Jets snap losing streak against old foe, defeat Las Vegas 4-0

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This article was published 04/04/2025 (420 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAS VEGAS — It’s safe to say the Winnipeg Jets measured up in this one.

Looking for a response after a series of puck management woes were a big factor in a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the Jets cleaned up what ailed them in one of their tidiest performances of the season.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Jets had earned a 4-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

“Especially the first period and a half, we did a really good job limiting what we gave up,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry, who tied his career-high with his 15th goal of the season.

“Real suffocating, real tight hockey. I think that’s what you have to do against a real dangerous team.”

The Jets, who improved to 52-20-4, close out a three-game road trip on Saturday against Utah HC.

The victory also snapped a string of eight consecutive regular-season losses in head-to-head matchups with the Golden Knights, who are leading the Pacific Division.

“We needed a good start more than anything. Everybody got running right away,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “And when you can get up a couple goals like that, it certainly makes them change their game a little bit.”

Jets backup Eric Comrie made 26 saves in what was his 19th start of the season, recording his second shutout of the campaign and fourth of his career.

“My wife is due any day. So yeah, I was trying to see if I was playing tonight or not,” said Comrie.

“She can give birth any second, so I’d be on a plane back. My phone’s on loud every single night right now, I’ve been looking at flights to get home, just in case it happens. So I’m prepared if I have to go home. It could be any day now.

“I just stuck to my game. I was a little bit frustrated by my last game, but I stuck to my process.”

Let’s take a closer look at this one:

THE RETURN

The absence of Luke Schenn was obvious in Tuesday’s loss to the Kings, and while he was a game-time decision on Thursday, the Jets’ defenceman was able to play through the pain and made a massive impact in this game.

Back on a pairing with Dylan Samberg, Schenn was a physical force, but it was his ability to remain calm while under pressure was on display in this one.

“He’s a guy that’s been there on great teams — a Stanley Cup champion,” said Morrissey. “You look at what he does on the ice, he’s a very physical presence back there. He’s a steadying force on the blue line. He can play up and down the back end. Other teams know when he’s out there. He makes other teams and players work for their ice and work to get to the front of the net.

“That’s important in the regular season, but even more so in the playoffs.”

THE SCARE

Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers went down in a heap after blocking a shot from the right point by Golden Knights defenceman Nic Hague off his right foot with just under six minutes to go in the first period.

Ehlers got to his feet and eventually made his way to the Jets bench, but he was bent over in agony as he tried to shake off the pain.

It turns out that Ehlers didn’t even miss a shift, but his unfortunate puck luck was just beginning.

During a third-period power play, Ehlers was parked in front when a shot from the slot by Cole Perfetti caught him on the inside of the right leg.

Ehlers had to be helped off the ice and went down the tunnel for further evaluation.

Arniel said it was too early to tell the severity of the injury but sounded hopeful that it wasn’t too serious.

“We don’t know yet. He keeps getting hit with pucks,” said Arniel. “I think he’ll be all right.”

THE RACE

The Dallas Stars defeated the Nashville Predators 5-1 earlier on Thursday night to temporarily pull within two points of the Jets.

But after the Jets’ victory, they remain four points clear of the Stars in the chase for the top spot in the Central Division and the Western Conference.

Following the morning skate, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey discussed what it was like to be pushed down the stretch.

“Realistically, we’re worried about ourselves and we’re trying to be ready for Game 83,” said Jets defenceman Morrissey. “We’d love to win the division, we’d love to win the conference and we’d love to be the No. 1 seed in the NHL. All of those things are attainable right now. But that’s in the background of what we’re pushing for.

“More importantly, we’ve got (six more) games to prepare for the Stanley Cup playoffs and have our game where we want it to be. That’s the biggest focus right now.”

Not surprisingly, Arniel sounded like someone who was expecting this race to go right down to the wire.

“Well, we’ve talked about this every month. Dallas, Minnesota, Colorado, St. Louis, nobody has ever left our rearview mirror,” said Arniel.

“Whether that gap got wide at one time, it’s always tightened back up. Those teams are all really good hockey teams. We just have to take care of our business. We’ve always talked about that, from the start of the year and on. Take care of our business and then kind of let everything fall into place.”

The fourth and final meeting in Dallas next Thursday figures to go a long way to determining who is going to be the No. 1 seed in the NHL.

THE KEY PLAY

Adam Lowry got to the front of the net and banged in a loose puck with 1:45 to go in the first period to extend the Jets’ lead to 2-0.

THE THREE STARS

1. Eric Comrie, Jets, made 27 saves to record his second shutout of the season, the fourth of his NHL career.
2. Adam Lowry, Jets, scored his first goal in 11 games and did an excellent job defensively.
3. Luke Schenn, Jets, finished with an assist, three hits and three blocked shots in his return to the lineup.

EXTRA, EXTRA

Mark Scheifele, Colin Miller and Cole Perfetti also scored for the Jets.

With Schenn returning to the lineup, it meant that Haydn Fleury joined fellow defenceman Ville Heinola and forward David Gustafsson as the healthy scratches.

Gustafsson was replaced on the fourth line by Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who made his Jets debut after spending the rest of the season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. Anderson-Dolan had a strong training camp but broke his foot in an exhibition game against the Calgary Flames.

After a tough start to the American Hockey League campaign, Anderson-Dolan has been one of the most consistent forwards with the Moose, and Arniel wanted to see what he could do.

“He’s playing to his identity, which is what you want those guys to do,” said Arniel. “We brought him in because he’s an energy guy; he can get in on the forecheck and help us on the penalty kill if there’s some room there. We wanted to get a look at him.”

Anderson-Dolan finished with 13 shifts for 8:54 of ice time while recording six hits.

 

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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