FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: There’s a lot of talk about Winnipeg’s sizzling start to the year, but not so much chatter about the fact they are entering historical territory considering they ended the 2023-24 campaign with eight straight wins.
Add it all up and that’s 13 consecutive victories — a streak that only 10 teams in NHL history have surpassed.
(Yes, the NHL allows for combined seasons in this statistical category). The all-time record is 17 wins, held by the 1992-92 Pittsburgh Penguins. A pair of teams, including the 2023-24 Edmonton Oilers, reeled off 16 straight.
The Jets, of course, are more focused on the present than the past, but it’s still a rather notable achievement.
I know we continue to list them as the “third line” in this newsletter, but the reality is Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter are much more than that.
After the Pittsburgh Penguins tied it 3-3 early in the third period on Sunday afternoon, this trio took over the game as Lowry, Appleton and Niederreiter (into an empty net) all scored to make it a 6-3 final.
They already have 12 combined points this year, showing that they can do some damage in the offensive zone in addition to dominant work in the D-zone.
It’s always interesting when Winnipeg hits the road to see how opposing coaches try to get their best players away from Lowry and company, knowing just how effective they are. Lowry always loves playing in St. Louis, which is his birthplace (even though he was essentially raised in Calgary).
KEN SAYS: We’ve spent a lot of time in the early part of the season looking under the hood at the forward groups, with a heavy emphasis on the second scoring line. Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers have each recorded five points during the past two games, so we’ll focus on the Jets’ second defence pairing in this installment.
One of the questions heading into the campaign surrounded Neal Pionk’s ability to bounce back from an emotional loss and Dylan Samberg’s ability to handle an increase in minutes and responsibility.
Well, the early returns have been solid on both fronts.
Pionk is playing with confidence in all three zones, getting involved offensively while doing a nice job in the D-zone. He’s already up to a goal and six points in five games (including a four-point outing against the San Jose Sharks on Friday) while recording nine shots on goal, eight hits and five blocked shots.
Samberg has been very dependable in the defensive zone and shown a willingness to get more involved off the rush when the opportunity presents itself.
He’s up more than five minutes per game of ice time so far and is showing he was ready for the promotion.
The Blues are a team in transition, but they’re off to a strong start. Despite posting a steady record, the Blues are even in goal-differential, scoring 17 times while allowing 17 goals. That’s a stark contrast to the Jets, who lead the NHL with a plus-16 goal differential.
Philip Broberg has made a smooth transition to his new team, chipping in at least a point in each of the first five games of his Blues career (one goal, six points) and he set up the overtime Saturday.
He is tied with winger Jordan Kyrou for the team scoring lead — though Kyrou has gone three games without a point after a hot start to the season.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS:
- Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
- Perfetti-Namestnikov-Ehlers
- Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
- Barron-Kupari-Iafallo
DEFENCE:
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Samberg-Pionk
- Stanley-Miller
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Coghlan, D Fleury, F Gustafsson
INJURED: D Heinola (ankle), F Anderson-Dolan (foot)
ST. LOUIS BLUES
FORWARDS:
- Saad-Thomas-Kyrou
- Bolduc-Buchnevich-Neighbours
- Holloway-Schenn-M Joseph
- Texier-Faksa-Kapanen
DEFENCE:
- Suter-Parayko
- Broberg-Faulk
- P-O Joseph-Kessel
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Perunovich, F Walker
INJURED: D Krug (ankle), D Leddy (upper body) F Sundqvist (knee), F Texier (upper body), F Toropchenko (lower body).
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NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets head coach Scott Arniel on how things are shaping up in the Central Division so far:
“It’s amazing. You look at where we are. We’ve had a great start, but everybody is sitting right in the pack and we’re all tight together, which is how it will be all year long. You’ve got to be at your best.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Ken is on this three-game road trip and is working on an early notebook, leading off with Winnipegger Alex Steen transitioning to the Blues’ GM role in two years and an update on how things are going for Blues goalie and Manitoban Joel Hofer.
You can check that story out, along with the game analysis in Wednesday’s edition of the paper and at winnipegfreepress.com.
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