WINNIPEG — Jack Roslovic is glad he's a quick healer.
The Winnipeg forward had his first NHL career hat trick as the Jets scored a franchise-record six goals in the first period on their way to a 9-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Roslovic had left the morning skate because of cramps and was a game-time decision, but the third-year pro pumped in three goals on the power play and added an assist.
"Went off the ice there in the early morning skate, but I guess I toughed it out," said Roslovic, adding he warmed up his body in the gym. "I guess things like that happen."
Bryan Little scored twice and had one assist. Andrew Copp, Blake Wheeler, Brendan Lemieux and Tyler Myers also had goals for Winnipeg (34-16-2), which has won three straight and seven consecutive games at home.
The nine goals set a franchise record for most goals scored in a game at home and tied the franchise record for most goals scored in a game.
"It feels like we haven't been playing our best hockey here and at some points, it's been a bit of a lull," Copp said. "So we give our fans something to cheer about early in that first and get them into the game right away."
Nick Ritchie, Daniel Sprong and Devin Shore scored for the Ducks (21-22-9), who've lost three straight and were beginning a five-game road trip.
Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves for the Jets and was credited with an assist in the second game of a three-game homestand.
John Gibson only stopped eight of the 14 shots he faced before being pulled after Lemieux's goal at 17:41 of the first period made it 6-0. Chad Johnson made 14 saves in relief.
"Our personnel has to understand what happened tonight is unacceptable and we're going to hold some people accountable to the way that they're playing," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "With ice time. They're gonna sit in the stands. You know there are various ways to do it, but you know it's one of those things that I never expected us to perform like we did tonight with the group that we have coming off of a nine-day break.
"I figured we would have a little bit of a lull, that we would get our feet underneath us, but we didn't initiate enough and didn't get involved enough in the hockey game to even be satisfied."
Anaheim welcomed three players back from injury. Corey Perry made his season debut after undergoing knee surgery on Sept. 26. Patrick Eaves had been out 33 games because of a broken rib and Jakob Silfverberg had missed four games with a hamstring injury.
But before Anaheim even had a shot on goal in the first period, Copp scored at 2:07 and Roslovic made it 2-0 with his first of the game at 5:26.
Wheeler, Little, Roslovic and Lemieux added four more goals between 12:04 and 17:41.
Gibson was beat by a variety of shots: from a Roslovic breakaway, a Wheeler rebound, a Lemieux wraparound and a two-on-one with Little and Dmitry Kulikov, who was playing in his 600th NHL game.
"To give up six in the first period. Unacceptable," Perry said. "We as a team have to be better, have to be better in front of (Gibson).
Myers made it 7-2 when he redirected an Appleton pass into the net at 14:42 and Roslovic caused hats to rain down from the stands with his third goal with 21 seconds remaining in middle frame.
Little and Shore finished off the scoring in the third period.
Winnipeg hosts San Jose on Tuesday and Anaheim plays in Toronto on Monday.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
