Rookie goaltender leads Jets to shutout victory over Wild

It was the third goal in the past four games for Wheeler, who is among the top 10 in the National Hockey League in points, and was a notable omission from the All-Star Game. Paul Maurice says the defenseman will be re-evaluated tomorrow and he will travel with the team.

Former Gopher Blake Wheeler scored the game’s only goal early in the first period.

Entering Thursday night, Rinne was 1-8-2 with a 3.29 goals-against average in his last 11 road starts. Jets defensemen Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers, who were banged up on Thursday, were OK to play….

“I liked (the game) until the tide turned there in the third period”. The Jets go back to MTS Centre for a six-game homestand that begins Monday against the Avalanche. “The compete was good”.

But, once again, Minnesota got off to a slow start at home, though this time it wasn’t as bad as Tuesday, when Buffalo grabbed a 3-0 first-period lead. Byfuglien handed the hosts a three-goal cushion with a tremendous individual effort, skating from his own side of center down the right boards and around the Nashville net before stuffing the puck in on the wraparound.Ladd recorded his second assist of the game when he sent a long pass to Ehlers for a breakaway goal at 5:38 of the third.

The Jets gave up four goals each in their last three games. The Predators allowed Winnipeg within three points of their quickly loosening hold on the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference at 46 points.

“It was right there for us”. That’s where we’re at right now.

The Predators opened the scoring just 59 seconds after puck drop.

The 19-year-old was Nashville’s first choice, going 11th overall in the first round of the 2014 Entry Draft.

Moments after Mark Stuart and Paul Gaustad went off for fighting, Byfuglien found the equalizer for Winnipeg. At 6:32, Byfuglien barged in from the point, fired a shot at Rinne and then whacked in the rebound to even the score.

Parise has five goals over his last six, though none have come on an anemic power play that’s 0 for 18 over the last nine games and 1 of 26 in the past 14.

The Jets and their 28th-ranked power play were given ample opportunities against the Predators, seeing five chances with the man-advantage. His one-timer re-established his sole possession for the team lead in goals with his 15th. Retired Wild and Minnesota North Stars players had a friendly pickup game on an outdoor rink in downtown St. Paul on Friday evening to promote their upcoming alumni game against retired members of the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the NHL Stadium Series events at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis next month….

The Wild packed up afterward for a Saturday night game at Nashville, starting a stretch of seven out of eight games on the road.