The Canadian Press
Darrin Bauming
WINNIPEG–Mathieu Perreault’s two goals yesterday afternoon lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks while also continuing the club’s torrid pace on home ice this season.
Winnipeg (25-11-7), which leads the Central Division with 57 points, captured its fifth-straight win at home to move three points ahead of the Nashville Predators.
“It’s great coming to the rink knowing we have a strong game here at home,” said Perreault.
“Not so sure why it’s been that way but we’re having a lot of fun right now,” he added.
“We’re just really happy with how things are going.”
The Jets are among the NHL’s best on home ice with a 16-3-1 record at Bell MTS Place, and their home power-play unit ranks No. 1 in the league.
“I feel like we’ve been able to find the lanes and get a lot of pucks on goal,” noted Perreault, whose first goal came with the man advantage to give the Jets a 3-1 lead.
“A lot of goals that we’ve scored, just like tonight’s goal, was just kind of a rebound, just banging pucks around the crease,” he remarked.
“This is usually what makes a good power play–when you can find those rebounds around the net–and we’ve been able to do that.”
Jets’ coach Paul Maurice said confidence has been the key to his team’s success at home.
“We also know that a big chunk of our home games are still ahead of us,” Maurice added.
“November, December were tough schedules,” he noted. “We made the most of our home games, which was really really critical.
“Some of those road trips can be a little taxing for your club so you gotta be good at home.”
The Jets opened the scoring midway through the first period after Matt Hendricks was sent in alone on the breakaway.
He beat Martin Jones glove side on the backhand for his fourth goal of the season and third point in four games.
Winnipeg made it 2-0 midway through the second period after Marko Dano scored his second goal of the season, deflecting a Jacob Trouba point shot.
Logan Couture scored San Jose’s only goal on the power play.
The Jets had held off the Sharks for more than a minute of 5-on-3 play before Couture notched his 16th of the season and first goal since Dec. 9.
“We would have liked to get another power-play goal and shut them down on our [penalty kill],” said Couture.
“But they scored some timely goals that won the game.
“The third was tough to come back down two against that team in the third period,” he noted.
“They shut it down pretty good.”
“I thought we were in the game,” said Sharks’ head coach Peter DeBoer. “They jumped on us in the first five, six minutes.
“I thought we knew that was going to happen and I thought we got our legs underneath us.
“I really liked our game,” DeBoer added. “Really, the third goal was killer.”
The Sharks are 21-13-6 and in third place in the Pacific Division.
“Overall, we’re OK,” said DeBoer. “We’re not perfect. We’re not exactly where we want to be but it could be worse.”
Elsewhere in the NHL, Montreal beat Vancouver 5-2, Chicago downed Edmonton 4-1, Philadelphia upended Buffalo 4-1, the N.Y. Islanders topped New Jersey 5-4 (SO), and Washington edged St. Louis 4-3 (OT).
Columbus nipped Florida 3-2, Tampa Bay beat Detroit 5-2, Pittsburgh topped Boston 6-5 (OT), and Vegas shaded the N.Y. Rangers 2-1.
