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

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

“You play MSG, you have to put on a show,” said center Mark Scheifele, who scored two goals in the victory. “It’s amazing. Obviously it was a good start for us, but tonight is over. Enjoy the victory. And then get 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 for and 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 in the last 30 years.

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

“We talked about points in the bank at the start of the season. We have a very tough division. I don’t think I quite thought of it that way, but the guys certainly won every inch,” said the chief. coach Scott Arniel, who was promoted to associate coach during the offseason.

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

Connor said he felt the Jets’ forecheck benefited from the Rangers’ offensive pressure.

“I think they, for lack of better words, were cheating on offense in certain areas. They were outplaying our defenders at times, and we were able to keep the puck and make them pay,” he said.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette simply felt the Jets executed better.

“I don’t think we were pressuring. When you’re playing a team that’s shooting offensively and the execution isn’t where it should be, it can turn around pretty quickly,” he said.

Scheifele scored 57 seconds into the game before the Rangers’ Will Cuylle tied the game at 13:07 of the first period. Vilardi gave the visitors the lead on a power play at 8:58 before Alexis Lafrenière tied the game again at 12:51 of the second period. Connor gave the Jets the lead for good at 16:03 of the second. Scheifele scored again at 1:08 of the third period – his ninth of the season – before Kaapo Kakko cut the lead to 4-3 just 32 seconds later. Namestnikov scored his fifth at 13:08, and Connor completed the scoring into an empty net with 20 seconds left.

“It’s coming from every part of our team, top to bottom. Everybody’s involved, and that’s what makes it so dangerous, so deadly,” Connor said of the Jets’ offense. “It’s not just a sleight of hand. If a line has an off night, we usually have two or three.”

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

Connor said the team understands the story they’re writing, but doesn’t allow it to be a distraction.

“Honestly, we know what we’re doing, but we don’t think too much about it. It’s about moving on to the next thing. It’s ‘How can we improve, how can we be better?’ ” he said. “I think that’s what’s made us successful so far. Nobody’s happy. We’ve won 15 here, but I just think it shows the leadership isn’t comfortable. There’s still a lot of season left.”