The Winnipeg Jets are gaining a reputation as a team that’s sometimes down, but never out.
Their ability to come from behind and find a way to win has been a major factor in their 7-0-0 start and shows the character and resilience they have built.
Jets’ Comeback Ability on Display Early Into Season
The Jets, who remain the NHL’s only undefeated team, have trailed in five of seven games but have shown no panic when falling behind. From top to bottom, it seems they trust the system Rick Bowness implemented and head coach Scott Arniel has continued to preach in his first season behind the bench. Even when behind, they stick to their process and appear confident they will generate enough chances to get back into a game without abandoning their defence-first focus. Knowing they have a balanced attack and that Connor Hellebuyck is behind them in their crease are further boosts to their faith in themselves.
This faith has served them well. It’s helped them bag points even when they play less than perfectly and shows their evolution into a group with a well-established identity that doesn’t fade away when adversity arises.
The Jets have only dominated two games from start to finish (in a 6-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers and an 8-3 win over the San Jose Sharks) and in fact have allowed the game’s opening salvo five times: against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 11, against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 13, against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 20, against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 22, and against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 24.
The final results: 2-1 overtime wins over the Blackhawks and Wild, a 6-3 win over the Penguins, a 3-2 win over the Blues, and a 4-3 overtime win over the Kraken. The Jets were actually down 2-0 to the Penguins by the mid second, but rattled of three-consecutive goals before the frame concluded.
“When things are not going well we have to go back to what we do great, wearing teams down, get it down low, create chances, create momentum,” Nino Niederreiter, who scored two goals against the Kraken including a greasy game-tying marker in the second, said after the victory. (From ‘Jets sink Kraken in overtime to push winning streak to seven games,’ Winnipeg Free Press, Oct. 24, 2025.)
Related: 3 Takeaways From Kraken’s 4-3 OT Loss to the Jets
The Jets have no shortage of players who can create that momentum by generating zone time and chipping in on offence. Their top three lines are all more than capable of scoring; the club has 14 players who have lit the lamp at least once and six players operating at a point-per-game-plus clip.
The Jets were sloppy in the first and surrendered their two-goal third-period lead against the Kraken, leading Arniel to say he was actually “disappointed” with how his club played. However, he said their ability to feel comfortable in tight contests is an asset.
“We’re doing a lot of good things, finding ways to win,” he said, adding that other Central Division teams are playing well and banking points is important. “There’s been a couple games where we faltered, a little bit tonight, but at the end of the day we’ve grown as a group and learned how to play in these type of hockey games.”
Scoring First Is Better, Of Course
There’s no doubt Arniel would like his team to set the tone by scoring first more often. The Jets, who finished with 52 wins and 110 points last season, scored first in 41 games that campaign and won 35 of them. They went only 17-20-4 in the 41 games the opponent scored first.
It’s valid to question whether this early-season ability to win when not scoring first is sustainable, considering the team that scores first has won roughly 66 per cent of regular-season games over the past decade, according to hockey analyst Dr. Alain Hache.
Jets Looking to Douse Flames in Final Game of Road Trip to Stay Perfect
The Jets will complete their three-game road trip with a matchup in Calgary against the Flames on Saturday, Oct. 26. The retooling Flames got off to a stronger start than most expected by rattling off five-straight wins but have lost their last two, one in overtime and one in regulation.
The Jets will then return home for one game on Monday, Oct. 28 and will welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to town in what is set to be another electric matchup due to the teams’ and fans’ rivalries. The Jets have not beaten the Maple Leafs in Winnipeg since November, 2021.