Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/laine-scores-twice-in-3-2-jets-victory- over-hurricanes-475785853.html

Laine scores twice in 3-2 Jets victory over Hurricanes

By: Mike McIntyre

RALEIGH, N.C. — It's one of the best reality shows going right now in the , and took his act on the road and put on another stellar episode Sunday night, this time for the fine folks of Raleigh who likely didn't appreciate it as much as those in Winnipeg do.

Laine scored twice — ho hum, what else is new? — and assisted on another to lead the Jets to a 3-2 victory over the as they kicked off a six-game road trip. It's the second straight game, and third time in four, the Finnish sniper has lit the lamp twice as he continues to climb up the NHL record book in addition to helping his team gather valuable points in the playoff race.

"I can feel it, when the game is going to be like that, when you’re going to get a lot of chances," the 19-year-old said following the game.

With 35 goals so far this season, Laine is now up to 71 in his career. That puts him sixth for goals scored by a teenager in NHL history. Jimmy Carson leads the way with 92, and Laine said earlier Sunday he had visions of leading that list when all was said and done.

We think he was joking, considering there are just 17 regular-season games left in the season, after which he will turn 20. But with the way he's shooting the puck right now and the confidence with which he's playing, who's going to doubt him? Sidney Crosby (75), Wayne Gretzky (76) and Brian Bellows (76) are clearly within range, while Dale Hawerchuk's 85 would certainly need a huge push.

Consider this: Laine's two goals Sunday probably came on his fourth and fifth best chances of the game. In one incredible first-period shift, he rang a shot off the crossbar, hit the post seconds later and then fired wide from point-blank range. It was utter dominance.

"I was pretty mad at myself. I should have scored from those chances. And I thought they’re not going to pass to me anymore if I can’t bury it from those chances, but thank God they did," Laine said with a perfectly straight face.

And he also showed he's more than just a scorer, making a pair of fine defensive plays during the game which helped Winnipeg break the puck out of their own zone and escape trouble.

Laine has 10 goals and six assists in the eight games since moving down to the so-called third line along with Nikolaj Ehlers. Andrew Copp was between them the first five games before deadline day trade addition Paul Stastny took the spot, creating a matchup nightmare for opponents such as the Hurricanes.

"They were real good, but they were good in their own end too. They battled some pucks out at times," coach Paul Maurice said after the game. "They throw a lot of pucks at the net, compete real hard, and we had to be pretty solid in front of our net. But the Stastny line has been (good) and I think there’s more there as they get more and more used to each other. They’ve got a real nice chemistry."

As for the rest of Sunday's game, goalie Connor Hellebuyck's effort can't be overlooked or underappreciated. He stopped 33 of 35 shots he faced, including all 17 during a second-period barrage where his team had to kill off a pair of penalties.

"I thought that’s exactly how we wanted to play. We grinded, we played hard, and our details were right. And then we battled right to the end," said Hellebuyck, who has now tied Kari Lehtonen for the single-season franchise record for victories with 34.

"It means I need one more," Hellebuyck said of what that achievement means to him. "We’re having a fun time, it’s a great year, we know we have a lot more work ahead of us and that’s what we’re looking forward to."

Laine's first , just 5:40 into the opening period, came off a nice feed from Ehlers. His shot went right through the five-hole of Carolina goalie Cam Ward, who will likely be seeing Laine in his nightmares for the next few days. Newcomer Joe Morrow picked up the other assist for his first point in three games since joining the Jets.

Another pair of Finnish stars helped the Hurricanes tie it up late in the period. Just seconds after Josh Morrissey stepped out of the box for a slashing infraction, Teuvo Teravainen's pass attempt went off Dmitry Kulikov and beat Hellebuyck. Sebastian Aho had the assist, giving him 100 points on his career.

Laine put the Jets back in the lead 2:37 into the second period only six seconds after Aho went to the penalty box for high-sticking Stastny in the face. Once again it was right through Ward's legs.

Stastny made it 3-1 midway through the final period off a circus-like play. Laine fed Ben Chiarot, whose shot went off the crossbar, off referee Eric Furlatt's shoulder and right on to the stick of Stastny, who fired it past a stunned Ward, who was still searching for the puck on the play.

