Winnipeg Jets extend winning streak to four with Devils victory© Getty via AFP
Winnipeg beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night, stretching their winning run to four straight games. Dawson Mercer and Kyle Connor each scored twice, former Devils netminder Nico Daws stopped 19 shots, and the Jets sent New Jersey home with their five-game streak broken. Mark Scheifele picked up an assist on Connor’s first goal, his 550th in franchise history, drawing level with Dale Hawerchuk for second place all-time. Connor Hellebuyck was back in Winnipeg for the first time since his trade to the Devils, though he watched the whole game from the bench.
Jets Build Early Lead, Devils Wipe It Out Fast
After Dawson Mercer opened the scoring at 7:54, Connor doubled Winnipeg’s lead at 15:06 of the first period on a two-man advantage, redirecting Cole Perfetti’s pass past Jake Allen. Scheifele’s assist on the play was the milestone one. By the end of the first, the Jets were up 2-0 and looking comfortable.
New Jersey came out differently in the second. Jesper Bratt scored at 1:14, finishing off a feed from Arseny Gritsyuk behind the net, with Jack Hughes assisting to push his point streak to six games. Forty-four seconds later, Cody Glass deflected Jonathan Kovacevic’s shot past Daws and just like that, it was 2-2. The Devils had levelled within a single minute. For a stretch there, New Jersey had the better of it, feeding off the energy of a road building that had plenty to say about Hellebuyck’s return.
Mercer’s Power Play Goal Settles a Scrappy Third
Neither side gave much away early in the third. Mercer eventually broke through at 11:58, converting on the power play to put Winnipeg back in front 3-2. Connor added the empty-netter unassisted shortly after to close it out at 4-2.
The Hellebuyck storyline had dominated the build-up all week. His first visit back to the city where he spent 11 seasons, won three Vezinas, and became a franchise cornerstone was always going to carry some weight. That he did not play made it a quieter subplot than many anticipated, but the crowd made their feelings known throughout. Winnipeg, for their part, did not get caught up in the noise. Jets head coach Scott Arniel will likely look at this stretch of four wins and point to defensive structure as much as the offensive output. The Jets face the Dallas Stars on Thursday, a road test that will tell a bit more about how real this run is.
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