Winnipeg Jets' Nic Petan is stopped by Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo during second period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, on Oct. 17, 2017.Trevor Hagan/The Canadian Press
Jack Johnson's goal 13:54 into the second period was the eventual winner as the Columbus Blue Jackets extended their winning streak to four with a commanding 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
Cam Atkinson broke open a scoreless game just 36 seconds into the second period for the Blue Jackets (5-1-0), powering ahead of Winnipeg defenceman Jacob Trouba and muscling the puck past Winnipeg goalie Steve Mason.
Nick Foligno, Lukas Sedlak and Zach Werenski had the other goals for Columbus, while Jonas Korpisalo made 24 saves for the win.
Mason returned as starter Tuesday after Connor Hellebuyck backstopped the Jets (3-3-0) to three straight wins. Mason stopped 34 shots.
Forward Kyle Connor, called up just this week from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL to replace an injured Mathieu Perreault, scored first for Winnipeg. Joel Armia added the Jets' second goal, shorthanded, in the final minutes of the game.
The Jets struggled from the opening minutes, losing battles in the corners or centre ice as the puck kept heading back to the Winnipeg net.
Mason kept them in the game until the second period.
After Atkinson broke the dam, the goals came quickly. Foligno swept past the left side of the net to poke his first of the season in past Mason's stick arm at 10:50 to make it 2-0.
Jets fans finally had something to cheer about at 12:30 when Mark Scheifele fed Connor a pass from behind the net and he slammed it past Korpisalo.
Just over a minute later Johnson scored his first of the season on a wrister to the top of the Winnipeg net. Sedlak scored unassisted at 18:11 to make it 4-1 by the end of the second.
Werenski flicked his wristshot past Mason at 12:15 of the third period.
Mason was brought in to give Hellebuyck time to mature but it has been the veteran who has struggled, although Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice has said he isn't getting much help from the Jets' defence. By the end of the second period the Jets had been outshot 27-19.
When they weren't getting beaten in the corners Tuesday night, the Jets were sending the puck onto the sticks of eager Columbus skaters or missing passes from their own teammates.
They had a few solid chances but Korpisalo, with his first win this season, also made few mistakes.
One bright spot for the Jets was their ability to avoid some of the penalties which have cost them dearly this season already. They gave up one power play early and managed to kill it.
Nikolaj Ehlers, an NHL first star this week for his seven points and five goals so far this season, took another late in the third that killed Winnipeg's only chance for a power play since it matched another taken by Columbus forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Armia scored short-handed at 18:23 of the third period on a high sticking penalty to Marko Dano.