"I didn’t see anything. Patty made a great play by keeping the puck alive, I thought (Chiarot) would at least look at us, but you know D-men: when they see the net they shoot," said Stastny. "I just heard it hit post or crossbar, and then I literally didn’t know where it went. I didn’t see it hit the post, I just heard it, then all of a sudden I see it in front of me. Out of the corner of your eye you kinda see the goalie out of position."

Stastny, who assisted on Laine's second goal, now has two goals and two assists in the three games he's played with Winnipeg. His goal proved to be the game-winner, as Jordan Stall scored with just over four minutes left to make it a one-goal game.

Winnipeg improves to 39-17-9 on the season, including 5-0-1 in their past six road games dating back to mid-January. The Jets remain in second place in the Central Division, six points back of Nashville and six up on Minnesota.

The road trip continues Tuesday when they face the New York Rangers. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/mason-joining-jets-monday-475786303.html

Mason joining Jets Monday Hutch likely heading back to Moose

By: Mike McIntyre

RALEIGH, N.C. — The crease is about to get crowded for the .

Steve Mason is expected to join the team Monday in New York after getting a clean bill of health following his second concussion of the season. Mason returned to action Saturday afternoon in Winnipeg, stopping 18 of 22 shots in a 5-4 win by the over the Iowa Wild. He had been sent down for a conditioning start as he works his way back from the injury suffered Jan. 12.

"He won and saw some pucks. It wasn't nearly as much action as we hoped. But he felt good," coach Paul Maurice said of Mason's outing.

Mason's return likely means Michael Hutchinson is heading back to the Moose. The pending unrestricted free agent has been on emergency recall with the Jets, winning both his starts and posting a 2.00 GAA and .933 SV%.

Mason is 3-6-1 this season with Winnipeg, with a 3.52 GAA and .897 SV%, after signing a two year contract last summer that pays him $4.1 million this season and next.

Maurice hinted Sunday that Mason will see some action as this six-game road trip continues, with the idea of giving workhorse Connor Hellebuyck a bit of a breather.

"We'll look at these road games as places to rotate goaltenders," said Maurice. "We'll get into a bit of a rotation a couple of times

You can add Carolina coach Bill Peters to the growing list of hockey personnel impressed by what the Jets have accomplished this season.

He was quick to heap praise on Winnipeg when asked what he's seen so far this season — while adding he's seen just about enough of one particular player.

"They're a real deep team, real mobile on the back end. All four lines really play the same way. They've got an identity they play towards, they can be dangerous in multiple situations. Obviously the power play, Laine's got a whack of power play goals. I got tired of looking at them. There's lots of them," Peters cracked following Sunday's morning skate. "Lots of offence throughout the lineup and deep down the middle when they get everybody in there. But they're deep as it is right now. They got guys getting closer to getting back, they'll become even deeper."

Toby Enstrom could return to the lineup as early as Tuesday night's game against the New York Rangers. The veteran defenceman has missed the past three games after getting hurt blocking a shot in practice last week.

"He's going to tell us when he's ready to play. I would not be surprised if it's next game, or maybe the game after," said Maurice.

In other injury news, defenceman Jacob Trouba and forward Adam Lowry both skated Sunday morning with the team. Maurice said the next step for both is full contact. Trouba is expected to begin hitting in practice by Thursday, while Lowry should be just behind him.

"I don't expect (Trouba), on this trip, to play. But if he can get five or six days of contact then we should be looking at him right after the trip. I think Adam's probably in the same boat, maybe a little further out, but not far," said Maurice.

Meanwhile, forward has been deemed healthy by the club but was a scratch Sunday night as Maurice went with the same lineup that beat Detroit two nights earlier.

It's a game he circles on his calender every season.

Maurice spent four seasons coaching the Carolina Hurricanes and said Raleigh will always hold a special place for him.

"It's the only place you kind of enjoy the ride from the airport to the hotel because you can see all the places you've travelled. So much has changed, just physically in the buildings that are here that weren't. I was here when this was just a hole in the ground and they were starting it, and now the trees are above the building," Maurice said of the area around PNC Arena.

