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First-place Toronto Maple Leafs edge the Winnipeg Jets in a shootout

Apr 2, 2021; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN;  Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) blocks a shot by Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Zach Hyman (11) in the first period at Bell MTS Place. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports
James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Campbell made 31 saves and Jason Spezza scored the only goal of a shootout to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-1 road victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

With two wins over the Jets in the past three days, first-place Toronto has opened up a five-point gap over Winnipeg in the North Division standings.

The Maple Leafs are 5-0-1 in their past six games.

Toronto’s Travis Dermott and Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp scored the only goals in regulation.

Campbell improved his record to a perfect 8-0-0 this season. The goalie stopped 31 of 32 shots, coming up particularly big during a flurry from the Jets midway through the third period.

Playing in his 300th NHL game, Connor Hellebuyck was just as impressive at the other end of the ice, stopping 37 of 38 shots.

Hellebuyck’s only miscue came during one of Toronto’s more innocuous scoring chances, when Dermott sent a shot from the blue line toward net at 5:16 of the second period. The point shot found its way through traffic and past Hellebuyck for Dermott’s second goal of the season.

Copp responded for the Jets at the 11:50 mark of the middle period. A two-on-one rush between Copp and Adam Lowry resulted in Copp’s seventh goal in his last eight games, his 12th of the season overall.

Spezza earned the 960th point of his NHL career with an assist on Dermott’s goal to tie Henrik Zetterberg for 100th place on the all-time points list.

The Maple Leafs were 0-for-3 on power plays, including a man-advantage chance in overtime that saw Hellebuyck make four saves. Toronto has gone more than 10 full games without a power-play goal, going scoreless in 27 consecutive opportunities with the extra attacker.

Toronto is 4-2-0 in six games against Winnipeg this season.

The Jets are 6-3 in games decided beyond regulation time this season. Two of those losses were to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs collected a 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Jets on March 11.

–Field Level Media

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