Hayes scores 1st goal with Jets in victory over Predators
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Newly acquired Kevin Hayes scored his first goal with the Jets and added two assists as Winnipeg erased a two-goal deficit to beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Friday night.
Blake Wheeler and Mark Schiefele also each had a goal and two assists, and Kyle Connor and Tyler Myers had the other goals for Winnipeg. The Jets moved ahead of Nashville and atop the Central Division standings with the victory.
Viktor Arvidsson, P.K. Subban, and Mattias Ekholm scored for the Predators, while Ryan Ellis recorded two assists.
Laurent Brossoit stopped 34 of 37 shots, improving to 11-4-2 this season. Pekka Rinne made 27 saves in defeat.
With the win, the Jets avoided losing three consecutive games in regulation.
Arvidsson opened the scoring in the first period before Subban extended the lead on the power play with a point shot through traffic.
Winnipeg struck twice in a span of 2:33 late in the second period, tying the game at 2.
Scheifele’s backhand fooled Rinne on the power play for his team-leading 32nd goal of the season, tying a career high. Kyle Connor tied it with his 25th of the season with 1:39 remaining in the second period.
NOTES: The Jets were 1 for 4 on the power player, while Nashville went 1 for 3 with the man advantage. … The teams meet again in Winnipeg on March 23.
UP NEXT
Predators: wrap a two-game road trip Sunday in Minnesota
Jets: Begin a four-game road trip Sunday in Columbus before visits to Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Washington.
