Jets defeat Stars to set NHL record with 14th win in 1st 15 games

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets set an NHL record with their 14th win in their first 15 games to start a season with a 4-1 victory against the Dallas Stars at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

"I'm pretty amazed, a little bit," Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. "At the same time, these players, they do have to recognize that it's an amazing feat what they've done so far. But we'd like to just keep this going a little bit longer. But at the end of the day, they've got to be awfully proud of what they've done.

"It's historic but I just can't stress enough … it is about how we let last game go and move on to the next opponent. … The players have done a fantastic job of putting things in perspective in each game, each situation, and moving on to the next. I'd be awfully proud of what they've done."

Alex Iafallo and Vladislav Namestnikov each had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg (14-1-0), which has won six in a row. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves and set a franchise record with a shutout streak of 191:47, which ended late in the third period.

"He's an excellent goalie but [Winnipeg is] playing a great game," Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. "They've got four lines and six defensemen that are playing really well around them, and when you do crack the armor he's there to make the save. And he's an exceptional goalie, but he wasn't the difference in the game tonight. They were better than us in a lot of areas."

Roope Hintz scored for Dallas (8-5-0), which has lost three of four (1-3-0). Jake Oettinger allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled in the second period. Casey DeSmith made 10 saves in relief.

"It was a big challenge coming up against the team leading the league," Stars forward Wyatt Johnston said. "It was a big game for us, and we obviously didn't come out and play the way we wanted to. But you can definitely learn from experiences like this and just take things from it."

Iafallo gave the Jets a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at 7:28 of the first period, redirecting Namestnikov's centering pass over Oettinger.

"Winning in stretches like that is what you play for and we're having fun doing it," Iafallo said. "But once it's game time, we're ready to rock, so it's a lot of fun right now."

Following a turnover by Stars defenseman Mathew Dumba, Rasmus Kupari made it 2-0 at 10:21, tucking in a rebound at the side of the net.

"They're a great team. It starts from [Hellebuyck]," Johnston said. "You see he's been great, but they're playing well in front of him, defending well, not giving us a lot of opportunities, which obviously makes it easier on him. Overall, they're a great team. It's definitely a benchmark for us to remember this game and remember what level we need to get to."

Iafallo said of Hellebuyck, "Another [heck] of a game. He's making incredible saves and keeping our plays in it and making those defensive plays. It goes a long way and pushes us forward. I think he's having a [heck] of a start, so he's got to keep it going. It's pretty fun to watch."

Namestnikov pushed it to 3-0 at 3:34 of the second, jamming the puck in after his initial wraparound attempt was stopped.

"He was trying to cover it, but I saw it there and just poked at it," Namestnikov said. "Luckily, it went in."

Nikolaj Ehlers made it 4-0 at 7:14 with a one-timer on the power play.

Oettinger was pulled 2:07 later.

"I think when you look at [Winnipeg] and Florida, they've exposed us and we've got to be a lot better, DeBoer said of his team, which lost to the Panthers twice in the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland. "I think we've beaten the teams we should beat, but when we've had opportunities to play the top teams in the league, we haven't risen to the occasion. So that's on us."

Hintz scored to make it 4-1 at 18:38 of the third, ending Hellebuyck's shutout streak.

"[Hellebuyck] was unbelievable all game and last game and the game before," Namestnikov said. "He's a rock back there, and we would like to have that one back, but sometimes they go in, so we'll take the win. We'll take that game and move on."

Hellebuyck and the Jets had two straight shutouts entering Saturday.

"It's awesome what he does every night," Arniel said of Hellebuyck. "You almost take it for granted at times. I know the crowd goes crazy, but we see that in practice every day, we see it in games often. He's elite."

NOTES: Hellebuyck's shutout streak broke the team record previously held by Ondrej Pavelec (187:05 in 2014-15). … Gabriel Vilardi had an assist and has nine points (five goals, four assists) during a career-high seven-game point streak. … Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele has an assist in seven-straight games, and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in that span. … The Jets won a sixth-straight win for the second time this season. The only other team in NHL history to have multiple six-game win streaks through its first 15 games of a season is the Colorado Avalanche in 2013-14. … Winnipeg's 67 goals (including shootout-deciding goals) is the most by a team through 15 games of a season since the 2006-07 Sabres (68).