COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored three goals for his fifth career hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Friday night to stay perfect on the road.
Mason Appleton and Gabriel Vilardi also scored, Josh Morrissey had a power-play goal and an assist, and Ehlers added an assist for Winnipeg, which has won 10 of its first 11 games. Eric Comrie had 20 saves as the Jets improved to 6-0-0 on the road for the best such start in franchise history.
Sean Kuraly scored and Sean Monahan had a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins made 37 saves.
Jets: Scott Arniel returned to Nationwide Arena for the first time as a head coach since being fired by the Blue Jackets in January 2012. His Jets showed Columbus how it’s done, dominating from the opening puck drop and demonstrating why they are atop the NHL standings.
Blue Jackets: Columbus could not answer the faster, nimbler Jets and spent most of the game protecting their zone with limited success, getting outshot in every period and ending up with a 21-shot deficit.
Columbus found momentum when Monahan scored with 3:30 left in the second period, seven seconds into a power-play, cutting the Jets’ lead to 3-2. Ehlers then scored his third goal of the night 2:20 later, and Winnipeg never looked back.
Winnipeg kept its power-play streak alive, scoring with a man advantage in each of its past four games. The Jets have gone a league-best 14 for 31 this season.
The Jets host Tampa Bay Sunday, and the Blue Jackets visit Washington on Saturday.
___
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
