind by Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy. Little was awarded a penalty shot, and he broke the deadlock with a shot high to Pittsburgh goalie Jeff Zatkoff's glove side at 14:46. It was Little's team-high 14th goal of the season.
The Jets had several chances to double their lead before the end of the period when pucks went through the crease and past Zatkoff only to slip by one of the posts. The chances kept on coming in the second period as Little hit the post a few minutes in and right winger Blake Wheeler missed on a short-handed breakaway with just seconds left in the period.
Jets fans usually reserve their mock cheers for the opposition's best player, but on this night they ignored centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and jeered right winger Phil Kessel -- now playing on the third line after starting the season on the top trio -- every time he touched the puck, which wasn't all that often.
Jets captain Andrew Ladd was demoted from the first line to the third line, with winger Drew Stafford skating alongside Little and Wheeler.
After losing a pair of games to Calgary and Edmonton before the Christmas break, the Jets were anxious to find something -- anything -- positive to help propel them back in the playoff race. They found it in their much-maligned penalty kill, which has been near the bottom of the league for weeks but went 2-for-2 Sunday.
The normally raucous Winnipeg fans sat on their hands for most of the evening but made exceptions late in the third period when Wheeler broke up a two-on-one with Crosby and Malkin and one shift later when defenseman Dustin Byfuglien sent Malkin flying with a solid bodycheck.
Zatkoff stopped 27 shots for Pittsburgh (17-15-3).
NOTES: Jets C Mark Scheifele was put on injured reserve after sustaining a concussion in a collision with LW Andrew Ladd at practice Saturday. ... C Adam Lowry, who was sent down to the Jets' AHL Manitoba Moose affiliate on Dec. 16, was called up to replace Scheifele. He had four assists in four games in the AHL. ... The Penguins came out of the Christmas break with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. ... Several members of the Jets and Penguins have golden memories of the World Juniors. Pittsburgh C Sidney Crosby and Ladd played on the powerhouse 2005 Canadian team while the Jets D Mark Stuart and RW Drew Stafford were on the victorious U.S. squad the year before. Pittsburgh G Marc-Andre Fleury won a silver medal for Canada that year. ... The Penguins scratched D Kris Letang for precautionary reasons after he took a hard hit Saturday vs. Minnesota. Also scratched for Pittsburgh were D Adam Clendening and C Scott Wilson. ... The Jets scratched D Adam Pardy, D Paul Postma and RW Anthony Peluso.