The Jets kick off their difficult road trip with an impressive 6-3 win over the Rangers to improve to an incredible 15-1-0.
For those who would like to take a deeper dive into the advanced stats click here to see the results from the game via Natural Stat Trick.
Pre-game news:
There was some non-game related news as we learned that defenceman Logan Stanley is dealing with mid-body injury and isn’t on the road trip. The team also put in a waiver claim on goalie Kaapo Kahkonen who was thereafter assigned to the Moose.
Notable:
Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck was tested right off the opening faceoff and he was up for the task which was good for his club as Mark Scheifele would open the scoring just 57 seconds into the game with his 8th of the season. He’s got an eight-game points streak (3G 7A). Assist to Josh Morrissey and while Kyle Connor didn’t get an assist his pressure caused the turnover to 44.
Scheifele becomes first Jets player of season to hit 20 points (8G 12A) and he’s on pace for just over 100 points. He’d be first player to achieve that mark.
Since this is called notable how about this random factoid: At the 22 minute mark of tonight’s game it was minute number 30,000 for Connor Hellebuyck on the ice for the Jets.
With it all tied up 1-1 in the middle frame Gabriel Vilardi pulls off a move that looks like a road hockey play not something you’d do in the NHL. What a sequence by Vilardi who had 7G in last 9G. Like 55 he’s got an eight-game points streak (6G 4A). It was a power play goal.
After the Rangers tied it on the PP, Kyle Connor ripped home his 10th goal of the season to give the Jets a 3-2 lead. We were just chatting with Kevin Sawyer this past weekend on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show about Connor’s deceptive shot.
Early in the 3rd period the Jets struck on a beautiful sequence that saw Mark Scheifele get his second of the game to make it 4-2 for Winnipeg just 1:08 into the final frame. Great work by Dylan DeMelo and Kyle Connor who pick up the assists. And you could tell it was a good goal by the audible “oof” sound Kevin Sawyer made on the broadcast.
New York struck back 32 seconds later to make it a one goal game again. Winnipeg considered a coach’s challenge but didn’t in the end.
But former Ranger Vlad Namestnikov scores a goal from his favourite spot to give the Jets a two goal edge at 5-3.
And then Kyle Connor added an empty netter to put the exclamation point on this one with his second of the game to start this three-game road trip off on the right skate. With the win Winnipeg improves to an incredible 15-1-0 on the season.
Look at some of the numbers:
1st in NHL – wins (15)
1st in NHL – points (30)
1st in NHL – winning % (.938)
1st in NHL – Power Play (42.2%)
1st in NHL – Goals for (73)
1st in NHL – Goal differential (+39)
Multipoint Game:
Kyle Connor 2G 1A
Neal Pionk 3A
Mark Scheifele 2G
Nikolaj Ehlers 2A
Highlights:
Player/Coach post-game media:
Illegal Curve Post-Game Show:
Up next:
The Jets are scheduled to be off tomorrow. Begin your day with all the latest Jets and Moose news in the AM Papers on illegalcurve.com which are available starting at 7 AM CST.
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