He spent plenty of time Sunday morning shaking hands and sharing stories with people still involved in the Hurricanes organization.

"All three of my children were born here. You get to see a lot of really important faces, people that were a big part of your life. And in the NHL you move and then you see them once a year. So it's good to be back," said Maurice.

Catch us if you can.

That's the message the seem to be sending to the Jets, and the rest of the National Hockey League.

Nashville just completed an incredible week on the road in which they won four straight games, all by rallying from behind. Last Tuesday, they fell behind two goals on two occasions to the Jets, only to pull out of town with a final-minute victory. On Thursday night, they turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 win. On Friday, a 2-0 hole ended in a 4-3 overtime win. And then on Sunday, Nashville tied the game with 66 seconds left and then beat Colorado 4-3 in overtime.

Overall, Nashville has won eight straight games to build up a healthy lead in the Central Division.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/laine-does-it-again-and-again-in-win- over-hurricanes

Laine does it again (and again) in win over Hurricanes

By Ken Wiebe

RALEIGH, N.C. — The way the first period had been going, Patrik Laine was wondering what kind of night it was going to be.

Sure, the Winnipeg Jets sniper had scored 5:40 into the first period but after ringing a pair of shots off the iron and missing a wide-open look from the slot during a power play, Laine was feeling a tad frustrated.

Instead of getting down on himself, Laine added a power-play marker 2:37 into the second period and assisted on the game-winning goal as the Jets earned a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night.

“I was pretty mad (at) myself. I should have scored from those chances,” said Laine, who is up to 35 goals and 58 points in 65 games this season. “And I thought they’re not going to pass to me anymore if I can’t bury it from those chances. But thank God they did.

“I can feel it when the game is going to be like that, when you’re going to get a lot of chances. They’re not coming to come easily, never. You’ve just got to work hard and you’re going to get those couple chances and hopefully you can score.”

Laine is scoring plenty of late, producing 10 goals and 16 points during an eight-game point streak.

“It seems like the easiest ones don’t go in, and then the tough ones go in,” said Jets centre Paul Stastny, who chipped in a goal and an assist and is up to two goals and four points in three games since being acquired by the St. Louis Blues in a deadline-day deal. “He’s a goal scorer, he’s a shooter. He sticks with it.”

The Jets, who improved to 39-17-9 on the season, continue a six-game road trip on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers.

Despite winning consecutive games, the Jets remain six points behind the Nashville Predators in the chase for top spot in the Central Division standings.

The Predators wrapped up an outstanding week by rallying from behind to win a fourth consecutive game, a run that started by erasing a pair of two-goal deficits against the Jets on Tuesday.

The Jets are still in second place, six points ahead of the Minnesota Wild, who jumped over the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Stastny banged home the game-winner at 10:06 of the third period on what was a fortuitous bounce.

After a shot from Jets defenceman Ben Chiarot caromed off the crossbar, the puck hit referee Eric Furlatt and landed on the stick of Stastny.

“I didn’t see anything,” said Stastny. “(Laine) made a great play by keeping the puck alive, I thought (Chiarot) would at least look at us, but you know D-men, when they see the net they shoot. I just heard it hit post or crossbar, and then I literally didn’t know where it went. I didn’t see it hit the post, I just heard it, and then all of a sudden I see it in front of me. Out of the corner of your eye you kind of see the goalie out of position.

“It was a good bounce. You know, kind of one bounce one way on their first goal, we were kind of unfortunate, and then it came back. I’ve always been a big believer, especially on faceoffs, sometimes you have a bad bounce one way and eventually it’s going to come back vice-versa in the game.”

Stastny admits he was a bit concerned when the men in stripes huddled together to see if Furlatt was okay.

“I’ve had three goals taken away from me this year so I thought ‘Oh, here we go again,’ ” said Stastny, who has 14 goals and 44 points in 66 games this season.

Teuvo Teravainen banked a pass off Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov in front of the net to even the score 1-1 at 18:31 of the first period.

