GAMEDAY: Jets at Islanders

ELMONT, NEW YORK – As if hockey at the pro level wasn’t taxing enough, Logan Stanley said it felt like he got a bit of an extra workout in as the Winnipeg Jets held on to beat Los Angeles on Saturday.

“I felt like I was doing burpees in the crease, getting up and down to take away the pass,” said Stanley, grinning. “But it was fun to be out there at the end of the game and, try to contribute to help the guys win.”

Anything for a win, right?

The Jets (1-1-0) will try to make it two straight victories this afternoon as they open the road half of their schedule against the New York Islanders (0-2-0).

The penalty kill has been a storyline in both games the Jets have played so far, as two shorthanded goals sparked a comeback effort that came just short against Dallas in the season opener. That performance was followed up by a perfect five-for-five night on the kill against Los Angeles, where the Jets were five seconds away from adding another shorthanded tally to their league-leading total.

Winnipeg blocked 27 shots against the Kings, with at least a handful of them coming in the final minutes with Los Angeles pressing for the equalizer on the man advantage. After finishing 13^th in the league on the kill last season, the strong start to this campaign is exactly what head coach Scott Arniel wants to see.

“I really like the way those guys are grasping how we’re killing,” Arniel said. “If you’re dangerous that way where the opposition is leery about you and they start to take three strides back towards their end of the rink, or they’re out there and they stay too long and they’re tired, and you can jump on that, that’s what we really did.”

Blocked shots can come at a cost, however, as a second period block by defenceman Haydn Fleury took him out of Saturday’s contest. The defenceman didn’t take part in Sunday’s practice before the flight to New York, so his status remains in the air. Kale Clague was recalled by from the Manitoba Moose ahead of the road trip (with Brad Lambert loaned to the American Hockey League affiliate in a corresponding move).

“We’re going to go day to day here,” said Arniel. “We’ll see how (Fleury) is tomorrow. If he’s ready to go we’ll throw him back in, but just take it day to day.”

With Fleury not practicing, it was Stanley who was alongside Neal Pionk during line rushes on Sunday. With the noon CT puck drop at UBS Arena, the team won’t hold a morning skate, so warm-up will be the best indication of the line-up against the Islanders.

The Islanders have lost both games they’ve played to open the season, including a 4-2 loss to Washington on Saturday in the home opener at UBS Arena. The first pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, defenceman Matthew Schaefer, scored his first career goal in the loss.

That was the lone puck to get by Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson in the third period, despite the fact the Islanders piled on the pressure, outshooting Washington 20-6 in the final frame.

The Jets and Islanders split the two-game season series last year, with each team holding serve on home ice. The main goal for the Jets is to try and open the road trip – and the season series – on a winning note, but also take advantage of the two days between the tilt with the Islanders and the road trip finale in Philadelphia.

“They’re going to have a team dinner Tuesday in Philly,” Arniel said. “So it’s a chance for those guys, you love that part when they hang together and the camaraderie is great. But we know how important the road is and making sure we’re dialled in too.”

Make sure to tune into the Jets pregame show "The Check In" with Sara Orlesky and Jamie Thomas.

ICE CHIPS

Dylan Samberg, who broke his wrist in a preseason win over Calgary on September 27, joined Jets captain Adam Lowry for a skate on Sunday at hockey for all centre.

The two hit the ice on a separate sheet after the main group’s 45-minute session had ended.

“I think that was the first time (he’s skated),” said Arniel, adding that the concern of Samberg falling kept him from the ice until this point in his recovery. “Now we’ve got to keep his legs sharp, so he’ll start to do stuff, just conditioning more than anything.”

As of Sunday, Samberg was just over two weeks into the recovery from the broken wrist, which had a timeline of six to eight weeks.