Kyle Connor scores twice to lead Jets past Blue Jackets

Kyle Connor scored twice as the visiting Winnipeg Jets defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Saturday night.

Mark Scheifele picked up both primary assists for Winnipeg (33-31-12, 78 points). Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves for the Jets.

Ivan Provorov scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets (38-27-12, 88 points), who have lost six straight games. Columbus' Jet Greaves made 23 stops.

The loss prevented Columbus from gaining ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race, leaving them tied with Ottawa, Detroit and Philadelphia, with the Senators holding the tiebreaker for the final wild-card spot on regulation wins.

The victory kept the Jets firmly in the mix for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot.

The Blue Jackets' Mason Marchment outdueled Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg in a battle for the puck in the corner off the rush in Winnipeg's defensive zone and found Provorov open to rip a shot into the net at the 1:17 mark of the first period, giving Columbus an early 1-0 lead.

That lead held through a spirited opening 20 minutes, despite Winnipeg leading 8-5 in shots on goal.

Winnipeg controlled the pace early in the second period before the offense dried up for both teams. In a lengthy 10:53 stretch, neither side registered a shot on goal, from 15:28 remaining down to 4:35 left in the period. Columbus didn't record its first shot on goal of the frame until just 4:16 remained.

The Blue Jackets held their slim advantage until 1:46 was left in the second when Scheifele, from behind Columbus' net, found Connor in his wheelhouse. He buried a wrist shot to tie the game 1-1.

A series of opportunities in Winnipeg's offensive zone led to the Jets grabbing a 2-1 lead with 9:02 remaining in the third period. The goal came when Scheifele collected a rebound along the boards and dished the puck to Connor, who scored his second of the game and 36th of the season which proved to be the eventual game winner.