With the game 3-1 for the Jets, the Hurricanes got a goal from with 4:12 left in regulation time, but Hellebuyck stood tall and made sure the lead would hold up.

Among his 33 saves was a shoulder stop off Hurricanes defenceman Justin Faulk with 38 seconds to go, allowing him to pick up his 34th victory in 52 starts (and 54 appearances).

That moved him into a tie with Kari Lehtonen for the franchise record for single-season victories.

“It means I need one more,” said Hellebuyck. “I’m tied right now, I need one more. We’re having a fun time, it’s a great year, we know we have a lot more work ahead of us and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”

The trio of Stastny between Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers have been clicking in three games together, combining for seven goals and 15 points so far.

“There’s more there as they get more and more used to each other,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “They’ve got a real nice chemistry.”

The trio might just be scratching the surface in terms of what they might be able to accomplish together the stretch run.

“Things are going great,” said Laine. “There’s lots of things we can do better, but I think we’re on a good roll right now.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/mason-shakes-off-rusttrouba-ready-for- contactlaine-aiming-higherchiarot-back-on-the-board

Mason shakes off rust…Trouba ready for contact…Laine aiming higher…Chiarot back on the board

By Ken Wiebe

RALEIGH, N.C. – Steve Mason understands that shaking off the rust isn’t always easy.

As the veteran goalie continues to work his way back from suffering his second concussion of the season – and third of his NHL career – Mason made it through his conditioning stint with the Manitoba Moose.

Mason allowed four goals on 22 shots in goal in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Iowa Wild in what was his first game action since he faced the on Jan. 5.

“It was good to get back out there after such a long layoff,” Mason told reporters in Winnipeg after the game. “As the game went on, I started feeling a bit more comfortable.

“There are some things that can be cleaned up, but this was definitely a step in the right direction.”

The Moose built a 4-1 lead but gave up three goals in the third period before Brendan Lemieux won it in overtime with his second goal of the contest.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said the reviews on Mason’s performance were positive and noted he would join the team in New York.

“He won and saw some pucks,” said Maurice. “He didn’t nearly see as much action as we would had hoped. We hoped he’d see 50 shots. But he felt good.”

There was some discussion Mason might start in goal again on Sunday for the Moose, but that is not the case.

Although Maurice didn’t say when Mason would be starting on this road trip, Tuesday against the New York Rangers or Thursday against the New Jersey Devils seem like logical options.

Mason could also start one of the final two games of the swing, since the Jets play on consecutive days against the and Nashville Predators on Mar. 12 and 13.

Once Mason is activated off injured reserve, Michael Hutchinson is expected to be returned to the Moose – since he remains up with the big club on emergency recall.

Chase on for Laine Jets winger Patrik Laine isn’t much of a numbers game and always puts the focus on the team goals before personal glory.

But Laine is aware of the company he’s keeping after pulling into a tie for sixth spot with legend Steve Yzerman for goals scored by a teenager in the NHL (69).

And with a goal in the first period of Sunday’s game, Laine moved into sole possession of sixth place.

“I’ve seen (the list), but that’s something I don’t want to focus on,” Laine said on Sunday morning. “But it’s nice to see that and I’ve got to be proud of myself, but that’s not going to be enough for me. I want to score more and I want to be in front of those guys on that list. I don’t want to be satisfied with sixth place.”

Jimmy Carson holds the record with 92, while Dale Hawerchuk sits second at 85 and Wayne Gretzky and Brian Bellows are tied for fourth at 76 and Sidney Crosby is fifth with 75.

By scoring twice and adding an assist on Sunday, Laine extended his point streak to eight games and he has 10 goals and 16 points during that span.

Trouba taking strides And on the seventh day, Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba started looking more like himself on the ice.

Trouba, who missed a 15th consecutive game with an ankle injury, was part of Sunday’s optional skate prior to the game against the Carolina Hurricanes and he’s clearly taken strides since returning to the ice for the first time since suffering the injury last Monday.

During that first skate, Trouba was moving gingerly – which is natural when it comes to an ankle issue – but by Sunday, he was moving around the ice smoothly.

