Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Michael Hutchinson stopped 20 shots as the Winnipeg Jets posted a 3-1 victory over the faltering Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Drew Stafford and Blake Wheeler posted a goal and an assist, while Michael Frolik also scored for the Jets, who have won two of their last three.
"The effort was outstanding, everyone had a piece of that," said Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice. "I think that game gets won on leadership. Specifically, Ladd, Wheeler and Stuart. The coaches can say whatever they want before the periods and before games, but unless you've got those three guys in the room, you're not getting that."
Ryan Ellis had the only goal of the game for the Predators, who have now dropped six straight and eight of their last 10. Pekka Rinne allowed two goals on 25 shots in the loss.
"It's very frustrating," said Ellis. "It took us a while to lose just two in a row, and now we're six in the hole."
Winnipeg got on the board with 5:06 remaining on the clock in the first period as Andrew Ladd caused a turnover in the neutral zone and skated the puck down the left wing and around a defender before sending it to the front where Frolik one-timed it home.
Nashville tied the game at 10:17 of the second off a faceoff win at the right circle that saw Ellis throw a shot on net that hit off of two players and went in for his sixth of the season.
The Jets, though, answered 35 seconds later as Tyler Myers fired a shot on net from the right circle that Rinne stopped, but the rebound came out to the left side where Wheeler whipped it home.
Hutchinson stopped all seven shots he faced in the third, and Stafford scored into the empty net inside the final minute to seal the outcome.
Game Notes
Nashville plays its next three on the road starting in Arizona on Monday ... Winnipeg continues its four-game road trip in St. Louis on Tuesday ... Both teams were 0-for-2 on the power play.
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