Barron scores, Hellebuyck perfect as Winnipeg Jets beat Sharks 1-0

A referee calls off the San Jose Sharks goal against the Winnipeg Jets during second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

The bad news for the Winnipeg Jets is that they are still struggling to score goals.

The good news is that, on Wednesday night against San Jose, it didn’t matter as they knocked off the Sharks 1-0 for their second straight win.

At the first media timeout, the Jets had yet to register a shot on goal while the Sharks had four, but from that point on, Winnipeg dominated the opening period, outshooting the Sharks 15-0 and earning the game’s first goal.

Not long after Winnipeg failed on a power play chance, Neal Pionk sent the puck on goal. It was deflected en route by Adam Lowry before bouncing off the glove of Morgan Barron and past Kaapo Kahkonen with 2:13 to go in the first.

Winnipeg got a second power play chance just ten seconds into the middle frame but once again they came up empty, generating just one shot as they are now 1-for-32 on the power play in their last 11 contests.

The penalty kill got the job done a few minutes later, earning better chances to score than the Sharks did during the two minutes Cole Perfetti spent in the box.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the period with Winnipeg dominating on the shot clock again 16-8, but the best chance belonged to the Sharks.

After Mikael Granlund was denied on the doorstep, Connor Hellebuyck lost track of the puck near the crease. Anthony Duclair whacked the puck toward the net and it cleared Hellebuyck’s pad but Mark Scheifele got in behind the Jets’ goalie to block the shot, swiping the puck to the corner with his glove after the puck hit the ice.

More on Sports

Officials reviewed the play to ensure the puck never crossed the goal line and the call on the ice was confirmed, keeping Winnipeg’s 1-0 lead intact heading to the final period.

San Jose pushed hard for the equalizer to start the third but Winnipeg weathered the storm and locked things down for much of the period.

Winnipeg couldn’t find an insurance marker either as the game stayed 1-0 into the final minute before the Sharks pulled Kahkonen for the extra attacker, but they couldn’t muster much before the final horn sounded.

Hellebuyck stopped 17 shots to earn his third shutout of the season while Kahkonen turned aside 38 shots in a hard-luck defeat.

Despite the win, Winnipeg has now gone eight games in a row without scoring more than two goals, scoring only nine goals in that timespan and just 15 in their last 12 games.

The Jets will try to extend their win streak to three games Saturday night when they visit the NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks.