Jets send Devils to fourth straight loss

NEWARK, N.J. -- Patrik Laine scored the only goal in a shootout to give the Winnipeg Jets a 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday.
Laine scored in the second round when his shot beat Cory Schneider between the pads. Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck stopped John Quenneville, Taylor Hall and Pavel Zacha.

"I was kind of thinking about the shot] on the way to the goal but then I decided when I saw him coming out so much, I thought I'd just make my move and it went in," Laine said. "I want to help us get four more wins to end the season and maybe a couple goals for myself, but if I don't score I'm not disappointed."
**WATCH: [All Jets vs. Devils highlights**
Joel Armia, Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler scored and Hellebuyck made 20 saves for the Jets (35-35-7), who are 8-1-2 in the past 11 games against the Devils.
Hall, Beau Bennett and Stefan Noesen scored and Schneider made 33 saves for the Devils (27-35-14), who lost their fourth straight game (0-2-2). The Devils are 2-12-4 in their past 18 games.
"Pretty similar to what has been going on the last 20 games ... close but not enough to win," Schneider said. "It's a game where we had control at 3-1 in the second and we let a high skill team back into it. They are going to get chances, so whether it's more defensive stops or saves or goals, it all factors and we have not been getting it the last quarter of the year, resulting in losses."
Armia scored his third shorthanded goal of the season off a snap shot from the right circle that beat Schneider over the shoulder for a 3-3 tie 2:40 into the third period.
"I just tried to get it deep but then guys started to fly past me," Armia said. "I don't think they were going for the body there, they were going for the puck. I saw [Adam] Lowry go to the net and was thinking pass for a moment but then saw some Devils players on him, so I saw a little opening on the short side."

Wheeler pulled the Jets within 3-2 when he deflected from the slot a wrist shot by defenseman Julian Melchiori at 16:36 of the second period.
Noesen had given the Devils a 3-1 lead in the second period when he took a pass from Blake Pietila, fought off a check from Bryan Little and beat Hellebuyck between the pads at 15:27.
Bennett and Hall scored in the first period to give the Devils a 2-1 lead. Bennett pushed a loose puck over the goal line for a 1-1 tie at 8:10. Hall scored on a breakaway for a 2-1 lead at 12:07.
Ehlers gave the Jets a 1-0 lead 52 seconds into the game when he beat Schneider inside the right post.
"[Ehlers] is a dynamic young man; he's learning where he can do the things he likes to do and when you can't," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "He's still learning how to do those things but he has an awful lot of speed."

Goal of the game

Hall took an outlet pass from Travis Zajac at center ice and broke in 1-on-1 before going backhand to forehand and putting the puck inside the left post.

Save of the game

Schneider kept the game 3-3 with a glove save against Ehlers 3:12 into overtime.

Highlight of the game

Ehlers scored on his first shift of the game when he skated down right wing, backhanded a pass between his legs to Wheeler in the right circle before controlling a return pass and scoring his 23rd of the season from the slot.

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Unsung performance of the game

Jets defenseman Mark Stuart had three shots, three hits and was plus-1 in 15:09. He also played 1:55 on the penalty kill.

They said it

"The Stanley Cup Playoffs are out of reach now so that stinks, but we're not just going to throw these last five games away. We decided to play the way we've been wanting to play and get better at the small things that we haven't done consistently this year. It feels good getting a win after being down." -- Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers
"We had some good stretches where we were playing our game. Obviously we just need to find a way to win a game. That's just where we are at now." -- Devils forward John Quenneville

Need to know

Laine scored his third shootout goal on his fourth attempt this season. ... Hall has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 11 games against the Jets. ... The Devils have allowed 11 shorthanded goals, tied for most in the League with the Dallas Stars.

What's next

Jets: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FS-W, NHL.TV)
Devils: At the New York Islanders on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; MSG+, MSG+ 2, NHL.TV)