Browsing: Scheifele

CALGARY — Jonathan Toews’ first NHL goal in more than 2 1/2 years was a pivotal one on Monday night.

Toews’ power play marker at 2:41 of the third period came off a deflection of a Neal Pionk point shot to tie the game 1-1. Mark Scheifele notched the game-winner at 15:06 as the Jets rallied for a 2-1 decision over the struggling Calgary Flames.

“The No. 1 thing was the chemistry and the energy in the locker-room that this team has, that was a big selling point, and playing for a team like this that can contend and have a chance to win a Stanley Cup,†said Toews, playing his 16th season in the NHL.

After missing the past two seasons due to health issues, the longtime Chicago Blackhawks star signed a one-year deal in the summer.

“On top of all that, to do it in my hometown in Winnipeg, that’s a big part of it too,†said Toews. “So when I really came down to it, I couldn’t really see myself wearing any other sweater.â€

So far, so good with his new team. After Winnipeg dropped its season opener, 5-4 to the Dallas Stars, the Jets have reeled off five consecutive victories with Toews looking more and more comfortable every night.

“These last few games, I feel like I’m really starting to settle in, and just think less,†said Toews. “Now that some of the systems, and the play calling, and the draws, and what we do off faceoffs, all those little details of our team game have finally become second nature, I can go out there and maybe not overthink but start to relax with the puck and feel a little bit more comfortable and not as afraid to make mistakes.

“And then from there, the offence comes.â€

Toews’ last goal was on April 13, 2023.

“His game has been getting better every game,†said Jets’ coach Scott Arniel. “It’s probably a big weight off his shoulders, but at the end of the day, we’re not looking at these early games, we’re just trying to get him up and running and playing and being comfortable with how we play, and him feeling good about himself.â€

In addition to logging more than 18 minutes in ice time, the 37-year-old was a deadly 15-6 at the faceoff circle against the Flames, bumping his season win percentage to a stellar 63.5 per cent.

“That’s a huge asset for us. We weren’t the best faceoff team over the years and he’s helped us in that area, and it’s helped everybody pick up their game,†said Arniel.

But the intangibles the three-time Stanley Cup champion brings extend far beyond that.

“That leadership, the hockey sense that he has. He’s got a great mind for the game. You can hear him when he talks to his linemates, talks to his teammates. He has drive,†said Arniel. “All that stuff we’ve seen in the past, but now he’s real good for our group in the sense that he passes on that knowledge.â€

At this stage in his career, slotted in as the club’s No. 2 centre, Toews is no longer relied upon to lead the offence. The team has Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor to lead the way on that front, both of whom are off to a superb start.

Scheifele (7-3-10) and Connor (3-6-9) have both opened the season with six-game point streaks. Scheifele has goals in five straight games to pace the club with seven.

“The game nowadays, there’s no space, it’s so fast, but they just have that connection. And a guy like Gabe (Vilardi) goes out there too and just finds that empty space. He’s such a good catalyst for those two. So it’s fun to watch that line,†said Toews.

Scheifele welcomes Toews’ veteran presence.

“He’s a guy that wants to get back in the rhythm of things. He wants to excel each and every game and I think that’s the coolest thing,†said Scheifele. “A guy with as much experience as he has is still wanting to grow his game each and every night. He fits right into this group and we’re lucky to have him.â€

Toews sees great things ahead for his new club.

“Everything I had heard was that they’ve got an experienced group, and you saw what they did in the playoffs last year, and experience like that only continues to build, and especially their success in the regular season,†said Toews.

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PHILADELPHIA — Mark Scheifele scored a pair of goals to tie the record for the most career points in Jets franchise history, Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves, and Winnipeg beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Thursday night.

Scheifele tied Blake Wheeler with 812 points for the franchise, which includes the team’s years in Atlanta.

On his first goal, Scheifele fired a snap shot from the right circle past Philadelphia goalie Sam Ersson, beating him over his glove to put the Jets ahead 2-0 at 7:01 of the second period.

His second goal was a one-timer from the left circle on the power play in the third period to extend the lead to 4-1.

Hellebucyk, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, won a game in Philadelphia for the first time in his 11-year NHL career. He had lost in each of his four previous tries against the Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

His team helped him out in the third period, as the defense held the Flyers without a shot on goal for the first 17:39 of the period and held them with a shot at even strength for the entirety of the period.

Vladislav Namestnikov and Morgan Barron also scored goals for the Jets, and Tanner Pearson added an empty-netter to help Winnipeg win their third straight game after losing their season opener against Dallas.

Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov scored for the Flyers and Ersson finished with 10 saves.

Winnipeg: Returns home to host Nashville on Saturday night.

Philadelphia: Continues its four-game homestand Saturday, hosting Minnesota night.

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Alex Iafallo also scored for Winnipeg.

Adrian Kempke and Mikey Anderson replied for L.A.

Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for Winnipeg, while Darcy Kuemper stopped 25 shots for Los Angeles.

Scheifele picked a Josh Morrissey pass out of the air and deflected it past Kuemper to give Winnipeg a 3-2 lead midway through the third period.

Scheifele tied the score 2-2 with 1:03 left in the second. In the tail end of killing a penalty, Morgan Barron stole the puck and fed Scheifele, who raced down the ice and his backhand deflected off Anderson past Kuemper.

The Kings took a 2-1 lead midway through the middle frame. Kempke finished off a pretty three-way passing play with Anze Kopitar and Andrei Kuzmenko at the 9:12 mark.

Anderson knotted the score at 1-1 just 50 seconds into the second period. His screened shot from the point got by Hellebuyck. Drew Doughty and Kempke assisted.

Winnipeg had taken a 1-0 lead into the second period.

Iafallo opened the scoring on the power play early in the first period when he was set up by Kyle Connor alone in front of the net. Gabriel Vilardi also assisted.

Jets: They dominated play in the first period, outshooting L.A. 14-8 and scoring the only goal. After struggling through most of the second, they came back to life in the third.

Kings: After an incredibly slow start, they dominated Winnipeg in the second period, outscoring the Jets 2-1. But they were on the heels in the third, surrendering Winnipegâ€s winning goal.

Scheifele tied the score 2-2 just after killing off a penalty late in the second period to revive the struggling Jets. His backhand got banked in past Kuemper off a defenceman.

Hellebuyck made a number of brilliant saves, especially late, to hold off the Kings.

The Jets will face the Islanders in New York on Monday.

The Kings will play the Wild in Minnesota on Monday.

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