Winnipeg Jets become first team in NHL history to win 14 of team’s 15 games to start season

An incredible start has reached a historic mark.

With their 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon, the Winnipeg Jets became the first team in NHL history to win 14 of the team’s first 15 games of a new season.

The Jets matched a record earlier this week. Their victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday helped them become just the second team in league history to win 13 of its first 14 games, matching the hot start the Ottawa Senators had at the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign.

To put into context how impressive the first month of the season has been for the Jets, the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks, who set an NHL record for the longest streak without losing in regulation (24), went 12-0-3 through their first 15 contests. Those Hawks went on to win the Stanley Cup, while the ’08 Senators were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

There are many factors that have helped Winnipeg to establish themselves as a threat in the Western Conference. A scoring attack that was fairly quiet for most of last season has been almost unstoppable, and it has come by committee. 11 players have scored double digits already, including Kyle Connor and captain Mark Scheifele, who are tied for the team lead with 19 points apiece.

Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers are tied for the most goals on the Jets roster, while defenseman Josh Morrisey leads the pack with 14 assists.

Connor Hellebuyck might not be perfect, but he has been tough to beat in the early going. The Vezina Trophy winner has an 11-1 record in 12 starts, with a 1.83 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage and three shutouts.

With 28 points, the Jets have a six-point lead ahead of the Minnesota Wild in the Central Division and the league standings as a whole. They will try and continue their hot start against the reigning President’s Trophy winner, the New York Rangers, on Tuesday night.