Jets
soar past Coyotes
Send a link to a friend
[November 11, 2016]
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After scoring
eight goals in routing the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, the
Winnipeg Jets got off only three shots in the first period Thursday
night against the Arizona Coyotes.
The Jets' offense, however, came to life, firing 15 shots in the
third period.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp and Blake Wheeler scored goals as the
Jets defeated the Coyotes 3-2 at Gila River Arena.
Mark Scheifele picked up his 10th assist, and leads the NHL with 19
points.
"We struggled coming off an eight-goal night," Jets head coach Paul
Maurice said. "We struggled, but again that happens. It happens on
the road. Our third was our best period here. But it's a good sign
when you can make the necessary adjustments in your game and come
out and have a period you're not very excited about and play your
best period with a 2-1 lead.
"We weren't moving our feet when we were trying to move the puck in
the first period and you're not going to do that against a (Coyotes
head coach) Dave Tippett team ever. So we got to skating a little
bit better and simplified some of the things we did."
Ehlers' wrist shot with just less than four minutes to play gave the
Jets a 3-1 advantage. Patrik Laine assisted on the goal, giving the
18-year-old his 16th point.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Nov/11/images/ads/current/christian_village_sda_031616.png)
"A pretty distinct change of styles between our last two teams,"
Maurice said. "We had to make some hard adjustments in our game,
which weren't easy for us to do. And they did it."
Did Maurice feel lucky to leave with a victory?
"I would never use that word lucky," Maurice said. "We had some real
fine offense in the third."
Tobias Rieder scored with two seconds left as the Coyotes pulled
goalie Louis Dominque with 1:06 remaining, but it was too little,
too late.
"They raised the level of their game and we didn't match it,"
Tippett said. "It's as simple as that. Our execution from the start
of the second period on was not what it needs to be to give you a
chance to win. They executed better than us. They won more battles
than us and they won the game."
Winnipeg hiked its record to 4-0 when it takes a lead into the final
period. On the flip side, the Coyotes are 1-5 when trailing after
two periods.
The Jets scored first with Copp getting his second goal in
back-to-back games. Scheifele and Toby Enstrom were credited with
assists on the goal at 4:50 into the first period.
Scheifele has six assists and four goals in a four-game streak.
The Coyotes tied it at 1 with 10:12 left in the opening period.
Jordan Martinook was hemmed in behind the Jets goal, but managed to
get the puck out to Radim Vrbata, who slammed it past Connor
Hellebuyck for his fifth goal. Jamie McGinn picked up his third
assist of the season on the goal.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/111116pics/sports75.jpg)
Jets left wing Kyle
Connor (81) shoots as Arizona Coyotes defenseman Alex Goligoski (33)
defends during the third period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory
Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Mar/14/images/ads/current/tires250x300.gif)
"At the end of the first period, it was ok, then in the second we
put them in a power play and they got some momentum, scored a couple
of goals and they played well defensively," Vrbata said. "We just
couldn't get anything going."
The Jets took a 2-1 lead into the third period when Wheeler, who was
the Coyotes 2006 first-round draft pick, scored his fourth goal at
10:18?of the second period. Nic Petan and Tyler Myers each picked up
their third assist on Wheeler's goal.
"We didn't really have our best game and found a way to win,"
Wheeler said. "There is going to be night like that, where you don't
really have it. I think after the second period we regrouped, had a
lead and just figured out a way to scratch and claw at two points,
so it's a good sign."
After 42 penalty minutes against the Stars, the Jets had only seven
penalty minutes against the Coyotes, who failed to score on their
lone power play in the third period.
NOTES: The Coyotes reassigned LW Tyler Gaudet to Tucson, the club's
American Hockey League affiliate. Gaudet made his Coyotes debut
Tuesday at Colorado and has five points in eight games with the
Roadrunners. ... Coyotes C Martin Hanzel remained sidelined with a
lower-body injury. ... Coyotes prospect Clayton Keller, a freshman
at Boston University, suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday, is
listed as week-to-week. The Coyotes selected Keller seventh overall
in this year's NHL draft. ... D Jacob Trouba, who re-signed with the
Jets on Monday, a two-year contract with a base salary of $6
million, did not play against the Coyotes as he continues to get in
NHL-game shape. Trouba has 23 games and 72 points over 211 games in
his first three NHL seasons. ... Coyotes D Michael Stone remains
sidelined with a lower-body injury, while C Dylan Strome and D Kevin
Connauton were healthy scratches.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Nov/11/images/ads/current/class_display_sda.png) |