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Kyle Connor scores twice as Jets use big third period to beat Golden Knights

Jets 7 Golden Knights 4

Jets 7 Golden Knights 4

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored a pair of goals while Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine each had a goal and two assists as the Winnipeg Jets scored five goals in the third period to propel them to a 7-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.

The teams were tied 2-2 heading into the third when the Jets scored two early power-play play goals two minutes 15 seconds apart to start the offensive attack.

Tyler Myers, Matt Hendricks, Nikolaj Ehlers rounded out the attack for Winnipeg (16-6-4), which won its fifth straight at home. Blake Wheeler tacked on three helpers.

Winnipeg-born forward Cody Eakin, William Karlsson, Erik Haula and Colin Miller scored for the Golden Knights (15-9-1).

Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves for the Jets, whose 36 points puts them in first place in NHL’s Western Conference. Winnipeg is now 8-0-1 in its last nine games at home.

Maxime Lagace stopped 31-of-37 shots for the Golden Knights, who lost a third straight game for only the second time this season.

With 28 seconds left in an Eakin hooking penalty, Myers fired a one-timer from the point through traffic and the puck appeared to tick off someone to beat Legace at 4:49 of the first period.

Eakin made up for it at 12:51 when he batted the puck out of the air past Hellebuyck. Fellow Winnipeg native Brendan Leipsic picked up the primary assist.

Vegas took a 2-1 lead after Nate Schmidt’s shot was tipped into the net by Karlsson for his 14th goal of the season.

Miller had a power-play goal wiped out midway through the second after Jets coach Paul Maurice was successful in challenging a Vegas offside.

Hendricks left the ice briefly after Miller’s skate blade caught him in the face when they got tangled up along the boards, but he returned to tie the game with a high shot over Lagace’s right shoulder at 13:21.

Vegas centre Oscar Lindberg was sent to the box for high sticking with 21 seconds left in the second period.

Connor then scored on the power play 33 seconds into the third and Laine followed up with his power-play goal at 2:48.

Ehlers made it 5-2 at 6:16, but Haula scored 19 seconds later. Scheifele and Miller put in their goals before Connor’s second of the game went into an empty net at 18:52.

Both teams play on Sunday with Winnipeg hosting Ottawa and the Knights go home to meet Arizona.