Jets snap skid with victory over Devils
NEWARK, N.J. -- Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made 24 saves as the Winnipeg Jets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Monday night at Prudential Center.
Pavelec has allowed two goals or fewer in five of his past six starts. In his first 15 starts, he held opponents to two goals or fewer only four times.
Center Mark Scheifele, left winger Evander Kane and right winger Devin Setoguchi scored for the Jets.
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur stopped 19 shots. Left winger Patrik Elias scored the Devils' goal.
Scheifele broke a scoreless tie with 3:59 remaining in the first period with his first goal in 24 games. Left winger Michael Frolik made the play happen with a cross-ice pass right onto the tape of Scheifele, who snapped a wrist shot that beat Brodeur.
Kane extended the Jets' lead to 2-0 at 7:16 of the second period with his seventh goal of the season. The goal came immediately off a faceoff to Brodeur's right. Kane secured the puck and fired a quick wrist shot that beat the goaltender to the stick side through a maze of bodies.
Elias nearly the cut the lead in half while shorthanded later in the period, but his one-time attempt shot that beat Pavelec rang off the crossbar.
Elias made no mistake midway through the third period, redirecting a slapshot by defenseman Andy Greene that beat Pavelec high to the catching glove side to make it 2-1.
The Devils pulled Brodeur for the extra attacker for the final 1:38 of regulation but were unable to find the equalizing goal. Setoguchi added the empty-net goal with 27.1 seconds remaining.
NOTES: After missing 17 games with a neck injury, Jets D Jacob Trouba returned to the lineup. He was out since crashing head-first into the boards Oct. 18 against the St. Louis Blues. ... Monday's game marked the start of the six-game Eastern road trip for the Jets that includes games against the New York Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York Rangers, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. ... Devils D Adam Larsson (lower body) was out of the lineup. ... D Bryce Salvador (fractured foot), D Anton Volchenkov (lower body), LW Ryane Clowe (concussion) and RW Stephen Gionta (ankle) were all absent for the Devils.
