Nino Niederreiter’s three-point night paces Jets to 5-1 win over Bruins
By Judy Owen, The Canadian Press on December 22, 2023.
WINNIPEG – Nino Niederreiter scored a pair of power-play goals and had an assist to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the Boston Bruins 5-1 in front of a season-high 14,405 fans at Canada Life Centre on Friday. Winnipeg’s Gabriel Vilardi extended his goal-scoring streak to five games with a goal and one assist, while Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry also scored to thrill a crowd about a 1,000 fans short of a sellout. Mark Scheifele contributed a pair of assists for the Jets (20-9-3), who have points in five consecutive games (4-0-1) and are 8-1-1 their past 10 outings. They also stretched a franchise record by holding opponents to three or fewer goals in 22 consecutive games. Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves to help Winnipeg finish a four-game homestand 3-0-1. The veteran netminder also record his 254th career victory to pass Devan Dubnyk for sole possession of 62nd on the NHL’s all-time list. Boston defenceman Brandon Carlo nixed Hellebuyck’s shutout bid with 5:38 remaining in the third period. The Jets failed to clear the puck and Carlo’s shot on net went in off a Winnipeg player. Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots for the Bruins (19-6-6), who fell to 1-1-3 in their past five games. Boston had won six straight meetings with Winnipeg before Friday’s loss. Winnipeg led 1-0 and 3-0 at period breaks. Morrissey had a goal waved off two and half minutes into the first when a review confirmed a kicking motion put the puck behind Swayman. But the defenceman made his sixth goal of the season count with 7.8 seconds remaining in the period. He cashed in a Vilardi rebound after a two-on-one rush involving Vilardi and Scheifele. Morrissey extended his point streak to four games with a goal and four assists in that span. Boston had a power play early in the second, but Hellebuyck stopped the two shots he faced. Winnipeg’s man advantage midway through the period didn’t generate a shot on Swayman. Vilardi made it 2-0 when he banged the puck in from the side of the net at 11:17. The Jets were awarded a penalty shot during another power play in the second period. When Vilardi flipped the puck high from the side of the net out front, Boston defenceman Parker Wotherspoon gloved it and threw it toward a teammate, which was a penalty for closing his hand on the puck inside the crease. Swayman stopped Scheifele’s backhand shot on the penalty-shot attempt with his blocker. But Niederreiter made it 3-0 during the same power play scoring from the side of the net with 2:29 remaining in the period. Niederreiter scored his second power-play goal with 19 seconds remaining in the third period. DYNAMIC DUO Vilardi and linemate Nikolaj Ehlers both extended their points streaks to five games. Vilardi has six goals and six assists in five games, while Ehlers’ assist on Vilardi’s goal gave him four goals and six assists in that span. Since returning Nov. 30 from an 18-game absence because of a knee injury, Vilardi has registered 14 points in 11 games. UP NEXT Jets: Travel to Chicago to face the Blackhawks on Wednesday. Bruins: Play the second of a back-to-back set Saturday in Minnesota against the Wild. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2023. 30-29
