The Winnipeg Jets kept rolling Thursday night, and the box score had a little bit of everything: a pair of goals from Kyle Connor, a pair from Dawson Mercer, boos for Connor Hellebuyck, and another one-goal game that turned into a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils.
It was Winnipeg’s fourth straight victory, and it came in front of a sellout crowd after a night that started with the warmups drawing most of the attention. Hellebuyck’s first game in net against the Jets would have to wait, after the Devils GM decided it would “decrease their chances of winning” if Hellebuyck was in goal.
That only added to the noise around the former MVP’s unofficial return to Winnipeg, and the reaction was clear from the moment he stepped out for warmups. The boos were loud, and his media availability before the game didn’t do anything to soften the mood.
The Jets, meanwhile, got a familiar face back in the lineup with Josh Morrissey returning after missing the last few weeks with a upper-body/wrist injury. And they got the kind of early scoring they’ve been chasing.
Dawson Mercer, facing the team that drafted him in 2020, opened the scoring with his 2nd goal as a Jet. Winnipeg then added to the lead later in the opening period on the power play, with a goal that was first credited to Cole Perfetti before being changed to Kyle Connor. Two goals on just four shots had the building buzzing, and fans even started chanting for the Devils to pull Jake Allen early so Hellebuyck could enter the game.
That never happened, but the Devils did answer back in the second period. Jesper Bratt got New Jersey on the board early, and Cody Glass tied it at 2-2 at the 1:58 mark with his 2nd goal of the season. Jake Allen settled in from there, and once again the Jets found themselves staring at a game that would be decided late.
The third period tilted Winnipeg’s way. The Jets outshot the Devils 5-0 in the first ten minutes, and that pressure eventually produced another power-play chance. Mercer cashed in again, scoring his 2nd goal of the night to give Winnipeg a 3-2 lead with the second power-play unit.
From there, it turned into the kind of tense finish the Jets have seen plenty of this season. Winnipeg controlled the shot clock in the third, finishing with an 11-2 edge in the period before New Jersey pulled Allen with under two minutes left.
Viggo Bjork nearly sealed it with his first career goal into the empty net, but he rang the post. Kyle Connor finished the job not long after, scoring his second of the night and 15th of the season to close out the 4-2 win.
The Jets had already survived a wild one on Sunday against Tampa Bay, when they blew a 3-0 lead before Mark Scheifele buried the winner with 1 second left. That game featured goals from Cole Perfetti, Morgan Barron and Brayden Yager, plus a late Lightning push that briefly threatened to flip everything. Winnipeg escaped that one 4-3, then followed it up with another tight finish Thursday.
The Devils also had Nico Daws in goal against his former team, adding another layer to a game that already had plenty of familiar faces on both sides.
Now the Jets turn to another quick turnaround, with their next game set for Thursday at 8 pm CT against the Dallas Stars.
In Other News...
Hellebuycks Winnipeg Return Just Reopened A Frustrating Jets Breakup
Connor Hellebuycks return to Winnipeg has already brought an awkward old chapter back into focus. Now with the New Jersey Devils, the former Jets goaltender spent time with the media in the city where he built so much of his career, thanking the fans and making clear he still has appreciation for the place he once called home. He also revisited the circumstances that led to his trade request, saying personal and family factors were part of the decision to move on.
The on-ice reunion will come with an unexpected wrinkle, since Hellebuyck will not start in the game. He said he disagrees with the choice, even as he has put together a strong record with New Jersey, and the decision only adds another layer to a breakup that never really felt clean in the first place. For Jets fans, it is a reminder that the end of his Winnipeg run was shaped by more than hockey, and the return has reopened questions that were never fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
Hellebuyck Just Added A Painful Twist To His Jets Exit
Connor Hellebuycks trade request from the Winnipeg Jets has taken on a more personal edge, with the goaltender saying the decision was shaped by a complicated set of factors rather than one simple grievance. He acknowledged the challenges of being an American player in Canada, but said those issues were not the main reason he wanted out, leaving the impression that there was more behind the move than the usual hockey frustrations.
What he did make clear was that the situation had become difficult enough to involve his family, though he stopped short of going into specifics out of concern for their privacy. Now, with the New Jersey Devils ruling him out of their upcoming game in Winnipeg, the return trip has already taken on an awkward tone, and the full story of what pushed him to that point still remains out of public view. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Must Wait Longer For Connor Hellebuyck's Winnipeg Return
Connor Hellebuycks first trip back to Winnipeg will have to wait a little longer. The Jets announced Jake Allen will get the start in goal against the New Jersey Devils, keeping the former Winnipeg netminder on the sideline for a night that had carried a little extra weight for fans and a few familiar faces in the room. Head coach Scott Arniel and captain Adam Lowry both acknowledged the emotional layer attached to Hellebuycks return, which had been one of the more anticipated storylines around this matchup.
For Winnipeg, it pushes the reunion to a later date and leaves the focus on the goaltending plan in front of a Devils team that still brings plenty of intrigue. The clubs will see each other again later in the season in Newark, giving Hellebuyck another chance to return to a building where he once played a central role. For now, though, Jets fans will have to keep waiting for the full homecoming. [Read more 🡒]