Jets Make Statement in Win Over Wild

The Winnipeg Jets made a statement with their win over the Minnesota Wild.

Dec 21, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron (36) battles for position with Minnesota Wild forward Marat Khusnutdinov (22) during the third period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images / Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

It's been a two-horse race between the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets for the lead in the Central Division. The Jets had one of the best starts in the history of the NHL and stormed out to an early division lead. The Wild took over briefly as the Jets went through a slight regression, and then Winnipeg returned to first place, where they currently sit. The two teams met for a Saturday night contest with two crucial points on the line.

Not only did the Jets earn a victory over the Wild, they sent a statement with their win. The statement was simple: the Central Division is the Jets' for the taking. Winnipeg handed Minnesota a stunning 5-0 defeat and the team's fourth straight loss.

Leading the way for the Jets' offense was forward Cole Perfetti. Playing in first season of a new contract, he's taken a huge step forward for Winnipeg. He registered one goal and two assists against the Wild and raised his season totals to seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 35 games. His previous career best numbers came the year before when he scored 19 goals and 19 assists over 71 games.

The Wild also failed to generate offense in response. The Jets out-skated the Wild for all three periods, preventing them from establishing their offensive structure.

And when the Wild mustered up their 19 shots on goal throughout the game, Jets' goalie Connor Hellebuyck was locked in, He turned aside all 19 shots against him for his fourth shutout of the season. The outing brought his season record to 21-5-1 and improved his season goals against average to 2.07 and a .927 save percentage.

The Jets are now 24-10-1 and have a growing lead in the division. They now have a five-point lead over the Wild and have four more victories with just one more game played on the season. They may have caught Minnesota during a rough stretch, but the Winnipeg Jets made a statement with their latest victory.

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