Rittich helps Jets defeat Blackhawks for fourth straight win

CHICAGO --The Winnipeg Jets won their fourth straight game, 3-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Friday.

David Rittich made 22 saves, and Josh Morrissey had two assists for the Jets (18-7-1), who have won seven of eight, including 5-2 at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
"We've been good on the road. Tough one last night, and then to come in here, you knew that they were going to jump on us," Winnipeg associate coach Scott Arniel said. "But we really liked our first period, been preaching all year, no excuses. Just put the work in and the results will come."
Arvid Soderblom made 29 saves for the Blackhawks (7-15-4), who have lost 11 of 12 (1-10-1).
"He's working his [butt] off in there and backdoor saves left and right," Chicago defenseman Seth Jones said of Soderblom. "We're obviously giving up too many chances. Your goalie's got to make timely saves for you, but we've got to do a little bit better job.
"He's part of this team, and he's a guy that's never going to complain or show his emotion. He's a pretty low-key guy, you're not going to get a lot out of him, but that's what is good about him. He's even-keeled to the good and the bad. We always give him pats on the back and things like that when necessary."

Cole Perfetti gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 15:21 of the first period. Morrissey kept the puck in at the blue line and passed to Perfetti, who scored on a wrist shot from the slot.
Blake Wheeler scored 56 seconds into the second period to make it 2-1, tipping in a shot from Morrissey from the high slot on the power play.
Taylor Raddysh pulled Chicago to within 2-1 at 11:04 from the slot off a shot from the left point by Philipp Kurashev.
It was the Blackhawks' first goal in 152:18, dating to the third period of a 5-2 win at the New York Rangers on Saturday. They had been shut out in each of the past two games.
"Kurashev and Raddysh have had a good working relationship, whether it's [Jonathan] Toews or [Max] Domi, or whoever's at center," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "So they seem to have a little bit of chemistry and find each other. Raddysh, to his credit, has really played hard this year. He's been harder on his stick as of late. He's getting rewarded. I think that's got to be infectious on our whole team. We've got to see that and start to duplicate that."
Adam Lowry scored at 12:25 of the third period for the 3-1 final.
"It's good," Lowry said. "You come into a back to back, you're not sure how the legs are going to be. I think getting in early last night helped. Travel wasn't too bad. I felt like we had a pretty good first period again, similar to St. Louis. [Rittich] made some big saves. That was a big power-play goal to start the second."

Richardson said the Blackhawks need better starts to their games.
"Probably somewhere in the second period, I thought we started to control some pucks in the O-zone a little bit, not enough pucks at the net, but at least we had some control and puck possession," he said. "Definitely the first period was not what we talked about for a couple days here. We wanted to get out fast on a team that played [Thursday] night.
"Make it difficult for guys like Morrissey, and we didn't touch anybody all night until maybe a little bit in the second period and the third period with some desperation. When you're playing from behind, it's definitely taxing, and we've done it way too much of late."
NOTES: Jets defenseman Logan Stanley did not return after losing his balance and falling into the boards at 16:29 of the first period. Arniel said Stanley sustained a lower-body injury and would be evaluated Saturday in Winnipeg. … Jets forward Saku Maenalanen missed the game with an upper-body injury sustained in St. Louis. He will be evaluated Saturday. … Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi, who had missed five games with a hip injury, was cut in the face by a skate in the first period but returned to the game. Richardson said Tinordi would be monitored for infection. Tinordi replaced Caleb Jones, who was scratched because of a muscle that tightened, Richardson said. … Morrissey has 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) in 26 games, the fastest a defenseman in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history has reached 30 points. Morrissey also set a franchise record for fewest games by a defenseman to get 25 assists. … Winnipeg forward Kyle Connor has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in his past nine games. … Wheeler has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in his past 10 games. … Winnipeg forward Pierre-Luc Dubois had his seven-game point streak end (five goals, seven assists). … Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty was minus-1 in 13:00 after missing six games with an upper-body injury.