At the end of the workout, Trouba was doing some work simulating puck retrievals and breakouts with assistant coaches Charlie Huddy and Jamie Kompon.

That was an obvious sign of progress.

Maurice said Trouba was progressing nicely and that he’s going to ramp things up later this week and might be ready to return to game action when the Jets get home from this six-game road trip.

“If he can get through five or six days of contact, then we should be looking at him (playing) right after the (road) trip,” said Maurice, noting Trouba could start taking contact on Thursday.

Speaking of injuries, Jets centre Adam Lowry is facing a similar time line when it comes to getting back into action after missing 22 of the past 24 games with an upper-body injury.

“He’s probably in the same boat (as Trouba),” said Maurice. “Maybe a little further out, but not far.”

Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom wasn’t on the ice on Sunday and missed a third consecutive game, but he was doing some off-ice work and Maurice expects him to be ready to play on either Tuesday or Thursday.

“He’s going to tell us when he’s ready to play,” said Maurice. “It’s not long term.”

Winger Brandon Tanev (upper body) has been cleared medically to return, though Maurice doesn’t want to make a change to his forward group right now.

So after missing 10 games due to injury, Tanev was a healthy scratch on Sunday.

Breaking the goose egg Through the Jets annual skills competition, folks have come to learn that defenceman Ben Chiarot has a heavy shot.

On Friday night, Chiarot blasted home a slapper from the right point for his first goal of the season – snapping a 38-game drought in the process.

“That’s probably a shot I’ve taken 10,000 times during practice and during the year. With another 10,000 I’ll probably get another one,” said Chiarot. “I’m always looking for a chance to let (his shot) go. But with the way teams block shots and stuff like that, it’s tough. During the second half, I’ve been able to get it off more.

“I let it go whenever I get the chance. Sometimes it gets to the net and sometimes it doesn’t. For sure, everyone likes to score goals. I’m not really a guy that is relied on to do that, but when I can chip in and create some offence, I like to do that too.”

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-carolina-hurricanes-game-recap/c-296626378

Laine has three points to boost Jets past Hurricanes Scores two goals for third time in four games; Winnipeg keeps pace in Central by Kurt Dusterberg / NHL.com Correspondent

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Patrik Laine had two goals and an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Sunday.

Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who are 5-0-1 in their past six road games.

Winnipeg (39-17-9), which started a six-game road trip, trails the Nashville Predators by six points for first place in the Central Division.

Laine has scored in seven of eight games (10 goals), including three two-goal games in his past four.

"It's exciting, he's a goal-scorer," Hellebuyck said. "It's fun seeing the puck go in the back of the net. It leads to victories."

Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes, who lost for the first time in three games. Cam Ward made 20 saves.

Carolina (29-26-11) trails the by two points for the second wild card into the Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

Laine scored at 5:40 of the first period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. He took Nikolaj Ehlers' backhand pass and beat Ward from the high slot.

"[The puck] comes jumping off his stick," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "I thought he was real dangerous. I thought that line had the puck a lot."

Carolina tied the game 1-1 at 18:31 when Teravainen's centering pass deflected off Winnipeg defenseman Dmitry Kulikov's leg at the top of the crease.

Laine scored his 35th goal six seconds into a power play to put the Jets up 2-1 at 2:37 of the second period. He took a pass from Stastny and scored with a shot low along the ice from the left face-off circle.

"I'm just trying to work hard every shift," Laine said. "Things are going great, but there's still lots of things we can do better. But I think we're on a good roll right now."

Stastny gave the Jets a 3-1 lead at 10:06 of the third period. Ben Chiarot's shot hit the crossbar and then referee Eric Furlatt before Stastny gathered the rebound and scored from a sharp angle at the bottom of the left circle.

"Literally, I didn't see it hit the post," Stastny said. "I just heard it. All of a sudden, I realized it was in front of me."

Staal cut Winnipeg's lead to 3-2 when he scored on the rebound of Jaccob Slavin's shot at 15:48.

Hellebuyck earned his 34th win of the season to tie Kari Lehtonen's franchise record, set in 2006-07 with the Atlanta Thrashers.

