Winnipeg Jets' Andrew Ladd (3rd L) celebrates his second period goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with teammates Nik Antropov (L) and Kyle Wellwood (not pictured) during their NHL hockey game in Winnipeg December 31, 2011. REUTERS/Fred GreensladeFred Greenslade/Reuters
Zach Bogosian and Blake Wheeler were happy to take advantage of the Toronto Maple Leafs' weak spot.
The Winnipeg Jets' duo both scored on the power play in a 3-2 victory over the Leafs on Saturday that extended their winning streak to three games.
Toronto was ranked 30th in the NHL in penalty killing heading into the game, which was its third straight loss.
Wheeler said his team's special teams were just that in a game the Jets (19-14-5) used to break a tie with the Leafs (18-15-5).
"There's going to be games where we need our power play to win us a game. It did tonight," said Wheeler, who's on a five-game points streak with three goals and four assists.
"Well, I shouldn't just say the power play won us the game. Our penalty kill was huge, too, especially in the third period."
Winnipeg is 14th in the league on the penalty kill.
The Jets, who got a loud standing ovation from the crowd, finished the game 2 for 6 with the man advantage and the Leafs were 1 for 3.
"That's what's going to win you hockey games in the NHL," Bogosian said.
"We've got to make sure we're capitalizing on special teams."
Andrew Ladd scored Winnipeg's other goal against netminder James Reimer, a native of Morweena, Man., who faced 35 shots.
Clarke MacArthur and Phil Kessel notched goals for Toronto, which sent 24 shots at Ondrej Pavelec.
Reimer had snagged some tickets for family and friends, who travelled from the tiny town of under 200 people about two hours north of Winnipeg.
"I come from a really close-knit community and close-knit family," Reimer said. "To have a lot of those people in attendance watching, it made the game special.
"The outcome really sucks, but it was fun to play in front of friends and family."
Jets winger Antti Miettinen, claimed on waivers from Tampa Bay on Dec. 13, picked up two assists for his first points with his new club.
Dion Phaneuf had a pair of assists for the Leafs.
Despite not getting their first shot on net until seven minutes into the game, the Leafs finished the first period with a 1-0 lead on MacArthur's power-play goal.
Ten seconds after Ladd was put in the penalty box for high-sticking, Phaneuf made a pass to fellow blue-liner Carl Gunnarsson. Gunnarsson then sent the puck across the crease to MacArthur, who caught Pavelec out of position at 13:59 for his 11th goal of the season.
The Jets outshot the Leafs 15-8 in the opening period and 13-4 in the second.
Winnipeg jumped out to a 2-1 lead early in the second on goals by Bogosian and Ladd.
Bogosian got things going when he scored on the power play at 2:51. Then just four seconds after a Toronto penalty expired, Ladd tapped in a Kyle Wellwood pass from behind the net to make it 2-1 at 5:26.
Toronto's top sniper quickly made it 2-2 when Pavelec couldn't grab Kessel's shot with his out-stretched glove at 7:07. It was Kessel's 21st of the season.
Wheeler broke the tie on a power play at 10:50 when a screened Reimer couldn't make the stop.
The Leafs doubled their shots on goal in the third period, but Pavelec held the line in his 32nd start of the season.
The Jets, who only play four games at home in January, hit the road for a four-game road trip that starts Wednesday in Montreal.
The Leafs host their next four games, beginning with Tampa Bay on Tuesday and Winnipeg on Thursday.
Notes: Jets forward Bryan Little (lower body) was placed on injured reserved earlier in the day. ... Winnipeg defenceman Dustin Byfuglien missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury.