A team often given the underachievers label in recent seasons, the Winnipeg Jets have flown out the gate to begin the new campaign and remain the NHL’s only undefeated squad.
The Jets entered Saturday night’s contest in Calgary for the last leg of a three-game road trip during which they’d already remained perfect with wins over the St Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken.
The Flames themselves have begun the year on a heater, taking 11 points from a possible 12 in their first six contests. Their first regulation loss of the campaign came on Thursday in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
It was Calgary captain Mikael Backlund who drew first blood after just 30 seconds in this one, catching out Jets goaltender Eric Comrie from a bad angle to get the hosts on the board. It would take Niko Ehlers just over a minute to respond for the Jets on the powerplay, setting the tone for what was to be a back-and-forth night in the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Penalties became a theme of the evening, and it was a shorthanded effort from Kyle Connor that gave the Jets their first advantage late in the first period.
The Flames failed to capitalize on two Jets tripping penalties that came in quick succession halfway through the second frame, although Rasmus Andersson’s wrister would tie the game minutes later to set up a fun third period.
It appeared after Dylan Samberg and Nazem Kadri exchanged goals early in the third that this one was headed for overtime at 3-3 in a game where both teams certainly deserved a point, but the referees’ whistle ended up defining the night when an eyebrow-raising slashing penalty was called against the aforementioned Kadri with five minutes remaining in regulation.
The Flames had just held off a 5-on-3, but Cole Perfetti would net the game-winner to highlight the frustration of the call against Kadri, who made his feelings clear from his seat in the penalty box.
Image Credit: Calgary Herald
“I just feel like it’s tough timing in the game. We had a great game on our hands; maybe going into overtime… you just gotta have some feel for it, that’s all,” he lamented regarding the whistle that wound up costing his team a point.
An empty-netter would give the Jets a 5-3 win, whose historic start to the season will next be tested at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Winnipeg are just the ninth team in league history to come out the gate with eight consecutive victories. It’s an impressive feat that has them positioned where they’ll aim to be come playoff time – at the top of the standings.
“We’re feeling good, we’re playing great… you know there’s nothing better than winning,”– Cole Perfetti
It’s a feeling the Jets have grown familiar with in recent years. They’ve been unstoppable at times during the regular season. It’s the playoffs where this group – marshalled by centre Mark Scheiffele and star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck – has fallen short over the past few years.
Identical outcomes have met the Jets in the last two postseasons: defeats in five games in the first round at the hands once each of both the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. With arguably the league’s best in the net and a lineup that’s looked at as one of the NHL’s strongest across the board, Winnipeg will look to make this campaign the year they finally break through and advance out of the first round.
Coach Rick Bowness retired after the 2023/24 season, and Scott Arniel has yet to taste defeat since taking over behind the bench. The early returns from the new-look coaching staff have been overwhelmingly positive for the Jets.
