Jets Storm Back to Beat Senators 4-2 on Saturday

It doesn't matter how you start, it's all about how you finish.

On Saturday evening from Canada Life Centre, with Winnipeg Jets exploded for four-straight goals, erasing a 2-0 deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in the first test of a 10-in-11 game stretch at home.

Nikolaj Ehlers put up three points, while Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each recorded a goal and an assist as Connor Hellebuyck earned his league-leading 23rd win of the season.

“We didn’t try to chase it," Scheifele said post-game.

"I think that was the biggest thing. When we got down 2-0, there was still lots of game left. Sometimes you can go and try to chase offence, but we just tried to stick to our game. We knew that if we did the right things over and over, good things would happen. It showed.”

With Neal Pionk serving a phantom tripping minor, Tim Stutzle put the finishing touches on a nifty three-man passing play between he, Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson, making it 1-0 with 13 seconds left in Pionk's minor.

One of only four teams with a better record (8-2-0) in its last 10 games than Winnipeg (7-2-1), Ottawa added another just a few minutes into the second.

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Again, the Senators struck on a power play - this one, a Gabe Vilardi high-sticking double-minor.

Former Brandon Wheat Kings captain Ridly Greig perfectly redirected a long-range Thomas Chabot wrist shot past Connor Hellebuyck, making it 2-0 for the visitors just 4:03 into the frame.

But after what was a sluggish opening frame, Winnipeg seemed to wake up in the middle stanza.

It all started with a goalpost.

Moments after Josh Norris found the iron on a breakaway chance off a give-away, Cole Perfetti found the post himself, bringing fans gathered at Canada Life Centre back into the game.

Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor took over shortly thereafter.

First, it was Scheifele finding his linemate Connor alone in the slot from behind the net, who made no mistake one-timing it past Sogaard, cutting the deficit to one goal.

Then, catching the Senators on a back neutral zone transition, Scheifele cut in on a breakaway, bobble the puck, re-collected it and put the puck into the net on his backhand, knotting the score at twos.

“It’s the Christmas month, so you’ve got to enjoy it," Scheifele laughed about his strong December. "But it’s been great, obviously. Just happy to play with the guys I play with; they are just absolutely fantastic. We just have to keep it going. Tonight is over past 12:00, and then we have to shift our focus towards Nashville.”

Ottawa did outshoot Winnipeg 10-6 in the frame and remained atop the Jets 18-15 through 40 minutes of play, but the game was tied at twos entering the third.

Once again, things got going for the Jets off a couple goal posts. This time, it was Vlad Namestnikov that hit the post on a shorthanded two-on-one with Kyle Connor, before Gabe Vilardi found iron a few moments later during a lengthy stretch of Jets action in the Ottawa defensive zone.

Sogaard ended up taking a tripping penalty, sending Winnipeg to a mid-period power play. Vilardi cashed in on a perfect passing play, making it 3-2 Jets with half a period to go.

Less than two minutes later, Logan Stanley found Ehlers all alone, who simply walked into the Ottawa zone and and ripped home a wrist shot, sealing the deal on a 4-2 victory.

"We knew our forecheck, if we got on it, we were going to get opportunities," head coach Scott Arniel said. "You saw it with Scheif’s line, they went out and did it on the first goal, us getting in and making the plays, KC finding that hole in the high slot. The next one was a nice play by Fly there, tipping that one in for Scheif with speed. Just staying in the game more than anything. I thought our second period was real good after not really being at our best for the whole 20 in the first.”

Hellebuyck turned aside 34 of the 36 Ottawa shots he faced, while Sogaard made just 19 stops on the 23 Jets pucks fired his way.

Next up for Winnipeg is another home test against the Nashville Predators on Monday evening.