Ottawa, Ontario: Blake Wheeler and the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets were just glad to get a win against an Ottawa Senators team playing their final home game in a disappointing season.
Wheeler scored twice and Andrew Copp had a goal and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Ottawa Senators 6-5 on Monday night.
Josh Morrissey, Brandon Tanev and Mathieu Perreault also scored for the Jets, who pulled five points behind first-place Nashville in the Central Division with three games remaining. Adam Lowry and Mark Scheifele each had two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 32 shots.
“They played hard and didn’t quit so you have to give them credit,” Wheeler said. “It’s two points, it’s a win. Obviously there’s areas we can be better, but we scored one more goal than they did.”
Thomas Chabot and Matt Duchene each scored twice and Christian Wolanin got his first NHL goal for Ottawa. Craig Anderson finished with 34 saves.
“Fans probably loved seeing 11 goals, but for a coach not so much,” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. “We did enough offensively to win the game, but when you don’t defend as well as you attack offensively it makes it difficult.”
The Senators pulled to 5-4 at 4:47 of the third as Wolanin beat Hellebuyck glove side. However, Perreault restored the Jets’ two-goal lead on the power play with 5:22 remaining.
Duchene pulled Ottawa within one again on Duchene’s second power-play goal of the ninth with 1:05 to go.
The Senators trailed 3-0 less than 12 minutes into the game, before Chabot got them on the scoreboard as he beat Hellebuyck with 1:34 left in the opening period. Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson recorded an assist on the play, giving him his fifth straight 60-point season and seventh of his career.