Andrew Copp scored twice in Winnipeg’s four-goal third period to lead the host Jets past the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Saturday night.
Paul Stastny and Mark Scheifele each added a goal and two assists as the Jets beat the Senators for the third consecutive game. The Jets took two road wins from the Senators – 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday and 4-1 on Thursday. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist, Kyle Connor scored a goal and notched an assist, and Blake Wheeler added three assists for Winnipeg.
The Senators got a goal each from Evgenii Dadonov, Brady Tkachuk and Nick Paul. Ehlers opened the scoring with a power-play goal 14:03 into the first period. With Senators defenseman Mike Reilly in the box for tripping, Ehlers ripped a shot from the playoff circle to beat Marcus Hogberg, who made 32 saves on 37 shots in the Senators’ net.
Ottawa got on the board at the 4:04 mark of the second. Paul worked the puck up the neutral zone to Dadonov, who was tripped by Jets defender Derek Forbort. Dadonov maintained enough control of the puck to slip it past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for the tying goal.
Connor restored the Jets’ lead about four minutes later, converting on a pretty passing play, but it didn’t last long.
About three minutes after Connor’s goal, Tkachuk won a battle for the puck on the end boards and dropped it back to Austin Watson, who showed great patience under pressure from the Jets’ defense. Watson dished the puck back to Tkachuk, who tied the score at 2-2.
The Senators moved in front at 14:23 of the second, when Paul skated into the Jets zone and wired a shot that snuck over Hellebuyck’s shoulder.
The Jets ripped off four unanswered goals in the third to finish off the win. At 2:24, Stastny skated into the slot and passed to Copp, who missed on his first try but lifted the puck over a sprawling Hogberg for the tying goal and his first for the 2021 campaign.
Stastny added his first of the season on a power play at the 15:45 mark, firing one from the slot past Hogberg, who had withstood a flurry of shots on the Jets man advantage. Just 70 seconds later, Copp added his second of the night, and Scheifele potted an empty netter with 2:09 left to play.
Hellebuyck stopped 18 of 21 shots.
Meanwhile Eric Robinson scored one goal and set up another, and Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves to help the host Columbus Blue Jackets post a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay lightning on Saturday afternoon. Captain Nick Foligno, Mikhail Grigorenko and defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov and Zach Werenski also scored for Columbus, which earned points for the fourth straight game (2-0-2).
Fourteen players produced at least one point for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 10-3-3 in their last 16 matinee games dating back to November 2016.
Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Copp scores against Ottawa Senators during the third period of their NHL game at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg. (USA TODAY Sports)
