Pro Sports

Scheifele has hat trick, Jets beat Devils 8-4

Posted December 04, 2021 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) scores on New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - Mark Scheifele had three goals and an assist, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the New Jersey Devils 8-4 Friday night.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice, and Kristian Vesalainen, Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry also each scored for the Jets. Blake Wheeler had three assists and Pierre-Luc Dubois Neal Pionk each added two. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots.

'œWe had a tough stretch of hockey,'ť Scheifele said. 'œWe weren't happy with our game. But when you do the right things over and over, do the simple things, good things happen. I think tonight was just an example of that.'ť

Ryan Graves had a goal and an assist, and Jack Hughes, Damon Severson and Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils. Jonathan Bernier gave up six goals on 32 shots through two periods. Mackenzie Blackwood took over in the third period and finished with six saves.

The Jets led 3-0 less than eight minutes into game before Severson and Hughes brought the Devils within one at the end of the first period. Hischier and Graves scored 39 seconds apart to give New Jersey the lead 1:16 into the second.

'œWe were down 3-0, we battled back hard,'ť Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. 'œThe first eight minutes (of the second period) was just all us. Did some fatigue hit us? Yes. It's always frustrating to work that hard and not be able to complete the deal '¦ We had all kinds of opportunities to keep coming back but we didn't complete the deal.'ť

Ehlers' second of the night tied it 4-4 midway through the second, with Andrew Copp getting the 100th assist of his career on the play. Morrissey's point shot trickled in off a player in front of Bernier with 4 1/2 minutes left in the period to put the Jets ahead for good.

'œIt (two goals) obviously means a lot,'ť Ehlers said. 'œYou want to help the team any way you can and a lot of the guys were able to get a point on a goal. Scoring points is fun, there's no secret to that. But I think, overall, we played a game that gave us a chance to win and we deserve it.'ť

Scheifele scored his second of the game on the power play with 6 seconds left in the middle period after he took a pass from Pionk, skated the length of the ice and finished it off by beating Bernier. Hellebuyck also had an assist on the play.

Scheifele his hat trick on a one-timer off a pass from Wheeler at 9:36 of the third to give Winnipeg a 7-4 lead. Lowry capped the scoring with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

'œWe have to clean up our D-zone,'ť Hischier said. 'œThere's no way in this league you're going to win hockey games when you get scored on that many times, and that's what happened today. So, we definitely got to clean up.'ť

The Jets were playing for the first time since Monday after eight games in 14 days.

'œWe were able to get some rest, we were able to get fresh legs and you guys saw that tonight, a lot of guys had a little more pop in their step,'ť said Scheifele. 'œHaving that much time off is huge after having the amount of games we've played in such a short time. We used that to our advantage.'ť

Scheifele, who had not scored a goal in his previous seven games, opened the scoring just 1:52 into the game as he took a pass from Pionk, stickhandled passed the defense, then backhanded a shot over Bernier's right shoulder.

Ehlers, who ended a five-game goal-scoring drought, got his first of the night when he snapped a shot over Bernier's left shoulder at 3:52, and Vesalainen converted a perfect set up by Paul Stastny at the 7:39 mark to make it 3-0.

Severson beat Hellebuyck over his right shoulder from inside the face-off circle at 9:08 of the first to get the Devils on the scoreboard. Hughes scored with just 24 seconds left in the opening period when he pounced on a rebound in front of Hellebuyck.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host Ottawa on Monday night to open a three-game homestand.

Jets: Host Toronto on Sunday in the middle game of a three-game homestand.

___

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Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) and Kyle Connor (81) celebrate Scheifele's goal on New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets' Josh Morrissey (44), Blake Wheeler (26), Mark Scheifele (55) and Nate Schmidt (88) celebrate Scheifele's hat-trick goal against the New Jersey Devils, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55), Blake Wheeler (26), and Nate Schmidt (88) celebrate Scheifele's hat-trick goal against the New Jersey Devils, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) celebrates the team's win over the New Jersey Devils in an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) makes a save on Winnipeg Jets' Paul Stastny (25) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets' Kristian Vesalainen (93) scores on New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets' Kristian Vesalainen (93) and Adam Lowry (17) celebrate Vesalainen's goal against New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save on New Jersey Devils' Pavel Zacha (37) as Jets' Neal Pionk (4) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) looks at the puck on the rebound of a shot by New Jersey Devils' Michael McLeod's (20) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

A shot by Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor is stopped by New Jersey Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

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