Jankowski scores as Carolina Hurricanes beat Winnipeg Jets 3-2 for seventh straight win

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

WINNIPEG — Mark Jankowski extended his goal streak to six games and the Carolina Hurricanes rolled to their seventh consecutive win, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

Nikolaj Ehlers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the Hurricanes, who received 22 saves from goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. Carolina improved to a 7-1-1 record, while Shayne Gostisbehere added two assists in the victory.

For Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo scored. Clay Stevenson made 34 saves for the Jets, who slipped to a 4-2-2 record and have lost three of their past four games, going 1-2-1 over that stretch.

Ehlers provided the go-ahead goal for Carolina in the third period, scoring his first goal of the season at 6:43 on the power play. He beat Stevenson with a slap shot from the high slot.

The Jets struck first at 4:23 of the second period when Scheifele scored to make it 1-0. The play started with a Carolina turnover in the Hurricanes zone, and Scheifele then beat Kochetkov with a backhand.

Carolina tied the game at 1-1 at 8:19 of the second period on Jankowski’s power-play goal. He finished a shot from the low slot, continuing a hot run that has produced six goals in nine games this season after 11 goals in 68 games last year.

Iafallo put Winnipeg in front 2-1 at 10:59 of the second period, scoring after Adam Lowry stole the puck from Kochetkov. With Kochetkov out of the net to play the puck, Lowry set up Iafallo for a tap-in.

Kotkaniemi evened the score for Carolina at 16:50 of the second period, tipping a Gostisbehere point shot to make it 2-2 as the game headed toward the third.

With the win, the Hurricanes sustained their early-season surge and remained on a seven-game run, while the Jets continued to struggle for results in recent games despite Stevenson’s high save total.