Winnipeg Jets' Rasmus Kupari (15) scores on Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram (39) during second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Friday, January 24, 2025. The goal was denied. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG – Cole Perfetti scored three goals ““ his first NHL hat trick — to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Friday night.
Nikolaj Ehlers, who had three points to reach 500 for his NHL career, and David Gustafsson also scored for Winnipeg.
Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz, on the power play, replied for Utah.
Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves for Winnipeg (33-14-3) at Canada Life Centre.
Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots for Utah (20-20-7).
Ehlers’ 500th point came when he set Perfetti up for an empty-net goal.
Ehlers had scored on a breakaway with 7:44 left in the game to give the Jets an insurance goal at 4-2.
Perfetti had given Winnipeg a 3-2 when he lifted the puck over a fallen Ingram on a pass from Vlad Namestnikov at 5:51 of the third. Dylan DeMelo also assisted.
Hayton had tied the score at 2-2 early in the third. He took a pass from John Marino and fired a long shot past Hellebuyck. Clayton Keller also assisted.
Gustafsson took advantage of a bad bounce off the boards on a DeMelo shoot-in and fired the puck into the net vacated by Ingram to play the puck to give Winnipeg a 2-1 lead. DeMelo got credited for the lone assist.
Utah made it 1-1 on the power play early in the second. With Gabe Vilardi off for slashing late in the opening frame, Schmaltz deflected a Michael Kesserling point shot past Hellebuyck. Keller also assisted.
With Matias Maccelli off for holding, Perfetti snapped a one-timer past Ingram on a setup from Nikolaj Ehlers to open the scoring in the first. Vilardi also assisted.
Takeaways
Jets: Came out firing pucks and it paid off with a pair of slumping forwards scoring. They kept the pressure on, even after Utah tied the score early in th final frame.
Utah: Relied on Ingram to make many saves as the Jets just kept firing and managed to score on their rare chances. They may have tired in the third after playing in Minnesota on Thursday night.
Key moment
Ehlers stole the puck at his own blue line and raced down the ice on a breakaway and beat Ingram by sliding in a backhand with little more than seven minutes left in regulation.
Key stat
Perfetti snapped a 14-game slump by scoring two goals.
Up next
Winnipeg: Hosts the Calgary Flames in the second of a two-game homestand Sunday.
Utah: Plays the Senators in Ottawa on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 24, 2025
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2025.
