Winnipeg Jets vs San Jose Sharks Match Player Stats On Dec 20, 2018

Nikolaj Ehlers scored three goals, including the go-ahead tally at 16:53 of the third period, as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the host San Jose Sharks 5-3 Thursday night.

Dustin Byfuglien and Mason Appleton also tallied for the Jets, who have won six of their past seven games. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves.

Evander Kane, Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi scored for the Sharks, who had their season-high, five-game winning streak snapped. Martin Jones stopped 20 shots.

Two of Ehlers' goals came with Jones out of position and the third, with 1:00 left, was awarded by the referee when Ehlers was hauled down by Pavelski at the San Jose blue line on a breakaway with the goalie pulled.

The winner came after a turnover in the San Jose end. Mark Scheifele took a pass from Blake Wheeler, deked Jones to the left of the net and skated the puck around the back before sending a pass out front for Ehlers, who hammered it in while Jones was still out of the crease.

Ehlers tied the score at 2-2 at 12:32 of the first. A dump-in took a strange bounce off the end boards as Jones skated behind the net to stop the puck. The puck ricocheted into the slot, where Ehlers was there to capitalize.

After the Jets took a 3-2 first-period lead, the Sharks tied it on Donskoi's goal at 19:54 of the second, sending the teams into the third period tied.

The Jets took the lead just 51 seconds into the game on a breakaway goal by Byfuglien.

The Sharks tied it 45 seconds later as Kane took a pass from Thornton, skated in on a two-on-one break and beat Hellebuyck with a forehand shot. It was the 1,040th assist of Thornton's career, tying him with Marcel Dionne for 10th place on the NHL's all-time list.

San Jose took its first lead on Pavelski's power-play goal at 11:27. Kevin Labanc's shot from the right faceoff circle deflected off Pavelski's leg and into the net. It was Pavelski's 22nd goal of the season, tying the total he had in 82 games last season.

After Ehlers' fluke score, the Jets regained the lead at 13:44 on Appleton's first NHL goal. The Wisconsin-born rookie was playing in his 11th career game.

--Field Level Media