Winnipeg finally snapped its 11-game losing streak Friday night in the second half of a back-to-back, rolling past the L.A. Kings 5-1. Vladislav Namestnikov (7) opened the scoring, Cole Koepke (3) made it 2-0 after one, and Jonathan Toews (4) extended the lead to 3-0 in the second period. Quinton Byfield (7) got the Kings on the board midway through the frame, but Mark Scheifele responded with two goals in the final 10 minutes, his 21st and 22nd of the season, to put the game out of reach. There was no scoring in the third as the Jets improved to 16-22-5 behind a 23-save performance from Eric Comrie.

New Jersey continues its four-game road trip this afternoon after a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, their third straight defeat. Luke Hughes (5) scored the lone goal for the Devils, while Jake Allen made 25 saves as New Jersey fell to 22-20-2.

This marks the first of two cross-conference meetings between the clubs. The Jets will visit Newark on Jan. 27 to wrap up the season series.

Jets forward Morgan Barron and defenceman Neal Pionk both missed Friday’s game but skated at Saturday’s optional practice, Pionk in a regular jersey and Barron in a yellow non-contact. Head coach Scott Arniel said their availability will depend on how they feel today, making both game-time decisions.