NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Kyle Connor scored his team-leading 35th goal late in the second period to snap a tie and lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Eric Comrie made 33 saves while beating the team for which he made one start last season. Defenseman Brenden Dillion also scored as the Jets won for the fourth time in six games (4-1-1).
Jack Hughes scored for the Devils in extending his home-scoring steak to 13 games (9 goals, 12 assists). Nico Daws made 28 saves as New Jersey had its two-game winning streak snapped.
Connor got the game winner with 54 seconds left in the second period with an unassisted breakaway goal that referee Frederick L’Ecuyer originally thought hit the crossbar and didn’t go into the net. The puck hit the crossbar and caromed into the bottom of the net. Connor started the play, stealing the puck from Jesper Bratt in the Devils zone and skating the length of the ice.
Dillon and Hughes traded goals in the opening period.
Dillon got his second of the season on a 2-on-1 break with Mark Scheifele at 3:22. It was his first goal since Dec. 17 and 26th goal in 709 NHL games.
Hughes tied it on the power play at 18:27, one-timing a cross-ice pass by Bratt past Comrie before the goalie could get across the crease.
NOTES: The game was the first between the teams in New Jersey since Oct. 4, 2019. … The Jets beat the Devils 8-4 on Dec. 3. … Before the game, the Devils honored Travis Zajac for playing in his 1,000th game last season. He played all but 13 games of his 1,024 games in a 15-year career with New Jersey. … Devils captain Nico Hischier missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. … Daws started his sixth straight game.
UP NEXT:
Jets: Play the second of three in four nights when they face the Islanders in New York on Friday night.
Devils: Finish a four-game homestand when they host Anaheim on Saturday night.
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Tom Canavan, The Associated Press