National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Winnipeg 3, Washington 0
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 21, 2015
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Referees: Graham Skilliter, Brian Pochmara
Linesmen: Michel Cormier, Brian Mach
Attendance: 15016

Jets 3, Capitals 0: Ondrej Pavelec registered his first shutout since Nov. 1 to lift host Winnipeg to its fourth consecutive victory.

Mark Scheifele scored one goal and set up defenseman Mark Stuart's second tally of the season as the Jets snapped their seven-game losing streak against Washington to move four points ahead of Los Angeles for the second wild card in the Western Conference. Adam Lowry scored into an empty net while short-handed and Drew Stafford collected a pair of assists as the Jets remained one point behind wild card-leading Minnesota.

Pavelec made 28 saves to win his season-high fourth straight start and register his 13th career shutout. Counterpart Braden Holtby turned aside 21 shots as the Capitals had their three-game winning streak halted and fell two points behind Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Stafford set up the opening tally with a stop-and-go move down the left side before tossing the puck into the crease - where it squirted off Scheifele to Stuart, who swept it home with 8:14 left in the first period for his first goal since the season opener. Stafford also set up the second tally midway through the middle session, forcing a turnover by Washington defenseman John Carlson in the offensive zone.

Blake Wheeler accepted a drop pass from Stafford and - from behind the net - fed an onrushing Scheifele, who buried a shot from between the hash marks that caromed off the crossbar and in for a 2-0 advantage. Pavelec preserved the lead with a series of spectacular saves in the third period before Lowry put it out of reach.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Stafford has collected three goals and four assists during his five-game point streak. ... Capitals D Tim Gleason (upper body) missed his second game in a row. ... Jets D Dustin Byfuglien and C Bryan Little each sat out their seventh consecutive game. ... Scheifele has registered 13 points in his last 12 contests.
Top Game Performances
 
Washington   Winnipeg
N/A Points Mark Scheifele 2
N/A Goals Mark Scheifele 1
N/A Assists Drew Stafford 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals Adam Lowry 1
Braden Holtby .913 Save Percentage Ondrej Pavelec 1.000
Braden Holtby 21 Saves Ondrej Pavelec 28
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Washington 28 0 0-3 3-3 8 27
Winnipeg 24 3 0-3 3-3 8 22
Upcoming Games
  • Winnipeg will play their next game on the road against Edmonton. The Jets have a W/L % of .459 after a win and .571 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game at home against New Jersey. The Capitals have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .576 after a loss.