Jets Get a Little Breathing Room Over Ducks

After limping through a one-victory-in-eight-game slump that let the rest of the Western Conference back in the playoff race, Winnipeg has suddenly found its legs again.

Keith Tkachuk scored one goal and assisted on both others Wednesday night for the Jets, who got standout goalkeeping from Nikolai Khabibulin in a 3-1 victory over Colorado at Denver.

The win was the second in a row and third in the last four games for Winnipeg, and the first over the Avalanche in four games this season.

The loss had Colorado Coach Marc Crawford angry.

“There wasn’t any emotion,” he said. “When you play like that you cheat everybody--you cheat your teammates and the fans.”

Dallas Drake and Igor Korolev scored a goal each for the Jets, who opened a four-point lead over the Ducks for the final playoff spot in the West.

Winnipeg led, 1-0, after the first. Tkachuk fed Drake with a bouncing puck, and Drake slid the puck home at 12:34.

“It helped us get going,” Tkachuk said. “We are in a race for the playoffs and I’m determined not to sit home for a third straight year.”

OTHER GAMES

Sergei Fedorov scored his 35th goal as the Red Wings beat Buffalo, 4-2, at Detroit, stretching their unbeaten streak to 12 games and beating the only team they hadn’t beaten this season. . . . Tim Sweeney’s second-chance goal--the first try was turned back by goalie Sean Burke--with 1:59 to play in overtime gave Boston, which is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games, a 6-5 victory in Hartford. . . . Mike Richter stopped 25 shots to give the Rangers a 3-0 victory over Florida in New York and end a nine-game winless streak at home (0-5-4). . . . Michal Pivonka’s power-play goal with 46 seconds to play in overtime and Jim Carey’s eighth shutout of the season gave Washington a 1-0 victory at Montreal. . . . Eric Desjardins broke a 2-2 tie early in the third period to lead Philadelphia to a 4-2 victory at Ottawa. . . . Gary Roberts scored only 1:05 into the game to give the Flames a 1-0 victory over Chicago at Calgary. . . . Doug Gilmour had two goals to lead Toronto to a 6-2 victory at Vancouver.