Winnipeg Jets obtain finest begin in NHL historical past at 14-1-0 after beating Stars

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets are off to one of the best 15-game begin in NHL historical past, profitable 14 of their first 15 video games to construct a document of 14-1-0.

A sold-out Canada Life Centre crowd watched as Winnipeg beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 to clinch the document, getting power-play targets from Alex Iafallo and Nikolaj Ehlers, plus even-strength targets from Rasmus Kupari and Vladislav Namestnikov.

The clinching recreation was a rout towards Winnipeg’s division rivals — a celebration, a goal-scoring parade. By the second interval, with the Jets main 3-0, the group felt comfy chanting “U.S. backup” at Stars goalie Jake Oettinger. When Ehlers scored to make it 4-0, the Stars pulled Oettinger from the sport and the chants grew louder.

After permitting one aim, Connor Hellebuyck additionally set a Jets document for longest shutout streak at 191:47, surpassing Ondrej Pavelec’s 187:05 in 2014-15.

Listed here are the keys to how Winnipeg completed one of the best begin in NHL historical past.

That legendary 10 %

Winnipeg completed fourth within the NHL with 110 factors and 52 wins final season, together with eight straight wins to finish the common season. The Jets’ five-game loss to the Colorado Avalanche within the first spherical of the playoffs was gorgeous — not simply the loss, however Colorado’s dominant play — and it left Winnipeg with an offseason problem.

“Till you’re the group standing there on the finish (of the playoffs), you’ve executed nothing,” Jets common supervisor Kevin Cheveldayoff stated within the wake of the loss. “The onus is on all people inside the group to be that 10 % higher.”

It’s a message gamers embraced, with Jets stars and leaders like Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, Mark Scheifele and extra sharing some model of the identical message. It’s additionally the type of factor each non-championship group talks about, however our learn of the Jets dressing room within the wake of final season was of a higher level of accountability entering the offseason.

A part of Winnipeg’s success this season comes from defense-first identity-line gamers like Lowry, Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter making but extra elite defensive performs whereas cranking off their offensive output. A part of it comes from Kyle Connor’s nine-goal, 10-assist explosion to start out the season, paired with higher backchecking efforts at key occasions. There’s a story I have told concerning the Jets — that their finest offensive gamers don’t play protection and one of the best defensive gamers don’t add offense — that Winnipeg has proved utterly, completely fallacious.

There have been robust moments — no group or participant is ideal — however few robust stretches of play.

Revamped, league-leading 43.9 % energy play

Each of Winnipeg’s power-play items scored within the record-clinching win towards Dallas on Saturday.

Iafallo’s completely timed lower into the slot to obtain Namestnikov’s centering go opened the scoring; it demonstrated this yr’s injection of motion and tempo into each power-play items. It was additionally the second unit’s eighth aim of the season, together with three from breakout participant Cole Perfetti, taking inventive benefit of 4 left-handed forwards and Neal Pionk’s imaginative and prescient from the purpose.

Ehlers’ one-timer from the slot confirmed why it was so necessary so as to add him to Winnipeg’s elite array of offensive gamers that includes Scheifele, Connor, Vilardi and Morrissey. The enjoyment of Winnipeg’s first unit is partly within the number of setups — they’ve scored targets on performs final yr’s Jets wouldn’t have been in place to strive — and within the variety of choices every participant has obtainable to him with the puck. Gamers are in practically fixed movement, rotating into increasingly harmful positions with every go of the puck, and Ehlers’ aim was the highest unit’s tenth of the season.

Connor’s 4 targets lead all Jets power-play scorers; his subsequent one will equal his complete from all of final season.

#Wild 1 @ #Jets 2 [OT-4:09]:

Aim: Kyle Connor (2)
Energy-Play, 23’ Wrist Shot

Assists: M. Scheifele (2), J. Morrissey (4)#MNWild #GoJetsGo #MINvsWPG pic.twitter.com/1WS0g5Bu6y

— NHL Aim Movies (@NHLGoalsVideo) October 14, 2024

Elite goaltending

No record-setting streak is feasible with out elite goaltending performances. Hellebuyck’s efficiency in group win No. 13 was the stuff of legend.

Dealing with the group that beat him for twenty-four targets in 5 playoff video games, Hellebuyck was merely spectacular, stopping 35 pictures to earn his second straight shutout, outright stealing Winnipeg’s win. His 32-save efficiency towards Dallas outshone rival U.S. netminder Oettinger, which led to chants of “U.S. backup” from the Canada Life Centre crowd.

