Despite the franchise record already established with eight consecutive victories to start a season, Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele is convinced that his team can give even more.
Collectively and individually.
The Jets will try to get within one win of the NHL record for longest winning streak at the start of a season when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canada Life Center on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; PRIME). Scheifele believes the best is yet to come.
“I don’t think there’s any complacency,” Scheifele told NHL.com. We found ways to get wins, but I think the most important thing is to keep working on things and keep getting better. It’s so early in the season. There are still a lot of matches to play, you can’t let complacency set in because you’ve got a few wins. We have to keep pushing and try to give a consistent effort throughout the match. »
Still, the dividends have been favorable for Winnipeg so far.
With their 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday, the Jets became the ninth team in NHL history – the fourth in Canada – to record a streak of at least eight victories to start a season.
Winnipeg, which has now won its last 16 regular season games going back to last season, still has not allowed more than three goals and has scored at least four goals five times in 2024-25.
Scheifele played a key role in this performance.
“Everyone plays their role,” commented coach Scott Arniel. Mark must play big minutes against the best attackers or the best opposing defenders. This means that you have to play as much in the back of your territory as in the offensive territory. He takes a lot of pride in doing this. We know these guys will end up giving us offense, but it’s the play on both ends of the ice that’s impressive. »
Scheifele shares the team lead with 10 points (five goals, five assists) and is the Jets’ most used forward with an average ice time of 20:34 per game. He is also the leader with four goals at even strength, and he is second with 21 shots on goal.
“He’s so smart,” teammate Cole Perfetti said. He is a cerebral player. He reads the game well and knows when to pass or when to shoot. He’s truly a dual threat, that’s what makes him dangerous. He’s the kind of guy you want to have on your team. It’s great to watch him go and be able to learn from him. »
As effective as he has been since the start of the season, Scheifele continues to believe he can improve further.
“It’s funny to say that I probably haven’t played exactly the way I want to,” he said. But I don’t think it occurred to me that I had played a good 60 minutes yet. I can do more. The results are there, but I expect much more from myself. There is more to come.
“That’s the fun part and that’s what motivates me. I just want to continue on this path and find a way to perform well for 60 minutes. »
That should be a cause for concern for those who face Scheifele in the near future, according to Perfetti.
“It shows how good he is and how much he always wants more,” Perfetti said. He leads our team in points and, despite everything, he wants to do more and he knows he can do more. He is a great teammate and the perfect guy to lead our team. »
The Maple Leafs, Monday’s opponent, set the NHL record with 10 consecutive victories to open a season in 1993-94. The 2006-07 Buffalo Sabers tied that mark.
Only two other teams have reached the nine-game mark at the start of the season: the Montreal Canadiens in 2015-16 and the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021-22.
The Jets will try to join them.
“It just takes a collective effort,” Scheifele said. Everyone is contributing now. When a trio performs less well on a given evening, another takes over. And with our goalies excelling, it’s truly a team effort. »
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