3 Takeaways From Jets History That Made Winning Stars – Hockey Writers – Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets have had an unprecedented start to the season. After defeating the Dallas Stars 4-1, the team became the first in NHL history to win 14 of their first 15 games. They were originally tied with the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators with 13 wins in 14 games, but have now passed them for the record.

The Stars fell to 8-5-0 with the loss, while the Jets improved to 14-1-0. Let’s take a look at how the historic game went down for the Jets.

The Fourth Line Makes Its Mark in the First Season

The first goal of the game was scored by Alex Iafallo on a power play, and not long after, he added an assist on the Jets’ second goal by Rasmus Kupari. The dominance of the fourth line in this game was a good testament to the depth of the team as a whole. Iafallo in particular makes a big splash. In 2:24 of ice time in the first half, he had a goal, an assist, a takeaway, and three shots.

Last season Kupari had just one point in 28 games, so he’s off to a good start with two points in as many games. It was only a matter of time how well he played until now. Morgan Barron is the only player on the fourth line looking for his first goal of the season. His only point of the season was an assist in the Jets’ season opener against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Jets’ League-Leading Power Play continued to dominate in the Second Period

At 3:34 of the second period, Vlad Namestnikov scored his fourth goal of the season with assists from Cole Perfetti and Neal Pionk. It was also his second point of the night following his assist on the first goal. This is his third multi-point game of the season. He had a goal and an assist last week in the Jets’ 7-4 win over his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and finished with four points (one goal, three assists) on Oct. 18 against the San Jose Sharks.

IN THE BOOKS OF HISTORY 📚 pic.twitter.com/0eLFgduPYN

– Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 9, 2024

The Jets game continued to improve with a goal by Nikolaj Ehlers (assisted by Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi). Iafallo’s goal tied the Colorado Avalanche for most power play goals scored by a team, and Ehlers’ goal pushed Winnipeg into first place with 18 power play goals.

Connor Hellebuyck Makes Franchise History in Third Season

While Hellebuyck closed last season, he made franchise history anyway. He set the record for longest shutout at 191:47. Former NHL goaltender Ondrej Pavelec previously held the record at 187:05 during the 2014-25 season. Hellebuyck has started the season well with 11 wins, three shutouts, and a 1.83 goals against average.

Related: Connor Hellebuyck Calls for Clarification of Goaltender Interference Rules

Roope Hintz scored the Stars’ lone goal of the game at 18:38 of the third period after a flurry in front of the net. Hellebuyck did his best to stop him, but in the midst of the chaos and walking without a stick, Dallas got on the board.

Jets Face Tough Road Ahead

While the Jets have already faced (and beaten) a number of good teams this season, the next four games will test their strengths and weaknesses. Winnipeg will head to the Big Apple to face the 8-3-1 New York Rangers on Tuesday before heading to Tampa to play the 7-6-1 Lightning on Thursday.

The real test will come against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, on the 16th and 19th. They are in third place in the league at 10-3-1, and back-to-back games could keep the Jets on their toes. The Jets are 6-0-0 against Central Division teams, so this next set of games against Atlantic and Metro Division teams should be interesting. Still, the next few games should bring some good hockey as the Jets look to continue their historic pace.