Jets beat Blackhawks in shootout, clinch West's top seed

Cole Perfetti scored a nifty goal on his first-career shootout attempt to help the Winnipeg Jets clinch the top spot in the Western Conference with a 5-4 road win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

Winnipeg (55-21-4, 114 points) inched closer to its first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history with the victory, while the Blackhawks (23-46-11, 57 points) lost their seventh game over the past nine (2-5-2). The Jets have two regular-season games left and a five-point edge on the Eastern Conference's top seed, the Washington Capitals (50-20-9, 109), who have three to play.

Josh Morrissey scored twice, Kyle Connor tallied a goal and an assist, while Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves.

Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard both finished with a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Spencer Knight stopped 37 of the 41 shots he faced in Chicago's net.

Hellebuyck came out of his crease to clear the puck while the Jets were on the power play with 9:20 left in the first period, but Nick Foligno blocked the goaltender's clearing attempt and scored to give the Blackhawks the early 1-0 advantage.

Chicago's special teams success continued as Bedard doubled up the Blackhawks' lead just over three minutes later with a power-play marker.

Knight made his best save of the contest with 12:34 remaining in the second period as he dove across to get his pad in front of Alex Iafallo's rebound opportunity.

Nino Niederreiter got Winnipeg on the board with 8:45 remaining in the second as he picked the top corner with his wrist shot.

Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers left the game after going down hard and had to be helped off the ice with 5:34 left in the second period after he got tied up with the linesman.

Connor knotted up the contest with just under four minutes remaining in the second as he perfectly placed his wrist shot under Knight's glove.

Morrissey put the Jets in front just over three minutes into the third period with a point shot.

After watching the puck bounce off the boards, Ryan Donato tied the contest with 9:07 left with a tricky slap shot.

Nazar put the Blackhawks back ahead with 5:55 left as he took a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi and found the back of the net.

Morrissey then doubled up his goal total with 3:48 left as he sent his wrist shot into the top corner to send the contest into overtime.

Niederreiter looked to score the game winner with 26 seconds remaining in overtime, but Knight extended his leg out to send the game to the shootout.

Bedard and Connor scored in the second round and after the Blackhawks' Teuvo Teravainen was high and wide right on a backhand shot, Perfetti scored with a wrist shot.

--Field Level Media