The Winnipeg Jets go up 2-0 in the season series against the Chicago Blackhawks with a hard-fought 2-1 win in Chicago. After winning in St. Louis last night, the Jets grabbed four important points this weekend and find themselves trending upwards again after that disastrous five game road trip.

GAME THOUGHTS:

It was fun because it was 22 vs 22 at 2:22 but Thorburn’s meaningless wrestling match with Jordan Tootoo really accomplished very little. I’m all for fighting when there’s something to fight about, but just dropping the gloves for no apparent reason just mystifies me.
The first period was rather uneventful (other than that tussle) with no goals and only 11 shots on net (Jets led 8-3 in that category).
Things picked up a bit in the second with a marked increase in hits, breakaways, and scoring chances. Alexander Burmistrov tried his soon-to-be-patented stay-down-after-a-hit-in-hopes-of-drawing-a-penalty move again and Patrick Kane walked in alone but to no avail. Breakways by Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry were turned aside by Scott Darling and it was gooseeggs on the scoreboard until Bryan Little scored his third goal in three games on a nifty feed from Byfuglien on the power-play in the final minute of the period.
Andrew Copp put one off the cross bar just past the midway point of the third and it was quickly turned around as Kane set up Panarin for the tying goal. So Copp went back down the ice and buried the winner with less than 5 minutes left.
Three big breakaways (Ehlers, Lowry, Byfuglien) came up empty or the Jets might have run away with this one.
It didn’t end there, though, as Vinnie Hinostroza took a high stick to the face that drew blood, and Jaco Trouba spent the last 2:49 in the box. The ‘Hawks pulled their goalie to go 6-on-4 and poured it on, but the Jets held on for the win!!
Two big weekend wins make the Jets winners of four of five as they head back home to take on the Red Wings and New York Rangers.
Three stars (as per Sportsnet broadcast):