Jets stifle Blackhawks for fourth straight victory

Dec 9, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; The Winnipeg Jets celebrate a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Winnipeg Jets won their fourth straight game, a 3-1 victory against the host Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Cole Perfetti, Blake Wheeler and Adam Lowry scored and Josh Morrissey had a pair of assists for Winnipeg, which has won seven of its past eight games.

David Rittich made 22 saves for Winnipeg. It was the backup goalie’s best statistical performance of the season in a rare start with the Jets playing the second game of a back-to-back.

Taylor Raddysh scored and Arvid Soderblom made 29 saves for Chicago, which has lost three in a row and 11 of their last 12 games.

Perfetti gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead in the first period when he scored his sixth goal at 15:21.

The Jets forward took a pass from Morrissey, skated through the offensive zone and slipped past Blackhawks defenseman Ian Mitchell before ripping a wrist shot past Soderblom.

Wheeler scored on the power play 56 seconds into the second to give Winnipeg a 2-0 lead.

The Jets’ former captain tipped a shot from the slot by Morrissey through traffic.

It was Wheeler’s ninth goal of the campaign and second of the week after he also scored on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues.

Raddysh scored for Chicago at 11:04 of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Raddysh won a loose-puck battle in the slot with Jets forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and whipped a shot past Rittich from short range for his eighth goal of 2022-23.

Lowry added an insurance tally for Winnipeg at 12:25 of the third to make it 3-1. Jansen Harkins had the primary assist, establishing space below the goal line before making a sharp pass to Lowry for the forward’s sixth goal.

Winnipeg returns home on Sunday to host the Washington Capitals. Chicago also plays Washington in its next game, hosting the Capitals on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

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