Second-period scoring barrage lifts Jets past Devils
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Jets used a 95-second surge to score three second-period goals to blow open a tight game en route to a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Bell MTS Place on Saturday afternoon.
Patrik Laine, Jacob Trouba and Matt Hendricks scored in rapid succession and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 34 shots for his 11th win of the season. The Jets (12-4-3) also received goals from forwards Mathieu Perreault and Kyle Connor.
Cory Schneider stopped 17 of 22 shots for the Devils (11-5-3) before being pulled after the second period. Keith Kinkaid stopped 12 shots in relief.
Defenseman Will Butcher and left winger Brian Gibbons each scored a goal for New Jersey.
With two of the quickest teams in the league, it was no surprise that the game was fast-paced through the first few minutes of the second period, with both goalies making some fine saves to keep the game scoreless.
But then the floodgates opened.
The Jets' top line of center Mark Scheifele, right winger Blake Wheeler and Connor broke out of their zone with Scheifele carrying the puck over the Devils' blue line. He dropped it to Wheeler, who unleashed a quick shot that Schneider stopped with his right pad, but Connor was right on his doorstep to pop home his fifth of the season at 5:51 to give the Jets a 1-0 lead.
The Devils didn't waste any time tying it up but it took a video review to confirm it. Gibbons took a wrist shot from the high slot that got past Hellebuyck and ricocheted quickly with a "ping," seemingly off the crossbar. The play kept going but the officials went upstairs at the first stoppage of play and it was clear that the puck had hit the back crossbar. Gibbons' ninth of the season was assisted by center Blake Coleman and Butcher at 6:52.
The Jets responded right away when left winger Nikolaj Ehlers carried the puck over the Devils' blue line on his off wing, spun around and skated back toward the middle of the ice before snapping a shot at the net. Laine, who had set up in front, deflected his 10th of the year past Schneider at 8:06 for a 2-1 lead.
Before that goal had been announced, the Jets struck again. Scheifele carried the puck over the Devils' blue line and made a quick pass to Connor, who made a touch pass to Trouba. The defensman took a couple of quick strides and ripped a low wrist shot past the outstretched glove of Schneider for his first of the season at 8:41 to increase the margin to 3-1.
Exactly a minute later, Perreault took the puck behind the Devils' net, made a few dangles and fakes reminiscent of a guy who used to wear No. 99, before finding Hendricks at the top of the crease, who roofed it over Schneider's glove at 9:41 for his second of the season. It was 4-1 Jets with the five goals coming in three minutes and 50 seconds.
After a brief reprieve, the Jets resumed their assault when Hendricks drove down the right wing toward the corner and centered the puck in front where Perreault knocked his third of the year behind Schneider on the blocker side at 18:18.
The Devils cut the deficit when left winger Taylor Hall's long-range shot squeaked between Hellebuyck's pads and dribbled toward the goal line before Butcher tapped it over at 7:14 of the third.
NOTES: The Jets are 124-92-23 all-time in Winnipeg, including 7-2-1 this season, but they are just 19-28-13 in afternoon games. ... The Jets scored on three of four shots in a shootout against Philadelphia, tying the franchise record, which has been done six times, including three times since 2011. ... Devils G Cory Schneider played his first three professional seasons with the AHL's Manitoba Moose. ... Devils LW Taylor Hall has 17 points (six goals, 11assists) in 12 career games against the Jets. ... Devils RW Drew Stafford played parts of three seasons in Winnipeg before being traded to Boston at the trade deadline last season.