Cole Perfetti had two goals and two assists, Nikolaj Ehlers had two goals and one assist, and Vladislav Namestnikov and Neal Pionk each had a goal and three assists as the host Winnipeg Jets clobbered the San Jose Sharks 8-3 on Friday night.
Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey also scored goals and Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo both added two assists for Winnipeg, which improved to 4-0-0, the best start to a season in franchise history. The Jets, who finished with four power-play goals, moved into a tie for first place with the Dallas Stars in the Central Division.
Reigning Vezina and Jennings Award winner Connor Hellebuyck made his 500th career start in goal for Winnipeg and finished with 19 saves to pick up his 279th career victory.
Tyler Toffoli, Luke Kunin and Fabian Zetterlund scored goals for San Jose, which remained winless in five games (0-3-2) this season. Vitek Vanecek replaced starter Mackenzie Blackwood, who allowed five goals on 18 shots in the first 21:46, and made 15 saves.
Winnipeg jumped out to a 4-1 first-period lead, thanks to two goals and an assist by Ehlers leading the way.
Morrissey started the scoring at the 1:59 mark when he snapped a wrister from the top left circle off the far post and into the net for his first goal of the season.
Ehlers made it 2-0 with a five-on-three power-play goal, roofing a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle.
Toffoli cut it to 2-1 at the 11:43 mark with a power-play goal, deflecting in Jake Walman’s point shot for his fourth goal.
Ehlers answered after a San Jose turnover, putting in a wrist shot past Blackwood’s blocker side. Pionk then made it 4-1 with a power-play goal near the end of the period.
Winnipeg increased its lead to 5-1 at the 1:46 mark of the second period on Connor’s third goal, a wrist shot past Blackwood’s blocker side from the top of the slot that sent the goalie to the showers.
Kunin cut it to 5-2 midway through the second period with his first goal of the season. But Perfetti sandwiched a pair of power-play goals around Zetterlund’s third goal of the season in the third period to make it 7-3, and Namestnikov finished the scoring with his first goal with 32.3 seconds to go.
–Field Level Media
