In Winnipeg, the Jets, who have found their offense, handed the New Jersey Devils a 6-1 loss on Sunday.
Nikolaj Ehlers, who hit for a double in the win, staked the Jets to an early 1-0 lead in the opening stanza.
“Our team’s really tough to play against when we get the lead,” Jets forward Blake Wheeler said. “It’s definitely an emphasis for us to have good starts, especially when a team is coming in off a back to back. You want to establish your game and take over the first period and hopefully make them chase the game.”
Nino Niederreiter pushed the advantage to 2-0 headed to the middle frame.
Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves in the Winnipeg win.
“I think results make you feel good. Results are reassuring,” Hellebuyck said. “They let you know that you’re doing all the things right and you’re playing hard enough. Like we’ve always said, we are letting things take care of themselves and we are playing our game.
“We’re building our playoff game, and if it looks like that, I think we’re going to be pretty happy in here. … This is when you want to peak, and I think that’s what we’re doing.”
The Jets improved to 43-31-3 off their second straight win.
“Eventually, if you keep doing the good things and playing the right way and creating offense, it’s going to go in for you,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “Now, back-to-back six goal games (Winnipeg won 6-2 against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday), that’s rare for us, but it’s really good to see. Give the guys credit, they stayed in the fight and they just kept putting pucks on the net and making plays, and finally it’s going in.”
New Jersey dropped to 48-21-8.
“I’m not going to stand here and make excuses,” New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff said. “They were faster, they were better in all areas of the ice. They were just a better team. They won the foot races. They played better than we did.
“I take nothing except disappointment, because when you play back-to-back games, you’ve got to be smarter. You’ve got to take care of the puck more. We gave up a couple breakaways. Gave up a breakaway on the second play of the first period.”
In the second period, Morgan Barron hit on a penalty shot for a 3-0 lead at at 2:42.
“He only brings it out against opposing goalies,” Hellebuyck joked about Barron’s move. “No, that was a beautiful move, and he earned it.”
Kyle Connor ballooned the advantage to 4-0 midway through the second.
In the third frame, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored midway through the period for a 5-0 lead to the Jets.
“No one really had a good night, unfortunately,” Devils defenseman Damon Severson said. “It just was one of those nights where it didn’t go our way at all. We had a decent first period, but overall, it wasn’t our night for sure.”
Ehlers hit for his second off the power play for a 6-0 lead.
Nico Hischier ruined the shutout bid with a goal with 14 seconds left on the game clock for the 6-1 final.
“They wanted it more,” Hischier said. “I think they just outbattled us tonight, but I also think the score was a little too high. We had our chances for sure, but if you give up six goals you’re not winning a hockey game, so we’ve got to clean that up.”
Vitek Vanecek got the start for New Jersey, and yielded four goals and made 17 saves before getting the hook in the second intermission.
Mackenzie Blackwood made four saves in a mop up role.
You must be logged in to post a comment.