Niederreiter scores twice, Jets top Wild to extend point streak to 7

WINNIPEG -- Nino Niederreiter scored two goals, and the Winnipeg Jets extended their point streak to seven games with a 4-2 win against the Minnesota Wild at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

“We know we have to play that style of hockey, and that’s how I feel we play best,” Niederreiter said. “Coming out of the gates, we want to make sure we get pucks in deep and outwork them, but at the same time, we did a lot of good things and tried to help get our team get that win.”

Alex Iafallo and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored for the Jets (21-9-4), who are 5-0-2 during their point streak and 9-1-2 in their past 12. Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves.

“We talk a lot about timely saves and timely goals. We got both today,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “[Hellebuyck] made a lot of timely saves, and that timely goal, the fourth, was huge for us.

“Our 5-on-5 game has really been good all year. Regardless who we play, that’s how we play. ... That grinding style is how we’re going to play our 5-on-5 game.”

Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild (16-14-4), who had their four-game winning streak end. 

Filip Gustavsson made 19 saves through two periods before leaving with a lower-body injury. He was replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury, who made nine saves on 10 shots in his 999th NHL game.

Fleury, who is expected to start in the second game of a home-and-home against the Jets at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday (2 p.m. ET; BSWI, BSN, TSN3), is set to become the fourth goalie in NHL history to play in 1,000 games, joining Martin Brodeur (1,266), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Patrick Roy (1,029).

“I’m looking forward to it and be over with it," Fleury said. "It’s been talked about a bunch, so it will be good. It’s pretty cool to get there, right? But it will be nice to be done with it.

“I think we all agree that it wasn’t our best night tonight. The good thing about it is we can forget about it, and we can play a little bit more like we can.”

Iafallo gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 3:59 of the first period when he one-timed a bouncing puck that caromed in off the left skate of Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon and the left skate of Gustavsson.

“We fell back at times, but we weren’t at our best tonight,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “When you come into a series, we’re going to have to bring our best to win. Tonight I thought there were times where we had it, but we didn’t have it like we normally do, and that’s our objective tomorrow.”

Niederreiter made it 2-0 at 14:38 off a cross-crease pass from Adam Lowry.

“I think that’s where my office is. I like to be in the paint,” Niederreiter said. “I try to get in there as good as possible. It’s always going to create chances.”

Niederreiter then extended it to 3-0 at 6:45 of the second, tipping the rebound of his own deflection past Gustavsson.

“I do try to get, especially in early afternoon games, you want to get yourself involved early and get physical, and try to get a shot off right away and get into the game that way," Niederreiter said.

Hartman cut it to 3-1 with a power-play goal at 10:05, scoring with a one-timer off a cross-crease pass fromMarcus Johansson at the left post. Hartman has scored in four straight games.

“He’s coming on in his game and obviously the points are important for him," Hynes said. "He is a point-producing player, and it’s nice to see him play in a style of game that gives him a chance to be able to do that more regularly. ... I think his game is building and he’s getting rewarded on the score sheet.”

Boldy scored 20 seconds into the third to make it 3-2, burying a shot from the slot off a no-look backhand pass fromKirill Kaprizov from below the goal line. The assist extended Kaprizov's point streak to six games (five goals, five assists), but he left midway through the third period after taking a cross-check to the hip from Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon. 

Jonsson-Fjallby scored from the bottom of the circle at 2:46 for the 4-2 final.

NOTES: Hynes had no update on Kaprizov or Gustavsson after the game. ... Hellebuyck is 7-0-2 with a 1.88 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in his past nine starts. ... Spurgeon played 25:31 in his return after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. … The Jets are 9-1-2 in their past 12 games (outscored opponents 42-22). They have allowed two goals or fewer in 11 of those 12 games, and three goals or fewer in 24 straight games.