Perfetti gets 1st career hat trick, Ehlers reaches 500 career points as Jets beat Utah 5-2

Published Jan. 24, 2025 11:26 p.m. ET

Associated Press

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Cole Perfetti scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2 on Friday night.

Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists to reach 500 points for his career, and David Gustafsson also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 17 saves.

Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah, and Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots.

Perfetti gave Winnipeg a 3-2 when he lifted the puck over a fallen Ingram on a pass from Vladislav Namestnikov at 5:51 of the third.

Ehlers scored on a breakaway with 7:44 left, and he reached the 500-point mark with an assist on Perfetti's empty-net goal that completed his hat trick with 1:45 to go.

Perfetti opened the scoring with a one-timer past Ingram with 2:08 left in the first period.

Utah tied it as Schmaltz deflected Michael Kesselring's point shot past Hellebuyck at 1:13 of the second.

Gustafsson took advantage of a bad bounce off the boards on a shot by Dylan DeMelo that drew Ingram out of position and fired the puck into an open net at 8:48.

Hayton tied it 2-2 at 1:19 of the third.

Takeaways

Utah: Utah relied on Ingram to make many saves as the Jets just kept firing and managed to score on their rare chances. They may have tired in the third after playing in Minnesota on Thursday night.

Jets: Winnipeg came out firing pucks and it paid off with a pair of slumping forwards scoring. They kept the pressure on, even after Utah tied the score early in the third period.

Key moment

Ehlers stole the puck at his own blue line and raced down the ice on a breakaway and beat Ingram by sliding in a backhand with little more than seven minutes left in regulation to give Winnipeg a 4-2 lead.