Jets rout Capitals in G Connor Hellebuyck's triumphant return

Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals and the Jets beat the Washington Capitals 5-1 on Saturday night in Winnipeg.

Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves in his return from arthroscopic knee surgery. Playing his first game since Nov. 15, Hellebuyck carried a shutout into the final minutes.

Vilardi has three goals in his past two games. Morgan Barron and Alex Iafallo scored in their second straight game and Iafallo added an assist for the Jets, who had lost three straight and five of six. Adam Lowry, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey each had two assists.

Jakob Chychrun scored for the Capitals, who saw their nine-game point streak (7-0-2) end. They are 1-1-2 in their past four. Logan Thompson made 30 saves.

Washington went 1-for-5 on the power play; Winnipeg was 1-for-3.

Logan Stanley gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 9:13 of the first period. Morrissey's slap shot from the point bounced off the end boards and out in front, where Stanley batted it past Thompson.

Barron made it 2-0 at 18:53. Lowry carried into the zone and passed across to Barron, who had a step on the Caps defenseman and redirected the puck home.

Iafallo made it 3-0 at 3:39 of the second period when his centering pass from along the left boards deflected off the stick of Washington's Justin Sourdif in the slot and past Thompson.

Vilardi made it 4-0 with seven seconds left in the period, scoring at the left post when he tipped in Connor's backdoor pass across the slot during a power play.

Vilardi made it 5-0 at 11:55 of the third period, completing a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with a one-timer from the left post after a Washington turnover in the defensive zone.

Chychrun spoiled Hellebucyk's shutout bid at 16:32 when he scored on a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from John Carlson during a 5-on-3 power play.

--Field Level Media