Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves, Sam Gagner scored the go-ahead goal at 15:35 of the third period and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the New York Rangers 4-1 on Friday night.

Mark Scheifele scored twice to help make the Jets winners on their opening night, and Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists.

The Jets were without new coach Rick Bowness, who tested positive for COVID-19. Associate coach Scott Arniel is coaching in Bowness's absence.

Dryden Hunt scored and Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves in his debut for the Rangers, who were playing the second of back-to-back games. Artemi Panarin picked up his fifth assist. New York had won its first two games.

The Rangers were 0-for-2 on the power play and the Jets were 1-for-3.

David Gustafsson got to a loose puck behind the Rangers net and fed it out to Saku Maenalanen, who one-timed a pass across the slot to Gagner. Halak made the initial save, but Gagner knocked in his own rebound to make it 2-1.

New York's hopes for a late goal were short-circuited when Jacob Trouba shot the puck over the glass in the defensive zone, earning a delay-of-game penalty with 2:34 remaining.

Scheifele then provided a power-play insurance goal with 1:37 to play, and Kyle Connor scored into an empty net with 20 seconds remaining.

The Jets took a 1-0 lead at 10:29 of the first period when Ehlers got to a loose puck behind the net and centered it to Scheifele, who beat Halak from the slot.

New York outshot Winnipeg 21-7 in the second period but could not get the equalizer. Hellebuyck robbed Chris Kreider at the end of a Rangers power play to maintain the lead.

But the Rangers did tie it 1-1 at 3:55 of the third period when Vincent Trocheck skated down the slot before spinning and passing across the crease to Hunt, who fired over Hellebuyck's shoulder.

Bowness was hired in July to replace Dave Lowry, who was 26-22-6 in 54 games as interim coach after Paul Maurice resigned Dec. 17.

--Field Level Media