Wheeler’s 4 goals power Jets over Blue Jackets 5-2

Niku got his first goal of the year and the second of his career, a snipe over Bobrovsky’s glove from the point 2:21 into the game. Foligno evened the score for Columbus later in the period on a power play, batting in a rebounded puck from the doorstep.

Wheeler made it 2-1 Jets when he redirected Dimitry Kulikov’s point shot past Bobrovsky 35 seconds into the second period. Jones rifled in a slap shot from the top of the right circle later in the second for the Blue Jackets to tie the game again.

Wheeler, who has 12 points in a six-game points streak, was credited with his second deflection goal of the night 7:44 into the third.

NOTES: Jets F Adam Lowry served the first of a two-game suspension for high-sticking Nashville’s Filip Forsberg on Friday. He was replaced by Par Lindholm, who made his Jets debut after being acquired in a trade with Toronto on Feb. 25. … The Blue Jackets’ lineup saw a shake-up after the 4-0 loss to Edmonton on Saturday with F Alexander Wennberg, F Lukas Sedlak and D Dean Kukan in. Scratched were F Riley Nash, F Eric Robinson and D Adam McQuaid. … Hellebuyck returned after missing a game because of illness. … Kulikov and Columbus’ Nick Foligno squared off and traded bare-fisted punches in the second period. … Columbus plays 11 of its 17 remaining regular-season games on the road. They were 2-3 on the five-game homestand.

UP NEXT:

Winnipeg: At Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Columbus: At New Jersey on Tuesday.

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Follow Mitch Stacy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mitchstacy

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Wheeler’s 4 goals power Jets over Blue Jackets 5-2

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