Jets extend point streak to 9 with win against Lightning

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets extended their point streak to nine games with a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday.

Morgan Barron had a goal and an assist, and Vladislav Namestnikov had three assists for the Jets (23-9-4), who are 7-0-2 in their past nine games and 11-1-2 in their past 14. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves.

“(We are) just not getting too high and not getting too low,” Namestnikov said. “Just staying steady. We know what it takes and we’re on the same page, so we just have to keep moving.”

Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist, and Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning (18-16-5), who have lost three of four (1-3-0). Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves.

“I think today we played good enough to win,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman said. “For us, we trust in what we have, and we’ve just got to keep believing. That’s the bottom line. Winnipeg has a great record for a reason and a solid team; well-coached, great goaltending. But I think we stood up pretty good and I felt like we could have gotten points out of this one.”

Stamkos gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at 6:18 of the first period, scoring with a one-timer from the top of the left face-off circle.

Neal Pionk tied it 1-1 at 4:44 of the second period, redirecting Brenden Dillon’s point shot from the high slot.

“It’s about time he found me,” Pionk said jokingly of Dillon’s slap pass. “Honestly, we made eye contact in the corner and I said, ‘This might happen,’ and I actually got a piece of it and it went in. I couldn’t believe it.”

Alex Iafallo put Winnipeg in front 2-1 at 9:13 when he collected a rebound in the slot from a Cole Perfetti shot and scored with a wrist shot.

Nikolaj Ehlers extended it to 3-1 at 15:13 of the third period. Vasilevskiy attempted to clear the puck, but it was intercepted by Namestnikov, who set Ehlers up for a one-timer from the hash marks.

“He’s the best in the world, and everyone’s going to make mistakes and he’s the first one to admit [it],” Hedman said of Vasilevskiy. “But we trust him 110 percent, and he’s the best in the world for a reason. He’s proven it year in and year out and everyone is allowed to make mistakes.”

Barron scored an empty-net goal at 17:53 to make it 4-1 before Kucherov scored on a power play with 37 seconds left for the 4-2 final.

The Jets became the third team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to allow three or fewer goals in at least 26 consecutive games, joining the Minnesota Wild (35 games in 2014-15) and St. Louis Blues (27 games in 2011-12).

“The guys have all bought in from day one, that’s what it is,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “It’s just a complete buy-in from everybody. Tonight we were slow out of the gates, there’s no question, they were coming at us. But good teams find a way to win. Tonight wasn’t a Picasso by any stretch early in the game, but when we got our legs going and started to play Winnipeg Jet hockey, when we get committed to that, there’s not a team in this league we can’t beat.”

NOTES: The Jets’ nine-game point streak tied a franchise record, set by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005-06 (6-0-3). … Winnipeg is 10-0-3 against the Eastern Conference this season. … The Lightning played with 13 forwards and five defensemen. They were 2-for-3 on the power play. … The Jets haven’t lost in regulation since Dec. 12, 2-1 against the San Jose Sharks. … Namestnikov has five points (one goal, four assists) on a three-game point streak. He was plus-3 in 16:35 of ice time. … Forward Dominic Toninato had an assist, giving him a point in each of the four games he has played for Winnipeg this season (one goal, three assists).