By Canadian Press

Barbashev helps Knights beat skidding Jets 4-1

Mar 28, 2024 | 9:03 PM

WINNIPEG — Ivan Barbashev’s pair of late goals propelled the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

Barbashev scored with a high backhand shot past Connor Hellebuyck at 14:31, then followed up with an empty-net marker with 1:45 remaining.

The Jets have lost five straight (0-4-1), matching a season-high skid from late January (0-4-1).

Jack Eichel had an empty-net goal and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for the Golden Knights (40-25-8), who were playing the third contest of a four-game road trip (2-0-1).

Logan Thompson stopped 39 shots for Vegas, which is 7-3-1 in its past 11 games.

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Sean Monahan scored for the Jets (44-23-6) in front of the team’s seventh sellout of the season and third consecutive full house of 15,225 fans at Canada Life Centre.

Hellebuyck made 23 saves in Winnipeg’s second game of a five-game homestand.

Vegas led 1-0 after the first and it was tied 1-1 heading into the third.

A playoff-like intensity kicked in early when Jets towering defenceman Logan Stanley traded punches with mismatched Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar.

A couple minutes later, Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry put a big check on centre William Karlsson.

Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson then tripped Nino Niederreiter, which sparked all skaters to pair up just 6:44 into the first frame.

Winnipeg went on the power play, with Vegas ahead 7-2 on shots on goal. The Jets directed three shots at Thompson, including a one-timer by Mark Scheifele the goalie denied with a pad.

Dorofeyev got the game’s first goal when he fired the puck from inside the circle over Hellebuyck’s glove at 15:56.

Vegas went on the power play 41 seconds later but couldn’t stretch its lead.

Monahan recorded his 23rd goal of the season when he tipped in a Nikolaj Ehlers’ shot at 3:31 of the second.

The Jets had three power plays in the middle frame but couldn’t capitalize.

Winnipeg also had the man advantage seven minutes into the third period and didn’t get a shot on Thompson.

Vegas defenceman Nicolas Hague was then dinged for an illegal check to the head of Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov.

Scheifele responded by fighting Hague and he got an instigator penalty, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute game misconduct with 8:37 remaining. Hague only received an additional five for fighting.

Barbashev rushed the net and threw a high backhand shot that went past Hellebuyck at 14:31, then followed up with an unassisted empty-net marker at 18:15 to give him 18 goals on the season.

Eichel put the puck into an empty net with 34 seconds left for his 25th. 

The Jets finished the game going 0-for-5 on the power play and are now 1-for-21 In their past seven outings. Vegas was 0-for-1.

NOTES

Winnipeg is 4-6-1 in its past 11 games. … The Golden Knights have defeated the Jets in their past six matches. … Dorofeyev has three goals in his past four games for Vegas. … Namestnikov played his 700th career NHL game.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Golden Knights: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press