Perlini scores twice as Coyotes defeat Jets
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett was joking Thursday about the scoring streak that rookie left winger Brendan Perlini was on after Perlini netted a hat trick in a one-game re-assignment to Tucson of the American Hockey League during the Coyotes' bye week.
"He just wandered down, scored three goals and wandered back," Tippett quipped.
Perlini brought his scoring touch back with him. Arizona's 2014 first-round pick scored a pair of goals in Arizona's 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday at Gila River Arena to give him six goals in his last three pro games (three in two NHL games). Peter Holland and Jamie McGinn also scored for Arizona in a four-goal first period that chased Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Mike Smith made 34 saves for Arizona for his first win since Dec. 15. It was Arizona's second straight win; just the fourth time this season. Michael Hutchinson made 22 saves in relief for the Jets, who dropped their second straight game and have allowed 11 goals in those two outings. Shawn Matthias and Mark Stuart scored for the Jets.
Winnipeg opened the scoring at 3:43 of the first period when defenseman Toby Enstrom's slapshot caromed off Coyotes defenseman Luke Schenn's left leg and right to Matthias in front of the net for a redirection past Smith.
The lead didn't last long.
Perlini blew down the right wing off the rush, took a feed from defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, dipped around the Jets' Drew Stafford and ripped a shot past Hellebuyck on the short side to tie the game, 1-1, at 4:49.
The goal opened the floodgates. Holland took a perfect feed from Radim Vrbata at the right side of the net and one-timed a shot past Hellebuyck for a 2-1 lead at 8:26.
McGinn scored his seventh goal of the season at 10:41 off a deflection of Ekman-Larsson's shot to make it 3-1 and end Hellebuyck's night. Hellebuyck allowed three goals on six shots two days after allowing three goals on seven shots against Montreal before getting pulled.
Perlini finished off the Coyotes' highest scoring period since a four-goal outburst at Edmonton on Dec. 1, 2014, when he knocked in his own rebound on a power play at 14:45 for his sixth goal of the season in 16 games.
Stuart got one back for Winnipeg when his shot from the point appeared to deflect off at least one Coyotes before slipping under Smith's pad at 2:46 of the third period to slice the lead to 4-2. It was Stuart's first goal since Oct. 13, 2015 against the New York Rangers, a span of 71 games.
Blake Wheeler cut the lead to 4-3 with 1:30 left in the third period when he redirected Nikolaj Ehlers shot from the point past Smith with the Jets' goalie pulled.
NOTES: Jets D Ben Chiarot (upper body) missed the game with an injury sustained Wednesday against Montreal. ... Jets D Tyler Myers left the team for personal reasons but is still on IR with a back injury. ... The Jets recalled D Julian Melchiori from Manitoba of the AHL and placed RW Patrik Laine on injured reserve with a concussion, retroactive to Jan. 7. ... Jets D Mark Stuart was back in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 29 against New Jersey. ... Coyotes RWs Jordan Martinook (upper body) and Ryan White (lower body) missed the game. They're considered day to day. ... Former Jets C Alex Burmistrov arrived in Arizona at 2 a.m. Friday, 11 days after the Coyotes claimed him off waivers from Winnipeg on Jan. 2. He skated with the team on Friday morning in Scottsdale but did not play. ... Coyotes D Oliver Ekman-Larsson was excused from practice on Thursday to attend to a personal matter, but he was in the lineup against the Jets.