Devils Recover From 3-0 Deficit But Sunk by Scheifele | GAME STORY

WINNIPEG, MB - After falling behind 3-0 in the game's first seven minutes, the Devils roared back to take a 4-3 lead but ultimately it slipped away in a 8-4 defeat at Canada Life Centre on Friday night punctuated by a hat trick by Mark Scheifele.

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The Devils return home to play the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. The game can be seen on MSG+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
The Jets got on the board less than two minutes into the game. Mark Schiefele skated through the Devils defenders and deked out starting goaltender Jonathan Bernier before roofing the puck to open the scoring with his first of three on the night.
Winnipeg almost scored again 90 later. Bernier lost the puck behind the net but recovered in time to make a sliding pad save on Kyle Connor in front. Moments after that, Winnipeg did make it 2-0 as Nikolaj Ehlers rifled a shot from the left circle past Bernier to score a goal exactly two minutes after Scheifele's opening tally.
Bernier fed the puck to Damon Severson behind the Devils goal but Severson's clearing attempt was intercepted then dished quickly in front to Kristian Vesalainen who fired the puck in to put the Jets up by three just over seven minutes in.
"Getting eight goals (against) is not a recipe to win. We've got to clean it up back there," said Devils captain Nico Hischier.
The Devils got one back before the midway point of the opening frame. Severson took a cross-ice pass and whipped it top corner behind Jets starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck to make it a 3-1 game with Josh Morrissey in the penalty box.
New Jersey continued to press in the final minute of the period and it paid off in another goal. Jack Hughes picked up a rebound in his skate and kicked it up to his stick before slipping it past Hellebuyck, sending the game to the intermission with the Devils only down by one.
Shots on goal were even at 12-12 after 20 minutes.
The Devils came out on fire to start the second. Thirty-six seconds into the period, Jesper Bratt made a nice spin pass to Nico Hischier in front. Nico quickly shot it in to tie the game. The visitors then took their first lead 39 seconds after that. Ryan Graves netted his third of the season on a shot from the point to put the Devils up 4-3.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff had a lot of emotions after the contest as his club showed its best and worst over 60 minutes.
"We competed hard. We came back hard. We were down 3-0, we battled back hard," Ruff began. "We talked about playing the game the right way at the start of the second. The first eight minutes (of the second) were all us. Did some fatigue hit us? Did some bad bounces get us? Yes."
Pavel Zacha rang a shot off the post on the rush midway through the second. A minute later, Ehlers scored on a one-timer from the left circle to knot the game up at 4-4.
"We came out and were playing the game the right way (after the 3-0 deficit)," said Ruff. "We were moving the puck well, filling lanes. Great opportunity (on the Zacha chance) to make it 5-3 but our discipline for taking penalties, some fatigue late in shifts, it's a challenge."
With 4:34 to go in the second period, the Jets regained the lead. A flipped puck by Morrissey from the point hit Jonas Siegenthaler in the slot and then skipped past Bernier.
Winnipeg then struck for a power play goal with 5.9 seconds to go in the second. Scheifele skated coast-to-coast before rifling a shot from the right circle to give the Jets a 6-4 lead going into the intermission.
After two, shots on goal were 32-26 for the Jets.
Mackenzie Blackwood started the third period in goal for the Devils.
Nearly 10 minutes into the third, Scheifele ripped a shot past an outstretched Blackwood to complete the hat trick and late in the game Logan Stanley lasered a shot from the point that was tipped by Adam Lowry past a screened Blackwood to make it 8-4 20 seconds after Dougie Hamilton left the penalty box.
Final shot count in the game was 40-37 in favor of Winnipeg.
"Right now, we're being challenged. It's a mental challenge. It's a physical challenge," added Ruff. "You have to learn from every game you play. You have to learn from every situation that hurts you. Our puck management needs to be a lot better.
"We have to manage the puck better which means you simplify your game. On back-to-back nights if you don't manage the puck well, you fuel the other team's offense."