Jets rally past Devils in shootout
NEWARK, N.J. -- Rookie sensation Patrik Laine scored the only goal of the shootout Tuesday night as the Winnipeg Jets rallied past the New Jersey Devils for a 4-3 victory at the Prudential Center.
Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist for the Jets, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves through regulation and overtime.
Cory Schneider stopped 33 of 36 shots for the Devils, including a pair of game-saving stops on Nikolaj Ehlers and Dustin Byfuglien in the five-minute overtime period.
Trailing 3-2 entering the third period, the Jets pulled even at 2:40 on Joel Armia's third short-handed goal of the season, a stunning individual effort and unassisted score. It marked the league-high-tying 11th short-handed goal allowed by the Devils this season.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 23rd goal of the season, off the rush, just 53 seconds into the game to give Winnipeg a quick 1-0 lead. However, Beau Bennett and Taylor Hall scored four minutes apart later in the first period to give the Devils a 2-1 advantage.
Bennett netted his sixth goal of the season by diving headlong into the Jets' crease to poke a loose puck over the goal line at 8:10. Hall, sprung by Travis Zajac's pass, then scored his 19th goal of the season, beating Hellebuyck on a breakaway at 12:07.
The Jets took 15 of the first 18 shots in the second period, but the Devils still extended their lead to 3-1 when Stefan Noesen charged to the net to convert a Blake Pietila pass at 15:27.
Just 69 seconds later, Wheeler deflected a Julian Melchiori shot past Schneider for his 23rd goal of the season, cutting Winnipeg's deficit to one. The assist was Melchiori's first point in the NHL.
NOTES: Earlier Tuesday the Devils signed free agent D Michael Kapla from UMass-Lowell. Kapla did not play, but is on the Devils roster for the remainder of the season. ... The Devils scratched D Jon Merrill, LW Michael Cammalleri (upper body), C Jacob Josefson (upper body), and RW Devante Smith-Pelly (lower body). ... Jets D Jacob Trouba recorded his 100th career point, assisting on the first-period goal by Nikolaj Ehlers. ... The Jets scratched G Ondrej Pavelec (lower body), D Toby Enstrom (upper body), LW Shawn Mathias (upper body), D Ben Chiarot (upper body), D Paul Postma (lower body), D Brian Strait, and C Marko Dano.