When Connor Hellebuyck was dealt to New Jersey, everyone had November 10 circled on their calendar. That was the day that the Devils would visit the Winnipeg Jets.
While the sellout crowd didn’t get a full cathartic experience because Hellebuyck was held out of the game, they still had a great time watching their team dispatch New Jersey 4-2 with a pair of former Devils factoring largely into things.
Fans got their lone chance to see Hellebuyck during warmups and they made sure to make their voices heard, booing him vociferously when he took the ice, giving him Bronx cheers whenever he stopped a shot in warmups and cheering very loudly when a puck would beat him.
They also whipped out several fun chants early in the game, with Hellebuyck watching the game from somewhere in the bowels of the arena. Chants like “where is Connor?”, “pull your goalie” and “face the music” were heard loud and clear in the opening period.
New Jersey controlled the puck for much of the first period but Winnipeg opened the scoring, and, in an act of poetic justice, it was a former Devil delivering the blow.
Dawson Mercer picked up the puck in the corner in the Devils’ end and started carrying it up the wall. He cut back to the middle, eluding 17, before firing a wrister that beat Jake Allen top-shelf through a screen at the 7:54 mark.
It was Mercer’s second goal since he was traded to Winnipeg in the Hellebuyck deal.
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Winnipeg would arrive at a great opportunity to double their lead when they found themselves on a 5-on-3 for 1:46. It took almost the whole duration of the two-man advantage but they were able to cash in.
After Mark Scheifele missed badly on a one-timer, the puck rolled around to Kyle Connor in the corner. After a quick give and go with Cole Perfetti, Connor held the puck for a few seconds, then sent a shot on goal that went off the skate of Brenden Dillon in front and trickled into the net.
It was Connor’s 14th of the season and it came with 4:54 to go in the period.
New Jersey got their first power play of the game late in the period but could not beat another former teammate, Nico Daws, who stopped all 11 shots he faced in the first.
The Devils finally got one past Daws just 1:14 into the second. Neal Pionk had a chance to clear the puck but failed as Jesper Bratt intercepted a pass at the point. Eventually, the puck wound up below the goal line where Arseny Gritsyuk fended off two Jets defenders before sliding a pass in front that Bratt buried.
Winnipeg’s lead lasted another 42 seconds before New Jersey tied the game.
The Devils cycled the puck around the Winnipeg end before a point shot from Johnathan Kovacevic, who was drafted by the Jets and was lost on waivers in 2022, was tipped home by Winnipeg-native Cody Glass to even the score.
Another former Jet who was lost on waivers in 2024, Declan Chisholm, also picked up an assist on the play.
Each team had another power play look before the period was over but neither could capitalize as the score stayed tied 2-2 through 40 minutes.
New Jersey outshot the Jets 6-5 in the second and carried an overall edge of 17-13 into the third.
The Jets were the better team over the first half of the third, leading to a too-many-men penalty on the Devils with 9:43 to go. After the first unit struggled to keep the puck in, the second unit came over the boards and got the job done.
Viggo Bjorck had the puck at the right point and slid it down low to Alex Iafallo. He spotted Mercer wide open at the back door and fed him a perfect pass that Mercer buried to put Winnipeg in front for good.
With the Jets in front, the fans started feeling more confident and began the chants again. They chanted for Mercer, for Bjorck, and delivered a hearty “we don’t need you.”
With just under two minutes left, the Devils pulled Allen for an extra attacker and Bjorck nearly got his first NHL goal, hitting the post on the empty net.
Connor showed the youngster how it’s done, hitting the empty net with 58 seconds left to seal the game with his 15th.
Daws picked up his first win as a Jet, stopping 19 shots. Allen made 21 saves in defeat.
The Jets will now hit the road to face the Dallas Stars Thursday night. Puck drop is just after 8 p.m. with pregame coverage on 680 CJOB starting at 6 p.m.