"I thought the guys in front of me were blocking a lot of the key shots and keeping the players to the outside, making my life pretty easy," the goaltender said.

Goal of the game Laine's goal at 2:37 of the second period.

Highlight of the game Stastny's goal at 10:06 of the third period.

They said it "It was a grinder. [The Hurricanes] put a lot of pucks at the net, competed real hard, and we had to be pretty solid in front of our net. But the Stastny line, there's been more there the more and more they get used to each other. There's been a real nice chemistry." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice on Nikolaj Ehlers, Paul Stastny and Patrik Laine, who combined for six points

"We came up short tonight, but the effort was there. [The Jets] made it hard to get to the net, they made it hard to create plays. That's what good teams do. We've still got to find a way to win some games." -- Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal

Need to know Wheeler got his 56th assist on Laine's second goal and trails forward Jakub Voracek by one for the NHL lead. … Aho got his 100th NHL point with an assist on Teravainen's goal. … Teravainen has scored in an NHL career-high four straight games and in six of seven.

What's next Jets: At the New York Rangers on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+ 2, TSN3, NHL.TV) Hurricanes: At the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-N, FS-CR, NHL.TV)

Associated Press http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets-carolina-hurricanes-recap-1.4561919

Patrik Laine strikes twice as Jets blow past Hurricanes New Winnipeg centre Stastny adds pair of points in victory

The Associated Press

Winnipeg's Patrik Laine, left, celebrates his goal with teammate Mark Scheifele during the second period of the Jets' 3-2 win over the Hurricanes on Sunday. (Karl B DeBlaker/The Associated Press) 15 comments Two more goals for Patrik Laine. Two more points in the standings for the Winnipeg Jets.

Laine scored twice for the second straight game and extended his points streak to eight in the Jets' 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night.

Laine had his third multi-goal game in the last four games and has seven multi-point nights during his streak. He has 10 goals and six assists in the eight-game stretch, and 35 goals overall.

"I think I just tried to work hard every shift, and I think when you work hard you're going to get rewarded," Laine said. "I've been working really hard and now I'm just getting rewarded. Things are going great."

Stastny continues strong play with Jets Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets. Winnipeg improved to 7-2 in its last nine to close within six points of Nashville for the Central Division lead.

Teuvo Teravainen scored for the fourth straight game for the Hurricanes. Jordan Staal also scored, and Cam Ward made 20 saves. Carolina fell to 2-5-2 in its last nine as it tries to hold on to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We're right there," Staal said. "I'm not sure what happened tonight. We've got to put together a streak here, and it's got to be now."

Laine opened the scoring 5:40 into the first when he ripped a wrist shot from the top of the right circle through Ward's legs. He nearly scored twice more in the first period, with a wrist shot that dinged the right post and a slapshot that rang off the crossbar.

"I was pretty mad to myself," Laine said. "I should've scored from those chances. I thought, `They're not going to pass to me any more if I can't bury it from those passes.'"

The Hurricanes pulled even with 1:29 left in the opening period. Right as a power play ended, Teravainen fired a pass toward the Winnipeg crease that was intended for Staal, but the puck instead bounced up off Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov's chest and into the net.

Laine 'real dangerous right now' But Laine struck again just 2:37 into the second period, and six seconds into a power play, with another wrist shot through Ward's legs, this time from the left faceoff circle.

"It comes off his stick different," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "It comes jumping off his stick. He's real dangerous right now."

Stastny added insurance with an unusual goal midway through the third period. Ben Chiarot's wrist shot rang off the right post and redirected to the left side of the ice, where it hit referee Eric Furlatt in the side of the face.

With Furlatt recoiling in pain and players across the ice adjusting to the puck's sudden change in position, Stastny picked up the loose puck and fired it into the net.

"I didn't really see anything," Stastny said. "I just heard it hit post or crossbar. Literally know where it went, then all the sudden I realized it was in front of me and then out of the corner of my eye saw the goalie out of position."

The fluky goal would prove critical when Staal fired home a rebound with 4:12 remaining.

