Four-Goal Second Period Helps Jets to Third Straight Victory

Thanks to a four-goal outburst in a busy second period, the Winnipeg Jets picked up their third-straight victory, beating the visiting New York Islanders 5-4 from Canada Life Centre on Tuesday.

The game marked the conclusion of the Jets' five-game-in-eight-night homestand, which saw the team go 3-1-1 for seven of a possible 10 points following an 11-game losing streak. 

Winnipeg received goals from Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Jonathan Toews, Dylan DeMelo and Adam Lowry en route to the narrow one-goal victory. 

Connor opened the scoring with his 22nd goal of the season, firing the puck through Ilya Sorokin off a passing play from linemates Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo. 

The teams opened the second period with Winnipeg leading 1-0, and concluded it after seven goals with the Jets' owning a 5-3 lead. 

Morrissey got the Jets' second goal of the night following some strong passing from Cole Perfetti and Adam Lowry in tight. He floated a wrist shot from the point that found its way through a mass of bodies before entering the netting behind Sorokin. 

Then, on a Jets power play, it was Toews who recorded his third goal in as many games. He collected the rebound off a Gabe Vilardi one-timer, jamming home his sixth of the season.

But it was all Islanders after that. 

They scored three goals in a span of just 2:41, including two even-strength strikes from Anthony Duclair and Kyle MacLean while getting a penalty shot marker from Emil Heineman on a nifty deke that beat Hellebuyck cleanly. 

But DeMelo restored Winnipeg's lead with 7:37 to play on another looper from the point. 

Then, with Adam Boqvist in the box for holding, they almost got another, but it was determined that Scheifele had batted the puck into the net with his hand, negating Winnipeg's potential fifth goal for. 

Moments later, Lowry gave the Jets their fifth goal. He redirected a Neal Pionk point shot past Sorokin, giving Winnipeg a 5-3 lead with just seconds to play in the frame. 

In all, the teams combined for seven goals in the middle stanza, with the Jets taking a 20-15 shot lead in the third period while hanging onto the two-goal lead on the scoreboard. 

The most action of the final frame came with Sorokin on the bench early for the extra attacker. And most of it was attempts long-range at the empty net.

Until rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer put home his 13th of the season from the point, cutting the Jets' lead to just one goal with 45 seconds to play. 

But Winnipeg was able to hang on, shutting down the visitors' final minute attack. 

Hellebuyck finished the night with 23 saves on the 27 Islanders shots he faced, while Sorokin made just 17 stops on Winnipeg's 22 shots. 

Next up for Winnipeg is a quick trek out on the road to Minnesota for a Thursday night affair, before heading right back home to face Toronto on Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.