The Winnipeg Jets took care of business Friday night in the Windy City, dumping the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 to claim their first four-game win streak of the season.
After playing in St. Louis the night before, the Jets showed no signs of heavy legs in the first period as they controlled play leading up to their first goal of the night.
The Blackhawks were unable to clear the puck as it was kept in by Josh Morrissey, who found a streaking Cole Perfetti. He leaked into the slot, faked a shot to get around one defenceman and then ripped a shot past Arvid Soderblom.
Near the end of the period, Mikey Eyssimont drew not one but two penalties against Jack Johnson, giving the Jets four minutes of power play time.
Just 56 seconds into the second period, Winnipeg took advantage. Blake Wheeler deflected a Morrissey point shot past Soderblom to make it 2-0.
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Winnipeg stayed in control until Axel Jonsson-Fjallby lost control of a puck near his net and Taylor Raddysh took advantage, firing a shot past David Rittich to make it 2-1 with just under nine minutes left in the period.
But Chicago wasn’t able to really build off of the goal as Winnipeg clamped things down.
Each team had an unsuccessful power play during a fairly sleepy third period before the Jets’ third line put the game on ice.
Janson Harkins started the play with a great forecheck and finished the play with a great cross-crease pass to an open Adam Lowry, who fired it top-shelf to make it 3-1.
Chicago had one more chance with the man advantage and pulled the goalie with more than two minutes left but could not find the back of the net.
Rittich made 22 saves to earn his fourth win of the season while Soderblom stopped 29 shots in defeat.
Winnipeg now returns home to face the Washington Capitals Sunday afternoon. Pregame coverage on 680 CJOB begins at 4 p.m. with puck drop just after 6 p.m.
