Winnipeg sets franchise record with 53rd victory; St. Louis remains in West wild-card lead
Blues at Jets | Recap
WINNIPEG — The St. Louis Blues’ franchise record 12-game winning streak ended with a 3-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Monday.
It was the longest winning streak in the NHL this season, surpassing the Jets, who won 11 straight from Jan. 22-Feb. 27.
Alex Iafallo, Morgan Barron and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (53-21-4), who set their franchise record for wins in a season. Connor Hellebuyck made 14 saves.
Winnipeg extended its lead to five points over the Dallas Stars for first in the Central Division and Western Conference and to three points ahead of the Washington Capitals for the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the NHL. The Stars lost 3-2 in overtime against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
Pavel Buchnevich scored, and Joel Hofer made 23 saves for the Blues (43-29-7), who remain two points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Iafallo broke a 1-1 tie at 7:05 of the third period. Kyle Connor stickhandled through the Blues zone and was stopped by goaltender Joel Hofer in the slot, allowing Iafallo to jam in the rebound at the edge of the crease to make it 2-1.
Lowry scored an empty-net goal for the 3-1 final at 19:51.
Barron made it 1-0 Jets at 2:34 of the second period. Barron broke up a pass from Blues forward Mathieu Joseph at the Jets blueline, then held off Joseph’s check on a partial breakaway and scored with a shot that beat Hofer low stick side.
Buchnevich tied it 1-1 at 7:27 with a one-timer in the slot after Robert Thomas found him with a centering pass from behind the net.
Thomas has 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) on a nine-game point streak.
Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers did not play due to a lower-body injury.
