Jets top line powers 6-3 win as Toews faces old club

Winnipeg’s top line dismantled Chicago on Thursday night, the Jets defeating the Blackhawks 6-3 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg to hand former Chicago captain Jonathan Toews his first game against the franchise he led for 16 seasons. The win, on Oct. 30, improved Winnipeg’s record to 8-3 while Chicago fell to 5-4.

The Jets opened the scoring 1:42 into the game when Vladislav Namestnikov finished a sequence set up by Gustav Nyquist and Nino Niederreiter on the power play. Chicago drew even at 8:57 when Teuvo Teravainen converted off an unusual bounce after Connor Hellebuyck left his net to play the puck. Winnipeg’s top trio of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi then took over, combining for nine points on the night as the Jets built a multi-goal lead before the second intermission.

Scheifele and Vilardi were central to Winnipeg’s surge. Scheifele set up Vilardi on a 2-on-1 late in the first and later assisted on Vilardi’s slot one-timer early in the second. Connor added a goal and finished the scoring with a backhand top-shelf goal in the third that closed out the game. Defenseman Josh Morrissey also factored into the scoring, with a point shot that ultimately...