Tyler Toffoli of the Winnipeg Jets is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal during the third period of the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on March 17 in Columbus, Ohio.Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Tyler Toffoli scored twice and added an assist, leading the Winnipeg Jets past the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-1 on Sunday night.
Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist, and Kyle Connor, Logan Stanley and Vladislav Namestnikov also scored. Sean Monahan added two assists and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 shots for the Jets, who pulled even with the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche atop the Central Division.
Brendan Gaunce scored and Elvis Merzlikins stopped 21 shots for Columbus, which has lost four of its past five, including three out of four at home. The Blue Jackets remain last in the Metropolitan Division.
Connor got Winnipeg on the board on the game’s first shot, a wide-open wrister from the slot with 1:26 elapsed. Mark Scheifele’s primary assist gave him 40 on the season for the sixth time in his career.
Winnipeg then used a four-goal second period to break open the game, scoring early and often.
Ehlers made it 2-0 at 1:10 before Toffoli followed up at 9:45 with his third goal in two games since being acquired from the New Jersey Devils.
An unassisted goal from Stanley at 12:00 and Namestnikov’s score at 18:24 gave Winnipeg a 5-0 lead after 40 minutes.
In the third period it was the Blue Jackets who scored early, with Gaunce making it 5-1 39 seconds after the puck dropped, in his fourth game since being called up from AHL Cleveland. Winnipeg thought it padded the lead at 4:34, but Morgan Barron’s goal was waived off for a high stick.
Toffoli completed the scoring with his second goal at 17:34 of the third.
The win is the Jet’s second in a row and kicks off a five-game road trip.
The Jets visit the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.