Since losing Mark Scheifele to injury on December 27, the Winnipeg Jets have the NHL’s second-best record.



That Winnipeg is 11-2-3 in 16 games without its No. 1 centre is a testament to many factors. Goaltending, special teams, and puck luck have all played a role but, to me, the biggest reason for Winnipeg’s success has been the play of its new top line.



In Winnipeg’s 16 games since Scheifele’s injury, Bryan Little, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Mathieu Perreault have dominated possession at even strength, earning 60.7 per cent of the shot attempts, 64.3 per cent of high danger scoring chances, and 62.7 per cent of expected goals. Without Scheifele, these three players (and not Blake Wheeler) have led Jets forwards in even strength ice time per game (Wheeler is fourth.) They’ve also split tough minutes with Adam Lowry’s line (when it was healthy) and, while doing so, have the highest relative Corsi of any line the Jets have iced...