Perreault scores twice as Jets cruise past Sharks

Mathieu Perreault scored twice while Matt Hendricks and Marko Dano both lit the lamp once to give the Winnipeg Jets a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday afternoon at the Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

That offense was more than enough to combine with a 31-save outing from goalie Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets (25-11-7) to strengthen their hold atop the National Hockey League's Central Division.

While Perreault was the offensive star with his pair of tallies, the real key to Winnipeg's victory was the performance of the fourth line.

Hendricks, who provided an energy boost by fighting San Jose's Brenden Dillon a couple of minutes into the affair, opened the scoring later in the first period when he beat a pair of defenders for the puck at the Sharks blueline and held off their checks during a partial breakaway before lifting a backhand past San Jose goalie Martin Jones for his fourth goal of the season.

Dano doubled the lead just past the midway point when he tipped Jacob Trouba's point shot for his second goal of the season.

San Jose's Logan Couture put the visitors on the board with a power-play goal late in the second period, but Perreault restored Winnipeg's two-goal edge in the final minute of the middle frame.

Perreault rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter, while Andrew Copp and Tyler Myers both collected a pair of assists for the Jets, who have won five straight at home and are on a 5-0-1 run overall.

The Jets play their next four games on the road, starting with a clash Tuesday at the Buffalo Sabres.

Jones stopped 26 shots for the Sharks (21-13-6), who have just one win in their last five games, a slump they'll have a long time to think about before their next game, Saturday at home against the Arizona Coyotes.

--Field Level Media