Scheifele, Wheeler each scores four points in Jets win against Wild

WINNIPEG -- Mark Scheifele had a hat trick and an assist for the Winnipeg Jets in a 6-3 win against the Minnesota Wild at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday.

"I think we just kind of got our feet under us," Scheifele said. "Sometimes it just takes a little bit to get into the game and you've just got to stick to the plan. We did that. We got our chances. … It's just a matter of sticking with it and not trying to do it all in one shift."
Blake Wheeler had four assists, and Cole Perfetti had a goal and an assist for the Jets (21-18-8). Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves.
"Blake looks like he's back to his old self," Winnipeg coach Dave Lowry said. "He's comfortable with the puck, he's making plays. [Wheeler and Scheifele] have played a lot of games together. They know where each other is going to be. And I really think that [linemate Paul Stastny] has been a very good complementary player with them."
Wheeler (nine points; two goals, seven assists) and Scheifele (eight points; five goals, three assists) have combined for 17 points in the past three games. Scheifele extended his goal streak to five games (seven goals).
"[Wheeler] has been great after the [All-Star] break as well," Scheifele said. "I owe all of it to him, and [Stastny] as well. He's always in the right spot. He's such a smart player, he's so easy to play with. I owe it all with those two guys."

Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello and Dmitry Kulikov scored, and Kirill Kaprizov had two assists for the Wild (30-12-3), who had won 11 of their previous 13. Cam Talbot made 25 saves.
"We didn't like our game right from the start," Minnesota coach Dean Evason said. "We didn't finish checks. We were going a lot of east-west. Winnipeg did a lot of really good things against us, again."
Scheifele tied it 1-1 at 11:20 of the second period, then gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead on the power play at 19:48 with a one-timer from the left face-off circle. He extended the lead to it 3-1 at 1:07 of the third period to complete the hat trick.
"They kind of took over a little bit in the second there," Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski said. "We left Cam out to dry. A couple backdoor goals, breakaway, deflection. It's a 60-minute game. We can't take shifts off and stuff like that, and I think that was the story tonight."
Eriksson Ek gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead at 10:29 of the first period.
"We had a good first period, we looked really good," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. "They keep working there and they're desperate, and that's how they played in that second period. … We've been on a roll and it's been good hockey as of late. We just run into these rivals and sometimes it's tough sledding."
After Scheifele's three goals, Perfetti extended the lead to 4-1 at 2:23 of the third when Nate Schmidt's point shot deflected off of him.
"It's a good feeling," Perfetti said. "A little bit of a lucky one. I guess just go to the net and let it hit you. That one hit my arm. Fortuitous bounce."

Zuccarello cut it to 4-2 at 4:20 with a wrist shot from the left circle.
Kyle Connor made it 5-2 at 10:02, scoring through the five-hole on a breakaway.
"I saw him breaking and I know how fast he is," Perfetti said feeding Connor. "One-on-one with the goalie, there's not too many goalies that are going to stop him. Kind of just get the puck in his hands and let him do the rest."
Kulikov cut it to 5-3 at 16:46 on a rebound from the edge of the crease with Talbot pulled for the extra attacker.
Stastny scored into an empty net at 17:50 for the 6-3 final.
"Give [Winnipeg] credit, they're working for their playoff lives," Foligno said. "Everyone is, and that's just how it's going to be. More emotional, more desperate teams down the stretch with the last little bit of games here. That's the hockey we need to start expecting from ourselves."
NOTES: Two of Minnesota's three losses in its past 14 games have been to Winnipeg; the Jets won 2-0 on Feb. 8. The other loss in that stretch was 4-3 in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 17. … Talbot had won four straight starts. … Foligno had two shots on goal and two hits in 16:40 in his return after serving a two-game suspension for kneeing Jets forward Adam Lowry on Feb. 8. … The Jets finished 2-1-1 against the Wild this season. … It was Hellebuyck's sixth straight start and 19th in Winnipeg's past 20 games. … Jets forward Andrew Copp (undisclosed) left the game late in the third period after a collision with Wild forward Jordan Greenway. There was no update.