Jets looking for a November to remember

The Winnipeg Jets finished October on a high. Now they open a challenging new month by hosting hockey’s hottest team.

Few, if any, puck pundits had the Pittsburgh Penguins pegged to sit atop the NHL standings at any point this season. Yet that’s exactly where they are, rolling into town with an 8-2-2 record.

That sets up a marquee matchup Saturday afternoon at Canada Life Centre, with the 8-3-0 Jets also feeling good about their game after back-to-back victories.

“Pittsburgh has been playing great lately. We have to be ready for a tough test,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele said following Friday’s practice at the downtown rink. “Playing against Sidney Crosby, there’s always a lot of motivation.”

Indeed, Sid “The Kid” has been leading the way, showing no signs of slowing down at age 38. He’s already scored a team-leading eight goals and added seven assists. Evgeni Malkin, 39, is also keeping Father Time at bay, pacing the Penguins with 17 points (3G, 14A).

“Both are Hall of Famers, guys that have been amazing in this league for so long. Their hockey IQ is just amazing, so I’m not surprised at all,” said Scheifele.

“They’re good veteran guys, they work hard at their craft and it’s no surprise. They’re Hall of Famers for a reason. They keep pushing for more and it’s really, really fun to watch.”

There was a time when Pittsburgh being among the NHL heavyweights was routine. The Penguins made the playoffs 16 straight seasons, capturing Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

But they’ve missed the post-season three years in a row, with declining point totals of 91, 88 and 80. They were a popular pre-season pick to finish near the bottom of the standings — and perhaps have the best odds at projected No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna next summer.

Crosby, Malkin and company seemingly have other ideas. Led by first-year head coach Dan Muse, the Penguins have turned back the clock so far and are strong in every category: goals scored (5th), goals against (4th), power play (2nd) and penalty killing (14th) among them.

“I think that there’s a lot of doubt going into that team. Probably from all you geniuses that have all picked them maybe not to be as high as other teams,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel told media on Friday with a laugh.

“No disrespect, but at the end of the day, it’s motivation for them, too. They’re trying to prove people wrong.”

Pittsburgh has also been getting plenty of secondary scoring from wingers Justin Brazeau (6G, 6A), Anthony Mantha (6G, 5A), Bryan Rust (4G, 6A) and Rickard Rakell (3G, 5A), steady play from defencemen Erik Karlsson (0G, 9A) and Kris Letang (1G, 5A), and stellar goaltending from Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs.

“When you have the same voice for a while and then you get a new voice it kind of energizes and lightens the group,” said Jets goaltender Eric Comrie.

“Nothing that (former head coach Mike) Sullivan was doing, I hear he is a fantastic coach, but just sometimes you need a new voice and a new message. I can really tell they are energized. They are playing good hockey.”

The Jets are expected to make a couple of lineup changes from the group that beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Thursday night. Forward Gustav Nyquist will sit out after suffering an undisclosed injury in the first period, with Brad Lambert likely to take his spot.

“There’s no timeline on him yet,” said Arniel, who expects a further update later this weekend.

Comrie is slated to make his third start of the year, giving Connor Hellebuyck a well-earned day off. He’s won both of his previous starts and is looking to keep the good times rolling.

“The game feels good. I know I say it a lot, but being around Connor Hellebuyck has been great for myself,” said Comrie.

“We are really close friends and have a really great goalie coach here. We share a lot of stuff with each other. I learn so much just from being around him. You can learn so much from being around a guy and seeing what he does, how he prepares every single day. For myself, I try to get the most out of that as I can. For myself you just have to put your best foot forward and be ready for whatever comes my way.”

Jets captain Adam Lowry was a full participant in Friday’s skate and is getting close to his season debut after having hip surgery over the summer. He won’t be in the lineup against Pittsburgh but could be an option next week when the Jets hit the road for a six-game trip. That will be the start of a stretch that involves 11 of the next 14 games in enemy territory.

“It’s great to see him in a regular jersey and skating with us. He’s eager to get going again,” said Scheifele. “Obviously getting your captain back on the ice with the team is a huge boost to the group. We’re really excited to see him get back at it.”

Cole Perfetti (high-ankle sprain) and Dylan Samberg (broken wrist) are continuing to skate in non-contact jerseys but likely still a couple weeks away.

The Jets believe they still have another gear to get their game too, one they came closer to reaching against Chicago. Can they ramp it up and make this a November to remember?

“We probably still haven’t played our best game yet. I think that’s the encouraging part,” said Scheifele, who is leading the Jets with 18 points (9G, 9A).

“Obviously our record is good, but we still have a lot to work on. But we have a group that is eager to keep getting better and growing as a team and growing as a group. Just gotta keep pushing forward.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg