Photo by Scott Stroh [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8c2c8e2d-ed73-45f1-bf50-5db723a00225.jpeg] Photo by Scott Stroh Alex Iafallo scored twice, Kyle Connor picked up his 50th and 51st assists of the season, while Connor Hellebjuyck turned aside 24 shots for his league-leading seventh shutout, helping Winnipeg to its fiftieth victory of the year, a 4-0 drubbing of the visiting New Jersey Devils. "I just love shutouts to be honest with you," Hellebuyck laughed post-game. That's why I play the game." The Friday night showdown was Winnipeg's fourth-straight sellout of 15,225 and the 12th time that Canada Life Centre was jammed to capacity in 2024-25. And the Jets treated their fans to a dazzler. Starting with a bang, or, as former Jets on TSN play-by-play voice Dennis Beyak would say, the Jets went 'bang-bang' to open the game. Scoring twice in the first 1:52, Winnipeg received opening-shift goals from Alex Iafallo and David Gustafsson. Iafallo's 12th came just 58 seconds in, as he finished off a top-line passing play with a spinning backhand that found its way through Jake Allen. Gustafsson's tally wasn't quite as pretty, but it also came from right in front of the net. Strong efforts from Brandon Tanev and Morgan Barron led to his first marker since January 24. “Yeah, that felt good to get an early one there first shift after being out for a while," Gustafsson said. That definitely felt good.” Shortly after Winnipeg successfully killed off a Vlad Namestnikov goaltender interference penalty, the Devils had a goal called off for an instance of goaltender interference of their own. Through 20 minutes of play, Winnipeg took a two-goal lead and a one-shot advantage into the middle stanza. The Jets doubled their lead in the second period, with Iafallo finding his second of the game off a nifty hand-eye reception on the top of the crease. After catching a Nikolaj Ehlers pass on the doorstep, he dropped the puck onto his stick and hammered it past the diving Allen for a power play goal. “He’s a phenomenal player," Hellebuyck said of Iafallo. "You can play him anywhere in the lineup and he’s going to be a huge difference-maker. I’m glad that he got on the board tonight and I’m not shocked by it.” Then, with 42 seconds remaining, Mark Scheifele ended a lengthy goal drought, as he noted his 36th of the year - and his first in 10 contests - off a missed shot by linemate Connor. The goal was Winnipeg's last of the game, to which the team shut down the visitors in the third. Hellebuyck finished the night with 24 stops, while Allen turned aside 15 of the 19 pucks fired his way. Next up is the final test of the four-game homestand, as the Vancouver Canucks roll into town on Sunday afternoon for a 2:00 PM central tilt. That game can be viewed live on TSN.
