By Canadian Press

Wheeler, Rittich lead Jets past Blackhawks 3-1

Dec 9, 2022 | 8:58 PM

CHICAGO (AP) — Blake Wheeler scored early in the second period, David Rittich stopped 22 shots and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.

Cole Perfetti and Adam Lowry also scored and Josh Morrissey had two assists to help the Jets win for the seventh time in eight games to move back into first place in the Central Division ahead of idle Dallas.

Taylor Raddysh scored midway through the second period as the Blackhawks avoided a third straight shutout. Arvid Soderblom finished with 29 saves in Chicago’s 11th loss in 12 games.

Morrissey regained the team scoring lead with 30 points as the Jets outskated the Blackhawks to a majority of loose pucks, contributing to their 32-23 advantage in shots.

Perfetti took Morrissey’s feed and beat Soderblom from the slot after dancing past defenseman Ian Mitchell with 4:39 left in the first period. It was Perfetti’s sixth of the season.

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Early in the second period, Morrissey set up Wheeler, who slapped a puck between Soderblom’s legs for a 2-0 lead at 56 seconds. It was Wheeler’s ninth.

Raddysh scored his eighth to get the Blackhawks on the scoreboard with just under 9 minutes left int he second with a wrist shot that Rittich couldn’t handle. It ended Chicago’s scoring drought of 169 minutes, 50 seconds.

Lowry capped the scoring with his sixth with 7:35 left in the third.

TINORDI RETURNS

Chicago D Jarred Tinordi came off the injured reserve list an hour before the game, playing a limited number of shifts in the early going, but eventually seeing penalty-killing duty. Tinordi had missed the previous five games with a hip injury.

UP NEXT

Winnipeg: Hosts Washington on Sunday.

Chicago: Hosts Washington on Tuesday.

Tim Cronin, The Associated Press