Winnipeg Jets fall 4-1 to New Jersey Devils
Laurent Brossoit made 37 saves, but had his 5-game winning streak snapped.
Jack Hughes scored two of the Devils' three power-play goals, brother Luke Hughes had a career-best three assists and the New Jersey stunned red-hot Winnipeg 4-1 on Thursday night in one of their best performances in a disappointing season.
Nico Hischier scored the go-ahead goal on the power play and added two assists. Timo Meier had an empty net goal and two assists, and Jake Allen made 18 saves in winning for the third time in four starts for New Jersey. The Devils also killed off all four Winnipeg power-play chances in ending the Jets' three-game winning streak and handing them their fourth loss in 11 games.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored a spectacular goal for the Jets, while Laurent Brossoit made 37 saves in seeing his five-game winning streak snapped.
Hischier snapped a one-all tie at 5:59 of the third period, deflecting a Meier shot past Brossoit in the waning seconds of a penalty assessed to Dylan DeMelo for tripping Luke Hughes. Jack Hughes extended the lead to 3-1 at 11:52 with a shot from the high slot and Meier iced it with his empty net goal.
Ehlers tied the game at 1-1 at 16:47 with a great individual effort on his 21st goal of the season.
The Danish forward forward skated back to his own blue line to retrieve a puck, changed directions and quickly skated through the Devils' defence and beat Allen with a blistering shot from inside the left circle.
Jack Hughes had opened the scoring at 9:00 of the second period, putting the rebound of a Hischier shot past Brossoit, who has posted shutouts in his last two starts. The goal came just nine seconds after the Jets were penalized for too many men on the ice.
While the opening period was scoreless, Brossoit stopped Hischier on a breakaway in the opening minutes and Allen responded shortly after that with a stop on Ehlers breaking in alone after being set up by former Devil Tyler Toffoli, who was playing in his 800th NHL game.