NHL Game Recap: Scheifele, Connor Each Score Twice In 6-3 Win Against Rangers

The Rangers took a 6-3 loss when they took on the Jets at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, November 12th after an incredible 4-0 shutout win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Winnipeg has been absolutely on fire since the start of the season, winning every single game but one, which had been a 6-4 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 28th. Both Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor scored twice to help the Jets secure this victory. Will Cuylle, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere all scored the three New York goals. The Rangers host the San Jose Sharks and the Jets head to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning on Thursday.

Winnipeg Jets Lineup:

Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi

Ehlers – Namestnikov – Perfetti

Niederreiter – Lowry – Appleton

Barron – Kupari – Iafallo

Morrissey – DeMelo

Samberg – Pionk

Fleury – Miller

Hellebuyck

Comrie

New York Rangers Lineup:

Panarin – Zibanejad – Lafreniere

Kreider – Trocheck – Smith

Cuylle – Chytil – Kakko

Edtrom – Carrick – Vesey

Lindgren – Fox

Miller – Trouba

Jones – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

Only 57 seconds into the opening frame, Mark Scheifele scores to put the Jets in front 1-0 when he scored from between the circles off Mika Zibanejad’s defensive turnover, and Josh Morrissey had gotten the puck on the right-wing wall, finding Scheifele in front. Will Cuylle tied it to 1-1 in front off a rebound of the initial shot made by Braden Schneider at 6:53 of the first period.

Gabriel Vilardi picked up his seventh goal of the season when he put Winnipeg ahead 2-1 at 11:02 of the middle frame. After K’Andre Miller fumbled the puck behind the net, which allowed the Jets to sustain possession, Neal Pionk sent it to the net, and Vilardi tipped it down, slipped around Miller, and dished it to Nikolaj Ehlers on the right side… after a few passes back and forth between Vilardi and Ehlers, eventually getting it back for a tap-in power-play goal. To even it again at 2-2, Alexis Lafreniere struck on the power play for his sixth goal of the season. Kyle Connor put the Jets back in the lead at 3-2 with just 3:57 remaining in the second when he scored off the rush, following another turnover by Mika Zibanejad.

Early into the third at 18:52, Mark Scheifele went for his second goal of the night to make it 4-2 just seconds after the puck was taken away from Mika Zibanejad by Gabriel Vilardi… the puck got to Dylan DeMelo, who passed it off to Scheifele to score in front. Kaapo Kakko scored the third Rangers goal just 32 seconds later to make it 4-3. This had been Kakko’s second goal of the season. At 6:52 of the third, Vladislav Namestnikov extended the Jets’ lead to 5-3 when he scored from below the goal line off a rebound from the end wall of a shot by Nikolaj Ehlers. With little time left in regulation, Kyle Connor grabbed his second of the night when he struck New York’s empty net for the 6-3 final.

Will Cuylle on mistakes, the Jets, and the game overall: “I thought for a lot of the game, we were right there with them. They don’t make too many mistakes, they capitalize on our mistakes, and we couldn’t capitalize as much on theirs. So, that’s the big difference in the game,” – “It felt like every time we got closer and tied it up, they jumped at us. It was frustrating. I thought we battled pretty hard to the end, to be honest.”

Kyle Connor on the focus right now, the game overall, and Connor Hellebuyck: “Honestly, we know what we’re doing, but we don’t take too much stock in it. It’s let’s move on to the next one. It’s how can we improve? It’s how can we be better? – I think that’s what made us successful. To this point, nobody’s satisfied. There are still errors that we can work on. We’ve won 15, but I think that speaks to the leadership, not getting comfortable, and there’s still much of the season left. So, that’s the focus right now,” – “Hey, we got one, they got one right back – it didn’t really change too much… If we have a lead going into the third, let’s get them on their heels. Don’t sit back and don’t wait for them to take the play to us. I think we’re best when we’re controlling the puck down in their zone… That’s a very highly talented team across the ice over there, and we did a good job. They had their looks, they had their power play, but that’s where Helley comes in and makes a couple of great saves. He’s the best in the world back there… he kept us in it for a good part of that too.”

Notes:

– The Jets have gotten to 15 wins faster than the 2022-23 Boston Bruins, the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators, the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres, the 1985-96 Philadelphia Flyers, and the 1929-30 Boston Bruins. They all did it in 17 games, previously being the fastest.

– Kyle Connor picked up three points (two goals, one assist), Neal Pionk recorded three assists, and Nikolaj Ehlers picked up a pair of assists. …Both Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele extended their point streak to eight games, and Connor and Pionk extended their road point streak to seven games.

– Connor Hellebuyck made a total of 33 saves for Winnipeg.

– The Jets have won seven in a row, and they are 7-0-0 on the road. …They’re the ninth team in NHL history to win seven straight road games to start the season… joining the 2023-24 Los Angeles Kings (11-0-0), the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres (10-0-0), the 2009-10 New Jersey Devils (9-0-0), the 2018-19 Nashville Predators (8-0-0), the 2009-10 Pittsburgh Penguins (7-0-0), the 2005-04 Detroit Red Wings (7-0-0), the 1985-86 Philadelphia Flyers (7-0-0), and the 1940-41 Toronto Maple Leafs (7-0-0).

– Will Cuylle picked up both a goal and an assist, and Artemi Panarin extended his home point streak to eight games when he picked up an assist. …Braden Schneider picked up a pair of assists.

– Igor Shesterkin made a total of 27 saves for New York.

– Four of the Jets’ goals came off of Rangers turnovers, three of those coming from Mika Zibanejad.

– The Jets claimed Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers, loaning him to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. They had also placed Logan Stanley on injured reserve retroactive to November 9th.