"A few games ago we had some odd bounce off the ref and they blew it down and they said they wouldn't allow a goal like that," Staal said. "It was tough, obviously, to watch that go in. That was tough."

North State Journal http://nsjonline.com/article/2018/03/hurricanes-cant-keep-pace-in-playoff-hunt-losing-3-2-to- winnipeg/

Hurricanes can’t keep pace in playoff hunt, losing 3-2 to Winnipeg

By Cory Lavalette

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes held the Winnipeg Jets’ top line of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor in check. The same was true for the second line of Bryan Little centering Mathieu Perreault and Jack Roslovic.

It was the third line — specifically Patrik Laine — that did them in.

Laine scored twice, and his center, new Jets pivot Paul Stastny, added the winner off a fortunate bounce to give Winnipeg a 3-2 victory over Carolina on Sunday in front of 11,407 at PNC Arena.

Stastny, who was acquired from St. Louis ahead of the trade deadline, added an insurance goal for Winnipeg midway through the third period — and the Jets needed it.

After Ben Chiarot hit the post coming up the right wing, the puck hit a referee and bounced right to Stastny, who deposited the puck in an open net for a 3-1 Jets lead at 10:06 of third period.

“It was tough, obviously, to watch that go in,” Hurricanes center Jordan Staal said. “That was tough. Not much you can do about that.”

With 4:12 remaining in the game, Staal ripped a shot short side on Jets goalie Connor Hellebucyk (33 saves) to cut the lead back to one.

Carolina, however, couldn’t muster the equalizer with a sixth attacker on the ice, and the Hurricanes remained outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture after the Florida Panthers won earlier in the day to stake a claim to the final wild card spot.

“For the most part, most of the second and third we had control of the game,” Staal said. “Obviously they’re not going to be as risky, but we had a lot of chances and we couldn’t quite get to three.”

Prior to that, it was Laine who headlined for the Jets. The second year Finnish sniper opened the scoring just 5:40 into the game with a quick snap shot from the slot off a feed from Nikolaj Ehlers that beat Cam Ward (20 saves) and made it 1-0.

Winnipeg seemed poised to extend its lead on the power play with three Grade-A chances for Laine, but he was unable to convert — ringing the crossbar on one — and Carolina gained life.

On a power play of their own, the Hurricanes maintained zone time and wore out the Jets. Just as the man advantage expired, Teuvo Teravainen’s centering pass careened in off of Winnipeg defenseman Dmitry Kulikov at 18:31 of the first to tie it at 1. It was Teravainen’s fourth straight game with a goal and his 19th on the season.

“He’s way more competitive on a consistent basis right now than he’s ever been probably in his career,” Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said of Teravainen.

Laine, however, wasn’t finished.

With Sebastian Aho in the box for high sticking, Laine made good on the Jets’ second power play opportunity, ripping a shot past Ward just six seconds into the man advantage to reclaim the lead for Winnipeg at 2:37 of the second.

“I don’t see enough of him live, and that maybe is a good thing,” Peters said of the 19-year-old. “But he was sure dangerous tonight.”

The Hurricanes’ streakiest scorer, Jeff Skinner, was nearly as dangerous as Laine, finishing with six shots on goal and battling to get to the Winnipeg net all night. But unlike Laine, Skinner was kept off the scoresheet — his sixth straight game without a goal.

“Just couldn’t get one,” Skinner said. “You just gotta keep at it, though. You’ve gotta keep working for them and sooner or later you get a bounce.”

Notes: The Hurricanes fell to 9-2-3 when Teravainen scores a goal. … Carolina won just 18 of 43 faceoffs, and only Staal (10 of 16) finished above .500 at the dot. Little and Stastny combined to go 16 of 20 for Winnipeg. … Aho’s assist on Teravainen’s goal was his 100th NHL point. … The Panthers win gave them 70 points on the season and moved them a point ahead of both Carolina and Columbus in the standings. Florida aslo has played just 63 games, compared to 65 and 66 for Columbus and Carolina, respectively. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/laine-extends-point-streak-as-jets-edge-hurricanes/c-296628206

Laine extends point streak as Jets edge Hurricanes 19-year-old has 10 goals and 16 points in his last eight games by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Patrik Laine continues to carry a hot stick, and he continues to climb up a list of prominent hockey names each time he lights the lamp.

