Hellebuyck makes 23 saves, NHL-leading Jets beat Canucks 3-1 for 3rd straight victory

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- — Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves, Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Sunday for their third straight victory.

Mason Appleton gave the Jets a 2-1 lead at 6:24 of the third period, and Cole Perfetti completed the scoring with 7:49 to go.

Pius Suter scored for Vancouver with 1:55 left in the first period. Connor tied it at 9:26 of the second with his 38th goal of the season.

Thatcher Demko made 24 saves for the Canucks.

Takeaways

Canucks: Vancouver lost ground in the wild-card race, finishing 2-2-2 on a six-game trip.

Jets: At 51-19-4, Winnipeg has a three-point lead over Eastern Conference-leading Washington for the top spot in the NHL and a six-point edge over second-place Dallas in the West. The Jets are 28-6-4 at home.

Key moment

Appleton broke a tie in the third off a rebound from close range.

Key stat

Connor reached 90 points for the second time in his career, three points off his career best.

Up next

The Canucks host Seattle on Wednesday night. The Jets are at Los Angeles on Tuesday night to start a three-game trip.

------ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl