Connor's late goal sends Jets past Jackets

[February 01, 2019]    Winnipeg's Kyle Connor scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:14 remaining to help the Jets rally to a 4-3 win over visiting Columbus on Thursday, extending the Blue Jackets' season-worst losing streak to four games.

Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin (9) (not shown) scores on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the first period at Bell MTS Place. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Connor, who has nine goals in his last 11 games, finished a furious forecheck by scoring on a pass from Bryan Little as Winnipeg rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the third period.

Mark Scheifele, Mason Appleton and Jack Roslovic also scored goals, and Jacob Trouba had two assists, helping the Jets to their second straight win and sixth in their last eight games.

Winnipeg's sixth consecutive home win improved the club to an NHL-best 51-13-4 at home over the last two seasons.

Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied, and Seth Jones added two assists for the Blue Jackets, who lost for the first time on a Thursday this season (12-1-0).

Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 28 shots. Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for Columbus.

Cam Atkinson, who has a Columbus-best 28 goals, was bloodied up by a puck in warmups as players fired shots on an empty goal. Lukas Sedlak's shot caromed off the crossbar and smashed into Atkinson's mouth, and he was replaced in the lineup by Mark Letestu.

Skating through the slot, Wheeler dished the puck to the left circle, where Scheifele drilled home his 26th goal at 4:34 of the first period, breaking a tie for the team lead in goals with sniper Patrik Laine.

Panarin tied it with his 20th goal at 8:52 by wristing home a shot after a slick, diagonal pass from Ryan Murray. He later led a quick power-play rush down the right side and dished to Anderson as he sped through the slot and slipped in his 16th goal for a 2-1 lead 13:30 into the game.

Appleton scored his third goal this season when his backhander trickled past Bobrovsky at 13:21 of the second period, but Bjorkstrand wired his eighth goal 57 seconds later for a 3-2 Columbus lead after 40 minutes.

Roslovic, a native of Columbus, snapped in a power-play goal at 8:47 of the third period to tie it at 3. The Blue Jackets had killed 27 straight man advantages over the previous 11 games and two periods on Thursday.

--Field Level Media

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