Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele each had a goal and an assist and the Winnipeg Jets scored three times in the second period, then held on for a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday in Newark, N.J.
Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves, including 14 on 15 shots faced in the third period, as the Jets improved to 6-2-2 in their past 10 games. Winnipeg’s Cole Koepke and Nino Niederreiter also scored, and Kyle Connor notched two assists.
Jesper Bratt scored and assisted on Nico Hischier’s goal with 1:46 remaining that got the Devils within one. Lenni Hameenaho also tallied and Jake Allen turned aside 22 shots for New Jersey, which has lost two straight after winning five of six.
Winnipeg wasted no time opening the scoring just 1:33 into the contest. Catching the Devils in a line change, Vilardi got the puck to Connor, who sent it for Scheifele to convert.
However, Winnipeg’s own careless passing allowed New Jersey to tie it at 8:02 of the first. The Devils’ Arseny Gritsyuk corralled the puck off a lazy collection attempt by the Jets’ Logan Stanley, then got it to Hameenaho, who broke free and beat Hellebuyck for his second career goal in his fifth game.
The Jets regained the lead 3:23 into the second period, via the same trio that orchestrated their first goal. This time, the play ended with Vilardi’s sizzling wrister from the left circle.
Winnipeg made it 3-1 a little more than four minutes later. Alex Iafallo sent the puck toward the net from side boards, and a crashing Koepke was there to pounce and get it by Allen for his second goal in two games.
With 3:18 remaining in the middle frame, the Jets’ Vladislav Namestnikov got the puck to Niederreiter, who came through via a 2-on-1 rush.
New Jersey got a goal back with 36 seconds remaining before the second intermission. On a power play, Bratt tipped in Jack Hughes’ pass.
Earlier Tuesday, the Devils announced the trade of struggling veteran forward Ondrej Palat, plus two draft picks, to the rival New York Islanders for winger Maxim Tsyplakov.
–Field Level Media
