THREE THINGS: Vilardi reaches 20 goal mark in Jets win

The Winnipeg Jets scored three times in the second period on route to a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils to start their four-game road trip on a positive note. Gabe Vilardi (1G, 1A), Mark Scheifele (1G, 1A) and Kyle Connor (2A) had multi-point nights to lead the Jets to their second win in their last six games (2-2-2). Per NHL Stats, Vilardi became the fifth player in Jets/Thrashers history to begin his tenure with the franchise with three consecutive 20-goal seasons. The others: Ilya Kovalchuk (8), Patrik Laine (4), Vyacheslav Kozlov (4) and Marian Hossa (3). Winnipeg will head to Tampa Bay next to face the Lightning on Thursday.

LOOKED GOOD, THEN IT DIDN’T

The top line had been quiet recently as Mark Scheifele had three points in his last five games), Kyle Connor (three points in his last five) and Alex Iafallo (one point in his last five). The offence came quickly in Newark tonight as the Jets scored 1:33 into the game with some beautiful passing between Scheifele, Connor and Gabe Vilardi.

After that goal the Jets struggled with their decision making with the puck and the Devils had the majority of the quality scoring chances for the rest of the period including the tying goal at 8:02.

"In the first, we found ourselves flat footed and trying to make a play," said Kyle Connor.

"And that's where we turned it over, and led to a lot of their chances."

MIXING THINGS UP

With the game tied at one to start the second, Scott Arniel changed three of his four lines moving Iafallo to the fourth line with Cole Koepke and Morgan Barron, Tanner Pearson went up with Jonathan Toews and Cole Perfetti and Gabe Vilardi reunited with Connor and Scheifele. It was the top line that went to work at 3:23 to give the Jets the lead again and it was Vilardi with his 20^th.

The new look fourth line capitalized off the rush again with Koepke banging in a rebound past Jake Allen at 7:51.

The only line that Arniel didn’t touch was his third line of Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter and Vlad Namestnikov. The trio scored on another odd-man rush to give the Jets a three-goal lead at 16:42 which turned out to be the game winning goal.

"Yeah it was a good second, we played with a lot of jump, it seemed like we were able to roll shifts over and hem them in their own zone and capitalize on the chances that we did," said Connor.

"We had the two-on-one, Nino and Vladdy. It's a great play and finish, and then we were just keep it simple in our own zone and get out."

HELLE MOVING UP

Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves and has now won his last six starts against the Devils and has a 12-2-1 career record vs. New Jersey. Hellebuyck’s win tonight was his 335th of his career, passing Cam Ward to move him into 27th place in NHL history.