Each Friday during the season, NHL.com director, senior fantasy editor Pete Jensen will take a look at the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, he dives into the Winnipeg Jets’ season-opening winning streak.
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The Winnipeg Jets are soaring to start the season with seven straight wins, and the success of their elite players, power-play turnaround and limitation of high-danger chances are big reasons.
NOTE: The Jets extended their winning streak to eight games before it ended in a 6-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 28.
Per NHL EDGE stats, the Jets are tied with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers for the most midrange goals (13) in the League this season entering Friday, led by forward Kyle Connor, who is tied for second in midrange goals (four) behind Artemi Panarin (five). Connor’s frequent linemate, Mark Scheifele, is tied for second in high-danger goals (four) behind Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers (six).
The Jets are only outshooting their opponents 31.9 to 29.7 on average, ranking eighth in shots per game but tied for the 11th-most SOG allowed per game. Although their shot attempts percentage (48.9; 21st) and 5-on-5 shooting percentage (8.7; 18th) are middle of the pack, they are still playing their stingy, trademark style under new coach Scott Arniel, who was promoted in the offseason following Rick Bowness’ retirement.
Winnipeg is tied with the Minnesota Wild for the best goals-against average (1.86) in the NHL, and two-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck has had the support of his defense, led by Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk, early on. Only Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers (plus-13) has a better goal differential among goalies than Hellebuyck (plus-12).
Hellebuyck has played in six of their first seven games and has a .940 save percentage and one shutout. Per EDGE stats, Hellebuyck has faced 38 high-danger shots and allowed four goals in those areas, ranking seventh in high-danger save percentage (.895). It’s also important that Hellebuyck ranks outside the League’s top 10 in high-danger shots allowed, trailing fellow high-end starters in Sergei Bobrovsky (51), Shesterkin (48), Juuse Saros (47), Jacob Markstrom (45) and Jeremy Swayman (42), among others.
Limiting those high-danger chances is crucial to Hellebuyck, who was blitzed by the Colorado Avalanche during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after an outstanding regular season. Hellebuyck faced 55 high-danger shots on goal during Winnipeg’s five-game series loss to Colorado and stopped only 42 (13 high-danger goals allowed); his high-danger save percentage (.764) in the postseason ranked below the League average (.781).
One drastic improvement compared to last season is Winnipeg’s power play, which leads the NHL at 42.1 percent (8-for-19) entering Friday; the Jets ranked 22nd with the man advantage (18.8) last season. A tweak that Arniel has made early is putting wing Nikolaj Ehlers (nine points, two on power play, in seven games) on the first unit, and also having forwards Gabriel Vilardi (limited to 47 games last season; also plays on PP1) and Cole Perfetti (limited to 71; plays on PP2) healthy has given the Jets significantly more scoring depth.
The Jets have nine players with multiple power-play points this season, including their leader in the category in Scheifele (four); three members of Winnipeg’s second power-play unit, Perfetti, Pionk and Vladislav Namestnikov, are tied for second (three PPP each). It’s certainly early on in the season, but the Jets look fully cemented in the playoff picture and would have unfinished business after last season’s early exit.
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