The Winnipeg Jets had Tuesday night's game against the New Jersey Devils circled on the calendar ever since the blockbuster trade that sent Connor Hellebuyck from Manitoba to Newark on Oct. 23 — and although the star goaltender wasn't between the pipes, the contest still delivered.

A key reason for that was Dawson Mercer, who came to Winnipeg in the deal. In his first game against his former team, the 25-year-old scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period, as the Jets beat the Devils 4-2 at Canada Life Centre.

With the score tied 2-2 and 8:02 left in the third period, Mercer took a great backhand pass from Alex Iafallo and beat Jake Allen from the left faceoff circle on the power play.

“Playing your old team the first time was definitely an exciting game for me,” Mercer told reporters afterward, per NHL.com's Darrin Bauming. “The energy was pretty crazy, especially how we finished the game. We came back, that third period was pretty nice. … To get the first one, and then the cherry on top for another one at the end definitely made my night.”

The Carbonear, Newfoundland native added: “I think we just put the pedal to the floor right away from the get-go, and we just kept on going with it. But for me, it meant just a lot playing against all the teammates that were my long friendships ever since I came into the NHL. So, it was a special one just playing against them.”

Goaltender Nico Daws, also acquired in the Hellebuyck trade, started for the Jets and made 19 saves on 21 shots in the victory.

Article Continues Below

“It was loud. Warmups were crazy. The fans here are awesome,” Daws said. “They care a lot about hockey here and they care a lot about the team and it’s fun. It’s fun to be a part of it. It makes you want to battle that extra little bit every night for them.”

It was clear the game meant more than most for the Jets, who were the better team for much of the night. Along with heckling Hellebuyck, the crowd cheered extra hard for Mercer and Daws, both of whom should play important roles for the club going forward.

Winnipeg has now won four straight games to get back to .500. They’ll meet New Jersey for the second and final time this season on Nov. 28 in Newark.