After 10 games, the Winnipeg Jets remain atop the NHL standings even after dropping their first game of the season. At this point, everyone just feels like they’re along for the ride and enjoying the early season success, and who can blame them? This is something that doesn’t happen all too often.
Since the last notebook, the Jets have played four games and a lot of what created the early success has remained. That said, the further into the season it gets, the easier it gets to see some of the things that need to be adjusted. The best mindset for a good team to have is, “How can we get better?” even after winning nine of their first 10 games, and the loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs had a lot of people asking that very question.
All that said, the Jets keep getting results, and you can’t argue with that. How they’re getting the results might not be completely sustainable, but banking this many points before November gives them the time to make adjustments later on while having some breathing room. Here’s what happened over the past week.
Winning Streak Comes to a Close
The Jets fell 6-4 to the Maple Leafs on Oct. 28, ending their season-opening eight-game winning streak. It wasn’t the ending Jets fans were hoping for, but it was bound to end eventually. The game ended up being more exciting than what it seemed like it was going to be after the Jets went down 4-0 in the second period.
Kyle Connor, who we’ll touch on more later, had an incredible game to make it closer than it really should have been. He had two goals and two assists, and almost singlehandedly dragged the Jets back into that game. A John Tavares hat trick ended up being the difference maker, but a loss is a loss no matter how wild the game is.
Maybe the first loss is a good thing, although I’m sure a lot of Jets fans take a great deal of issue with it being against the Maple Leafs, but it could take some pressure off of the team. They likely felt that they had to be perfect going forward with this spotlight on them from every major outlet and the league itself. Without the burden of remaining undefeated, maybe that’s how they can play a bit more to their strengths and find a way to keep winning.
Bouncing Back After the First Loss
There were questions as to how the team would look after dropping the first game of the year, and they showed up in a big way. The Jets went in and beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-2 on the road to get back in the win column.
Connor was once again at the front of the line in terms of who made an impact, adding to his team-leading point total by tallying a goal and two assists to move into a tie for fifth in NHL scoring with 17 points. His assist in the first period was also his 500th career point, adding to his list of accomplishments. He has been outstanding offensively to start the season, recording at least one point in every game the Jets have played.
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Neal Pionk also found the scoresheet twice against the Red Wings, bringing his season total to 12 points in 10 games. Pionk and his defensive partner Dylan Samberg had a game to forget against the Maple Leafs, as they were on the ice for five goals. The pairing rebounded nicely in Detroit, controlling both the chances and shots when on the ice.
It was one of the better complete efforts from the forward group in the past several games, and that starts with the top line of Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi performing like a top line. They dominated the Red Wings at five-on-five, putting up three goals and winning their minutes handily. If they can find a way to keep that up, the Jets will have no issue winning hockey games on the back of their offense.
The power play, which has made up for some of the holes in the even-strength game, continued its reign of terror, adding another goal with the man advantage and remained atop the NHL’s rankings at a 44.8% success rate. It’s probably terrifying for other teams to think what this team could accomplish with this power play if the even-strength game improves, and the game against the Red Wings was a taste of that.
First Line Rewards Arniel for Sticking With Them
After dropping their first game of the season, many wondered about the chance of new-look lines after being relieved of the pressure that comes with being undefeated. That fire was fed by the fact that Scott Arniel shuffled things to get back into the game against the Maple Leafs, uniting the different players that fans had been clamoring for.
Well, as the Jets took the ice before their game against the Red Wings, the old lines emerged from the visitor tunnel and at least began the game looking the same as before. The trio of Connor, Scheifele, and Vilardi remain Arniel’s go-to on the top line, and historically that has given the Jets some problems. Going into the game against the Red Wings, they had been outscored 9-2 at five-on-five.
Now, to give credit where credit is due, that top line put together a really productive game against the Red Wings and rewarded Arniel for sticking with them. The three-goal effort from the line brings that gap a little closer, now at 9-5, but it’s still a work in progress. Maybe it was Arniel’s willingness to take them apart when they needed a reset, but that trio looked motivated to prove to the coach that he should keep them together. The staff will probably want to see that on a consistent basis, but it was a welcome sight to see in the short term.
Up Next – One More Before Heading Back to Winnipeg
The Jets are one game from wrapping up their short road trip, visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, Nov. 1 for a 6:00 p.m. puck drop. After that, they head home for a four-game homestand, beginning on Sunday, Nov. 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are going to be some big tests for the Jets in the upcoming week with some seriously good competition.
After such a strong start on a somewhat light schedule, how will they stack up against some of the league’s best? Well, if their game in Detroit is an indicator, they could be back on track to keep winning games at a decent clip.
