WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) 鈥� Nikita Chibrikov scored the game-winner in his NHL debut and Cole Perfetti added two goals as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 Thursday night in the regular-season finale for the playoff-bound teams.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like the dream, which you start from the first steps on the ice and live with this every day,鈥� said Chibrikov, who was called up from the American Hockey League鈥檚 Manitoba Moose earlier Thursday.
The victory produced some notable accomplishments for Winnipeg.
The Jets finished the regular season giving up 199 total goals, the fewest in the league and one less than the Florida Panthers, to earn the William M. Jennings Trophy for the first time.
鈥淕ive the players credit,鈥� Jets head coach Rick Bowness said. 鈥淭he players have to go on the ice and do it, and they have to go out there every night and be committed to it.鈥�
The Jets also extended their win streak to eight games, tying the franchise record. Their 52 victories (52-24-6) also matched the franchise record for wins in a season with the 2017-18 squad.
Winnipeg鈥檚 110 points secured second place in the Western Conference behind Dallas and home-ice advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs against teams other than the Stars.
Gabe Vilardi also scored for the Jets, who won won two of the three games against the Canucks this season. Laurent Brossoit made 18 saves for his 15th win of the season in his 23rd game.
Conor Garland had a goal and assist for the Canucks (50-23-9). Elias Lindholm added a power-play goal.
Thatcher Demko stopped 22 of 25 shots in his second straight start in net for Vancouver after returning from a 14-game absence because of a knee injury.
鈥淭hatcher is the last guy I鈥檓 worried about,鈥� Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes said. 鈥淗e made some massive saves tonight and he鈥檚 going to make some big saves throughout the (playoff) series.鈥�
The Canucks had their two-game win streak halted and closed out their last five games with a record of 3-1-1.
Both clubs rested players as they prepare for the first round of the playoffs.
The Jets were without top-line forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, as well as star defenseman Josh Morrissey and starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck. The Canucks sat forwards J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser.
Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet said his team鈥檚 play wasn鈥檛 bad.
鈥淕ot to move on,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow the big time. The big prize now is playing on Sunday.鈥�
UP NEXT
Canucks: Will host the Nashville Predators in the opener of a first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Jets: Will host the Colorado Avalanche in the opener of a first-round playoff series on Sunday.
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AP NHL:
The Associated Press
