Rookie Patrik Laine gets third career hat trick as Jets down Stars
Rookie Patrik Laine gets third career hat trick as Jets down Stars:- Patrik Laine got his third hat trick of the season, including the go-ahead goal late in the third period, to lift the Winnipeg Jets over the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Tuesday night.
The Finnish rookie has 26 goals this season, including two in the third period while Winnipeg blew open a tight game.
Joel Armia and Blake Wheeler also scored to help the Jets snap a four-game skid.
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin scored in the second period for Dallas to erase a two-goal deficit.
Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves in his third straight start for the Jets since Ondrej Pavelec got a lower-body injury on Feb. 7.
Antti Niemi stopped 19 of 22 shots for Dallas.
The victory snapped a five-game home losing streak for the Jets, and Dallas got its sixth loss in its last seven games.
Laine made it 3-2 with 5:07 left in the game, then completed his hat trick just over four minutes later with Winnipeg's second empty-netter.
Laine opened the scoring late in the first period. Mark Scheifele forced a turnover in the Jets' zone and turned it up ice to Andrew Copp, who evaded a sprawling defender and fed Laine for a tap-in goal.
Armia fired a one-timer from the high slot off Shawn Matthias' centering pass as Winnipeg extended its lead at 7:38 of the second.
Dallas cut the lead in half just over a minute later when Benn completed a passing play from Jason Spezza and Seguin for his 19th of the season. With Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers off for hooking, the Stars got the equalizer on the power play at 13:35 of the second when Seguin's low wrist shot from the point found its way through traffic for his 21st.
Wheeler's empty-net goal at 18:12 of the third was his 17th of the season.
Source:- http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2017/02/14/laine-gets-hat-trick-to-lead-jets-over-stars-5-2/97930836/
