Mark Scheifele recorded a hat trick Friday night for the host Winnipeg Jets, who raced out to a three-goal lead, fell behind, then scored the final five goals in an 8-4 win over the New Jersey Devils.

Scheifele entered Friday with just two goals in 16 games this season. The hat trick was the fourth of his career and his first since Feb. 20, 2020, against the Ottawa Senators. He also logged an assist Friday.

Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Kristian Vesalainen all scored in a span of less than six minutes prior to the midway point of the first period before the Devils scored four straight goals.

Ehlers scored his second of the night to tie the game shortly beyond the midway point of the second, and Josh Morrissey collected what proved to be the game-winner with 4:34 left in the middle period.

Scheifele added a pair of insurance goals, one in the waning seconds of the second and another almost halfway through the third, before Adam Lowry scored the final goal with 3:27 left.

The eight goals were the most for the Jets since March 8, 2019, when Winnipeg earned an 8-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the Jets, who won for just the second time in eight games (2-5-1).

Damon Severson opened the Devils’ flurry in the second before Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Ryan Graves gave New Jersey the lead by scoring in a span of 1:40 bridging the second and third periods.

Starting goalie Jonathan Bernier stopped 26 of 32 shots before being pulled after the second period for the Devils, who have lost five of six (1-4-1). Mackenzie Blackwood recorded six saves and yielded two goals in the third.

The eight goals were the most allowed by the Devils since March 12, 2019, when New Jersey fell 9-4 to the Calgary Flames.

Scheifele opened the scoring by skating around Jimmy Vesey in the slot and shuffling to the backhand to beat Bernier just 1:52 after faceoff. Ehlers doubled the lead exactly two minutes later with a sizzling shot from the left faceoff circle dot that rang off the far post. A Devils turnover behind the New Jersey net led to Vesalainen’s goal at the 7:39 mark.

Severson scored on the power play just 1:29 later for the Devils, who pulled within a goal when Hughes scored with 23.7 seconds left in the first. It was Hughes’ first goal since returning from a shoulder injury Tuesday.

Hischier tied the game off a Jets turnover deep in the Winnipeg zone just 37 seconds into the second. Graves scored 39 seconds later to put the Devils ahead.

A turnover by the Devils in their zone led to Ehlers’ tying goal at the 10:39 mark. Morrissey put the Jets ahead with a shot that bounced past Bernier, and Scheifele went coast-to-coast for a power-play goal with 5.9 seconds left in the second.

Scheifele capped the hat trick 9:36 into the third before Lowry capped the scoring.

–Field Level Media