WINNIPEG (AP) - Nikolaj Ehlers took on Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf in Winnipeg’s victory over the Ducks.
The 6-foot, 172-pound Ehlers, known for his quick feet, clashed with Getzlaf, who is 6x-foot-3 and 225 pounds. Both threw a couple punches in the brief, second-period bout.
“Out of character? This is my third fight now,” joked Ehlers, who’s in his fifth NHL season. “I’m a fighter. (Getzlaf) gave me a cross-check after I passed it and then, yeah, I think it was kind of a mutual thing. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Mark Scheifele scored twice, the second on a power play with 4:22 left for his 400th NHL point. He beat goalie John Gibson over the glove for his 13th of the season.
Jets captain Blake Wheeler called Ehlers a “sick man” for taking on Getzlaf.
“What a hell of a job by a little guy,” Wheeler said. “That dude has got some fire in his belly, for sure. That was pretty awesome.”
Jets coach Paul Maurice joked that he sent Ehlers over the boards to take on Getzlaf, then added the Danish player native better keep his gloves on to avoid injury.
“That was foolish, wasn’t it?” Maurice said. “But God bless him, don’t do it again. Ever.”
Adam Lowry also scored, Mathieu Perrault had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves. Winnipeg is 5-1-1 in its past seven games.
Jakob Silfverberg scored his team-leading 11th goal for the Ducks. Devin Shore had his first of the season and John Gibson made 30 saves. Anaheim is 1-3-1 in its last five games.
“I thought he was great,” Shore said about Gibson. “(The Jets) kind of had some pretty serious Grade A’s It’s no secret he’s one of the best in the world.”
NOTES: Gibson missed the past two games with an illness. … Winnipeg is 12-2-2 in one-goal games. … Nick Shore, picked up on waivers from Toronto on Wednesday, made his Winnipeg debut.
UP NEXT
Ducks: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.
Jets: Host Detroit on Tuesday night.
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