It is back-to-back @pepsi shutouts for Connor Hellebuyck! 🙅‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/i5mOQfsSE3

— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2024

Magic moments

Even a group with the league’s finest energy play, the defending Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender on the peak of his powers, and a protection corps that’s produced a pile of offense whereas giving up solely 30 targets in 15 video games wants assist once in a while.

There have been particular person performances and moments that stored the streak alive, uniquely transcending Winnipeg’s group high quality.

Whether or not it was Scheifele’s diving aim with Hellebuyck pulled to pressure extra time towards the Chicago Blackhawks — or his extra time winner — the Jets’ star heart pulled a win out of nowhere within the dying minutes of Recreation 2. In Recreation 3 towards the Minnesota Wild, Scheifele scored Winnipeg’s solely aim of regulation time straight off of a faceoff with two seconds left within the first interval.

IT’S MARK SCHEIFELE OFF THE DRAW! 💪

The @NHLJets pull the goalie with 2.9 seconds left within the first interval and put one behind the online to tie it up! #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/SPL6niu4f3

— NHL (@NHL) October 13, 2024

Connor received that recreation in extra time with a scorching shot off the bar and in, constructing a part of Winnipeg’s good 3-0-0 document in further time. There was Ehlers’ hat trick towards the Columbus Blue Jackets, or his extra time winner towards the Seattle Kraken that trickled simply previous Joey Daccord with Hellebuyck pulled on a delayed penalty name. There was the Jets’ team-wide resilience after a controversial goaltender interference non-call put Winnipeg down 2-0 early towards the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Time and time once more, Winnipeg’s gamers have stepped up within the largest, most defining moments of video games. Their defensemen have protected the crease, all 4 strains have contributed offense, and Hellebuyck has constructed the case for a Vezina Trophy encore.

Historic context/comparisons

The Jets stand in a category of their very own at 14-1.

Earlier than that, they have been certainly one of solely two groups to start out a season 13-1.

And earlier than that, they have been certainly one of solely six groups to win 12 out of their first 13 video games. Right here’s what occurred to the opposite groups on this elite group.

It’s clear greatness surrounds all of those groups.

What’s unclear is how instantly that greatness arrived — notably within the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It could be sobering to be taught that not one of the different 5 groups went on to win the Stanley Cup within the season of their run. 4 of the 5 have been eradicated within the first spherical, and the 1995 Pittsburgh Penguins made it so far as Spherical 2, dropping to the New Jersey Devils, the eventual champions.

The 1994-95 Quebec Nordiques misplaced within the first spherical however received the Cup the following season in Colorado after buying Patrick Roy in a commerce with the Montreal Canadiens. The Detroit Red Wings received the Presidents’ Trophy earlier than their first-round loss in 2006 and received the Cup in 2008. The Penguins have been on the downswing from back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992, and the Ottawa Senators had made the earlier yr’s Stanley Cup Last.

The one factor that continues to be clear? Fourteen wins in 15 video games is a spectacular, history-making accomplishment, however 16 playoff wins are promised to nobody.

Most standings factors – Workforce’s first 15 video games of a season:
28- @NHLJets (14-1-0 in 2024-25 through a 4-1 win vs DAL earlier at present)
27- Flyers (13-1-1 in 1979-80)*
27- Oilers (12-0-3 in 1984-85)+
27- Blackhawks (12-0-3 in 2012-13)+
* Reached the Stanley Cup Last
+ Gained the Stanley Cup

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) November 10, 2024

The way it occurred, in keeping with coach Scott Arniel

“It’s actual easy for me. It’s such a group effort. It’s such a group effort. This isn’t Helle profitable each recreation. This isn’t Scheifele’s line profitable us each recreation. To me, that is 23 guys. This has been unbelievable within the sense of how all people has contributed. Whether or not that’s blocking pictures or making little detailed performs, defending, however clearly scoring targets. Early within the yr, we needed to rating late in video games to ship it to extra time and win it. Simply other ways of discovering methods to remain in video games after which getting the two factors. One of the best reply I may give you is that this has actually been a group run for us.”

Required studying

• NHL Power Rankings: A new No. 1 plus one reason to be optimistic about each team
• Connor Hellebuyck steals ‘revenge game,’ Winnipeg continues historic start: 3 takeaways
• Is the Winnipeg Jets’ hot start for real? Adam Lowry for Team Canada? Mailbag

(Picture of Alex Iafallo and Vladislav Namestnikov: Darcy Finley / NHLI through Getty Photos)