Jets get out to quick lead, take down Devils

Alex Iafallo scored twice to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-0 win against the visiting New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist, and Kyle Connor had two assists for the Jets (50-19-4, 104 points), who passed the idle Washington Capitals for top spot in the NHL. Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves.

Jake Allen made 15 saves for the Devils (38-29-7, 83 points), who played without defenseman Luke Hughes, held out with a lower-body injury for precautionary reasons. New Jersey has lost five of its past seven games (2-4-1).

Iafallo gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead off the rush 58 seconds into the first period. He took a pass from Scheifele in the low slot and spun around to sweep a backhand past Allen on the glove side.

David Gustafsson made it 2-0 less than a minute later. After Morgan Barron got his stick on a rebound at the top of the crease, Gustafsson quickly pushed the loose puck into the open net at 1:52.

The Devils started to pick up the pace in the second half of the frame, turning a 4-1 shot deficit into a 7-4 advantage late in the period but couldn't convert.

The visitors had their best chances to cut the deficit in half on the power play with seven minutes remaining in the second period, spending nearly the full two minutes in the offensive zone and managing four shots on goal but couldn't get one by Hellebuyck.

Iafallo then increased the Jets' lead to 3-0 on the power play at 15:45 when he caught a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers at the front of the net, dropped it to his stick and quickly put it past a diving Allen.

Scheifele, driving towards the net, was first on a rebound off the end boards and pushed it inside the right post to extend it to 4-0 at 19:18. With the tally, the center recorded his 201st career multi-point game, passing Blake Wheeler for most in Jets/Thrashers franchise history.

--Field Level Media