The 19-year-old scored twice more Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, and assisted on the eventual game winner from line mate Paul Stastny, as the Winnipeg Jets (39-17-9) picked up a 3-2 win to start a six-game road trip.

Laine now has 71 goals in his career, and has moved into sixth all-time in NHL history for goals as a teenager, passing Steve Yzerman with his efforts tonight. He's now four back of Sidney Crosby on that list.

"I can feel when a game is going to be like that when you're going to get a lot of chances," said Laine. "They're not going to come easily, ever. You just have to work hard and you're going to get those couple chances, and hopefully you can score."

The win improves the Jets to 5-0-1 in their last six road games, and coupled with the 2-1 victory over Carolina earlier this season, Winnipeg swept the season series with their former Southeast Division rival.

"I thought it was going to look like that, it did, and we were pretty good in the areas we needed to be," said head coach Paul Maurice.

"Very similar to the game we played against Carolina at home. It was a grinder. They put a lot of pucks to the net and compete real hard. We had to be pretty solid in front of our net."

A pinch along the right boards from Joe Morrow kept the puck in the Carolina zone, and Nikolaj Ehlers corralled the loose puck, and flipped a backhand pass to the high slot to Patrik Laine, who quickly fired a shot on goal, lighting the lamp for the 34th time this season.

The goal not only gave the Jets the early lead, but also extended the 19-year-old's point streak to eight games.

"I think we had a pretty good game with our line. We created a lot of scoring chances and there was a couple more chances we could have buried," said Laine. "I think I've just tried to work hard every shift. I think when you work hard, you're going to get rewarded. I think I've been working really hard, and now I'm just getting rewarded."

The Hurricanes would tie it with just under 90 seconds left in the opening frame. Teuvo Teravainen floated one toward the front of the net, and the puck banked off Dmitry Kulikov and past Hellebuyck, extending Teravainen's goal streak to four games.

An early power play as a result of a Sebastian Aho high-sticking penalty gave the Jets a chance to get the lead back, and all it took was five seconds of power play time to do just that.

Mark Scheifele won the draw to Blake Wheeler, who played it back to Stastny. The 32-year-old found Laine on the left side of Cam Ward, and Laine's wrist shot beat Hurricanes goaltender five-hole, putting the Jets back in front 2-1.

It was Laine's 10th goal in his last eight games.

The Jets would make it 3-1 just past the halfway mark of the third, when Ben Chiarot pinched and kept the puck in, and fired a shot that went off the crossbar, redirected off the shoulder area of referee Eric Furlatt, and onto the stick of Stastny, who made no mistake on the rebound.

"I thought Ben would at least look at us, but you know d-men, they see the net and they shoot," said Stastny with a grin. "I just heard it hit the crossbar. Literally I didn't know where it went. I didn't even see it hit the post. Then all of a sudden I realized it was right in front of me.

"It was a good bounce, but one bounce went one way on their first goal. We were unfortunate that they got a good bounce, and then it came back."

Jordan Staal would get Carolina back within one with 4:12 left in regulation, when a rebound off the left pad of Hellebuyck came out to him at the bottom of the right wing circle.

But Hellebuyck stood tall after that, just as he did in the one-goal win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. The biggest one came with under a minute to go, when he went cross-crease to stop a one-timer with his shoulder.

"I think I got over pretty well and was pretty square. It was a pretty good shot. He laid into it," said Hellebuyck, who made 33 saves in the win.

"I thought the guys in front of me were blocking a lot of the key shots, keeping them to the outside, and making my life pretty easy."

Next up on the road trip is a match-up with the New York Rangers on Tuesday. https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-58443003

POSTGAME | Paul Maurice

Head Coach Paul Maurice addresses the media post-game at PNC Arena https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--connor-hellebuyck/t-277437442/c-58442503

POSTGAME | Connor Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck's comments following a 3-2 win over the Hurricanes