1 week Ago By Scott Billeck
On Winnipeg’s off-days in New York City, it’s rumoured you can find Mark Scheifele perusing one of the Big Apple’s many I Love N.Y. stores.
OK, that’s (probably) made up. But one thing isn’t a fabrication: Scheifele loves Gotham. The 31-year-old scored twice on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, including the game-winner against the New York Rangers, as the Jets improved their historic start to 15-1-0 with a 6-3 win, becoming the fastest team to reach 15 wins in NHL history.
“It’s MSG. You gotta get up for MSG,” Scheifele told reporters in New York. “It’s just a fun place to play.
I play with some good players. Made some good plays out there. You play at MSG, you gotta put on a show.
” Scheifele opened the scoring 57 seconds into the game, then redirected his ninth of the season 1:08 in the third as the Jets won their seventh straight game. The centre has made mincemeat of the Rangers at the world’s most famous arena recently, scoring a hat trick in Winnipeg’s 4-2 win last season and a pair of goals in a 4-1 triumph the year prior. Kyle Connor also potted a pair, while Gabriel Vilardi pushed his point streak to eight games with his seventh of the season.
Vladislav Namestnikov, who scored his second in as many games, also tallied for Winnipeg. “It’s coming from all areas of our team, top to bottom, D-men — everybody’s involved in it, and that’s what makes us so dangerous, so lethal,” Connor said of the offensive outbursts his team has enjoyed. “We’re not just a one-trick pony.
If one line has an off-night, we usually have two or three going that can pick it up.” Connor Hellebuyck made 35 stops for his league-leading 12th win of the season. One of the prettiest goals of the season came in the second period when Vilardi put Winnipeg up 2-1 at 8:58 on the power play.
The sequence, fitting for the bright lights of a big city, began with Vilardi’s deft touch on a Pionk shot in front to gain possession. It continued when Vilardi nutmegged Rangers defenceman K’Andre Miller, leaving the winger alone in front. The crescendo arrived two passes later, with Vilardi finishing from Nikolaj Ehlers on a quick tic-tac-toe.
Shesterkin, who made 26 saves in a losing effort, had no chance. “Just phenomenal,” Scheifele said of the goal. Alexis Lafreniere tied the game 2-2 at 12:51 before Connor sent the Jets to the third with a 3-2 lead at 16:03.
After Scheifele put the Jets head 4-2, Kaapo Kakko scored 32 seconds later to pull the game to within a goal. Namestnikov’s hard work behind Shesterkin paid off when he scored his fifth at 13:08, and Connor sealed it on an empty-netter with 23 seconds left in regulation. The Jets continue their three-game road trip with a stop in Tampa on Thursday.
[email protected] X: @scottbilleck.
