The Winnipeg Jets second last preseason game was actually a lot of fun. The kids played well and chipped in on the scoreboard again. We also saw some fine line combos that could foreshadow the future. Jets won the game 3-1, but there was far more to the story than the score.
Ten Thoughts:
1. Mark Scheifele got credit for the goal, but it was the set up by Nic Petan that was a true thing of beauty. This kid continues to impress.
2. Mark Scheifele does deserve credit for his second goal though. Quite the release by the youngster. Hopefully Scheif has a big year.
3. The first apple on that came from Ben Chiarot. He was posted up behind the Flames net while the teams were at 4 on 4. Benny has been rock solid all preseason. He looks faster and more confident than he has in the past. He has been given the green light to active and it appears to be suiting him well.
4. Nikolaj Ehlers acquitted himself well too scoring a really nice goal that saw him battle through a poke check.
5. The other newbie, Thomas Raffl actually played some solid minutes today too. The “battle” in camp has often been set up as Petan vs Lipon vs Raffl. Perhaps the real battle should be Raffl and Lipon vs Thorburn and Peluso. Raffl looks good, but Petan is clearly in a completely different class. If Thorburn and Peluso didn’t have two years of term remaining, they’d be gone.
6. Anthony Peluso has always been bad, but he had an especially horrible game tonight. Really bad. Pulling up on hits, bailing on pucks and putting simple chips out of play. Not to mention the horrible PIM after missing a hit. He has no business being on this team.
7. Peluso did fight though. It came under some weird circumstances where Thomas Raffl had already dropped the gloves. It was weird. A weird set of circumstance.
8. Jay Harrison was also really bad. Bye bye, Jay.
9. It is hard to rate these players versus what the Flames brought to the ice tonight. It was a B team at best, but good or bad is still good or bad. The only thing that really matters is the players who who are in a battle play well. Tonight, the right ones did.
10. That OT goal was a beauty. Wow!
What did you guys think of the game tonight?
