Jets ease past Devils, maintain lead in Western wild card race

WINNIPEG --Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals for the Winnipeg Jets in a 6-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Canada Life Centre on Sunday.

"Our team's really tough to play against when we get the lead," Jets forward Blake Wheeler said. "It's definitely an emphasis for us to have good starts, especially when a team is coming in off a back to back. You want to establish your game and take over the first period and hopefully make them chase the game."
Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist, Wheeler had two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves for the Jets (43-31-3), who have won two in a row.
Winnipeg remained two points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Flames defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-4 later on Sunday.
"I think results make you feel good. Results are reassuring," Hellebuyck said. "They let you know that you're doing all the things right and you're playing hard enough. Like we've always said, we are letting things take care of themselves and we are playing our game.

"We're building our playoff game, and if it looks like that, I think we're going to be pretty happy in here. … This is when you want to peak, and I think that's what we're doing."
Nico Hischier scored for the Devils (48-21-8), who were coming off a 6-3 win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Vitek Vanecek allowed four goals on 21 shots before being replaced at the start of the third period by Mackenzie Blackwood, who made four saves.
New Jersey fell three points back of the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 on Sunday.
"I'm not going to stand here and make excuses," New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff said. "They were faster, they were better in all areas of the ice. They were just a better team. They won the foot races. They played better than we did.
"I take nothing except disappointment, because when you play back-to-back games, you've got to be smarter. You've got to take care of the puck more. We gave up a couple breakaways. Gave up a breakaway on the second play of the first period."
Ehlers gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 4:59 of the first period. Wheeler won a puck battle with Jonas Siegenthaler below the goal line and passed to Ehlers, who was left all alone for a one-timer in front.

Nino Niederreiter made it 2-0 at 16:15, burying a rebound in front after Wheeler's initial redirection was stopped by Vanecek.
Morgan Barron scored five-hole on a penalty shot to extend the lead to 3-0 at 2:42 of the second period.
"He only brings it out against opposing goalies," Hellebuyck joked about Barron's move. "No, that was a beautiful move, and he earned it."
Kyle Connor made it 4-0 at 10:34, scoring under Vanecek's right arm from the right hash marks for his 30th of the season.
"No one really had a good night, unfortunately," Devils defenseman Damon Severson said. "It just was one of those nights where it didn't go our way at all. We had a decent first period, but overall, it wasn't our night for sure."
Dubois pushed it to 5-0 at 10:19 of the third period with a one-timer from the right face-off dot, and Ehlers scored with a one-timer from the left circle on a power play to make it 6-0 at 14:10.
"Eventually, if you keep doing the good things and playing the right way and creating offense, it's going to go in for you," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "Now, back-to-back six goal games (Winnipeg won 6-2 against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday), that's rare for us, but it's really good to see. Give the guys credit, they stayed in the fight and they just kept putting pucks on the net and making plays, and finally it's going in."
Hischier ended Hellebuyck's shutout bid with 14 seconds remaining for the 6-1 final.
"They wanted it more," Hischier said. "I think they just outbattled us tonight, but I also think the score was a little too high. We had our chances for sure, but if you give up six goals you're not winning a hockey game, so we've got to clean that up."