The Winnipeg Jets become the first team in NHL history to go 15-1

NEW YORK – The Winnipeg Jets made NHL history with their 6-3 victory at the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, becoming the first team to win 15 of their first 16 games in a season.

“You play at MSG, you have to put on a show,” said center Mark Scheifele, who scored twice in the win. “It feels great. Obviously it’s been a good start for us, but tonight is over. Enjoy the win. And then back to work.”

The Jets’ start has been nothing short of remarkable. They became the fourth team since 1967-68 to lead the NHL in goals against per game through their first 15 games. They have scored five or more goals in half of their matches. Their 73 goals this season are the third most by a team in its first 16 games over the past 30 years.

With their win at the Rangers, the Jets moved to 7-0-0 on the road. The 36 goals they’ve scored away from Winnipeg are the most in NHL history for the nine teams that have won their first seven road games.

“We had talked about bank points at the start of the season. We have a very tough division. I don’t think I drew it up quite like this but the lads have certainly earned every inch of it,” said the boss. coach Scott Arniel, who was promoted from associate coach in the offseason.

Kyle Connor scored twice, while Gabriel Vilardi and Vladislav Namestnikov added goals. Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the Jets, many of them critical stops against the Rangers to keep his team’s momentum going. Hellebuyck is now 12-1-0 on the season and surpassed the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin (five goals on 32 shots) in a battle of favorites to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender.

Connor said he felt the Jets’ forecheck benefited from the Rangers pressing offensively.

“I think they, for lack of a better word, cheated on offense in certain areas. They went past our defensemen at times and we were able to keep pucks in and make them pay,” he said .

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette simply felt the Jets executed better.

“I don’t think we pushed. When you play a team that shoots offensively and the execution isn’t where it needs to be, it can turn on you pretty quickly,” he said.

Scheifele scored 57 seconds into the contest before the Rangers’ Will Cuylle tied it 13:07 into the first. Vilardi put the visitors ahead on the power play at 8:58 before Alexis Lafreniere tied the game again at 12:51 of the second. Connor put the Jets ahead for good at 16:03 of the second. Scheifele scored again 1:08 into the third — his ninth of the season — before Kaapo Kakko narrowed the deficit to 4-3 just 32 seconds later. Namestnikov scored his fifth at 13:08 and Connor finished the scoring into an empty net with 20 seconds left.

“It comes from every area of ​​our team, top to bottom. Everyone is involved in it, and that’s what makes it so dangerous, so lethal,” Connor said of the Jets’ offense. “It’s not just a one-trick pony. If a line has an off night, we usually have two or three going.”

The Jets continue on the road with games at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday.

Connor said the team understands the story it’s making but doesn’t allow it to be a distraction.

“Honestly, we know what we’re doing, but we don’t make too much of it. It’s moving on to the next one. It’s ‘How can we improve, how can we be better?'” he said. “I think that’s what’s made us successful to this point. Nobody’s satisfied. We won 15 here, but I think it just speaks to the management not getting comfortable. Still a lot of season left.”