Two for Mercer and Two for Connor as Jets win 4th straight game on Hellebuyck’s unofficial return to Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets are now eighteen games into their 2026-27 NHL regular season following a Thursday night showdown against the New Jersey Devils. The Jets had a day off yesterday after their one goal win (4-3) against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. Now on a three game win streak, the Jets hosted the New Jersey Devils tonight. Connor Hellebuyck’s 1st game in net against the Jets would have to wait though, as the Devils GM decided it would “decrease their chances of winning” if Hellebuyck was in goal.

Before looking back at the Jets highly anticipated game against the Devils, we need to quickly look back at how the Jets won their 3rd straight game on Sunday night. The 1st period was scoreless, and shots on goal were only 7-6 Lightning as both teams seemed to ease a little bit into this game. Cole Perfetti opened the scoring less than two minutes into the 2nd period on a powerplay.

Morgan Barron added to the Jets lead around ten minutes later with his 3rd goal of the season. Viggo Bjork picked up his 2nd career assist on this goal. Stuart Skinner was perfect through forty minutes, making 14 saves, and it was looking like the Jets were in control of this game. Brayden Yager scored his first career NHL goal on the powerplay with 12 minutes left to make it 3-0 Jets.

Just two minutes later, it was the Lightning who suddenly stormed back in this game. Brandon Hagel scored to make it 3-1, and then less than two minutes later Pontus Holmberg scored not one but two goals in a span of 26 seconds to tie this game at three. It was looking like this game needed overtime, but the Jets got a late 5 on 3 with less than a minute remaining. With time winding down, Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti set up an unchecked Mark Scheifele in front, and Scheifele slapped the puck in the back of the net with just 1 second left on the clock. The Jets avoided a 3rd period collapse with an epic last second goal to pick up their 3rd straight win.

Tonight, the warmups were the centre of attention, as it was the only time Jets fans got to see Connor Hellebuyck. The boos rained down, and Hellebuyck’s media availability prior to the game didn’t ease any feelings that Jets fans had towards the former MVP’s departure. Dawson Mercer was playing against the team that drafted him in 2020, and it just so happened that he opened the scoring with his 2nd goal as a Jet. Josh Morrissey returned to the lineup after missing the last few weeks with a upper-body/wrist injury.

The Jets extended their lead on the powerplay later in the 1st period with a goal that was originally credited to Cole Perfetti but then changed to Kyle Connor. Two goals on just four shots had fans chanting for the Devils to pull Jake Allen early (to be replaced by Hellebuyck) but that didn’t end up happening.

The 2nd period saw the Devils respond super early with a goal from Jesper Bratt. Less than a minute later, at the 1:58 mark, Cody Glass tipped home his 2nd goal of the season to make this a 2-2 hockey game. Jake Allen was perfect in the 2nd, and the Jets found themselves in another game where it would be decided in the final twenty minutes.

It was a strong first half of the final period for the Jets, as they outshot the Devils 5-0 in the first ten minutes of the 3rd period. Shortly after the ten minute mark, the Jets got their 4th powerplay of the game, and Dawson Mercer scored his 2nd goal of the game as the 2nd powerplay unit gave the Jets a 3-2 lead. I almost forgot to mention that Mercer wasn’t the only former Devil in this game, as Nico Daws got the crease for the Jets against his former team.

Yet again the Jets were in a one goal game in the final minutes of a game, a re-occurring theme that has gone for and against the Jets this season. Shots on goal in the 3rd were 11-2 for the Jets when the Devils pulled the goalie with under two minutes left. Viggo Bjork almost scored his first career goal into the empty net but he hit the post, but not much later Kyle Connor wrapped up this game with his second goal of the night. Connor’s 15th goal of the season was the final goal on the night, as the Jets won their 4th straight game with an exciting 4-2 win in front of a sell out crowd.

The 2026-27 NHL regular season continues on, with another busy week of hockey. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets regular season, as well as articles to preview and recap the Jets next game on Thursday at 8 pm CT against the Dallas Stars.

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