Mark Scheifele scored his 26th goal of the season, and Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 26 shots as the Winnipeg Jets edged the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Tuesday night, snapping a two-game losing streak.
Scheifele opened the scoring just 1:33 into the game, setting the tone for Winnipeg. The Jets then took control in the second period with goals from Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Koepk,e and Nino Niederreiter, building enough of a cushion to withstand a late Devils push.
Hellebuyck, the reigning NHL MVP and a likely U.S. starter for the upcoming Olympics, rebounded from a rough outing Saturday against Detroit with a steady performance in goal.
New Jersey, meanwhile, dropped its second straight game after opening a recent Western Conference trip with three consecutive wins. The night was also marked by roster upheaval, as veteran winger Ondrej Palat was traded to the New York Islanders before warmups and officially dealt during the first period.
The Devils got goals from rookie Lenni Hameenaho and Jesper Bratt, while captain Nico Hischier scored with 1:46 remaining to pull New Jersey within one. But defensive lapses proved costly, as all four Winnipeg goals came off odd-man rushes — a sharp contrast to the defensive discipline coach Sheldon Keefe had praised earlier in the day.
Jake Allen finished with 22 saves for New Jersey and made several key stops to keep the game close. Devils forward Cody Glass exited early in the second period with an undisclosed injury.
Winnipeg, which entered the night eight points out of the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot, earned just its second win in five games.
Up next
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Jets: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
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Devils: Host the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
