The Winnipeg Jets are coming off a disappointing loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. Today, the roster blender was on full speed as the Jets announced that Shawn Matthias and Joel Armia were cleared to play and would be coming off the IR, replacing injured Brandon Tanev and scratched Andrew Copp. Matthias and Armia are predicted to join Adam Lowry on the 3rd line, while Tanev and Copp will join Chris Thorburn and Alex Burmistrov in the press box. Also announced was that Micheal Hutchinson will man the net for the Jets, delegating Connor Hellebuyck to the backup role.
1st Period:
*Game begins but Van’s Tanev and Hansen make it to the dressing room iwht injuries within the first minute and a half. Tanev does return.
*Lowry, Matthias and Armia start the game where they left off prior to the injuries.
*Trouba coughs up the puck and Van’s Granlund scores glove side on Hutchinson. Van up 1-0 early.
*Jets with good puck possession but little shots as the Canucks are collapsing on their own net.
*Van’s Tryamkin takes a high sticking minor, so Jets go on the power play.
*Ehlers and Petan with two missed chances, and the Jets get no shots on the Canucks net as the power play ends.
*Jets pull Hutchinson as the Canucks take a delayed penalty. Van’s D. Sedin takes a hooking minor with 8:55 left. Jets back on the PP.
*Jets’ Perreault takes a hooking penalty with :14 seconds left in the power play. No shots again for the Jets on the power play and only 2 shots the entire period 13 mins in.
*Canucks penalty over, and start their power play for 1:46.
*Jets kill off the power play, and play continues on for another 5 minutes or so without a stoppage as Lowry’s line provides pressure. Jets’ Wheeler carries the puck around the Canuck’s zone and finally gets a shot off, and the whistle is blown as Van’s Miller gloves the puck.
*I swear, Jets’ Hutchinson loses his stick at least once a game.
*Van’s Tryamkin takes another penalty, this time tripping up Jets’ Stafford with about 16 seconds left in the period.
*Period ends with Vancouver up 1-0, Shots are 9-5 for Vancouver, and Jets will start the second period on the PP for 1:44. Eight of Jets’ 13 shots attempts were either blocked or missed.
2nd Period:
*As the second period starts, Van’s with the shorthanded steal and in on Jets’ Hutchinson, as Jets’ Bryan Little takes a hooking penalty, negating the man advantage.
*4 on 4 hockey for 1:13, then the Canucks go on the power play.
*Jets kill off the penalty as Armia and Lowry provide good penalty killing and backchecking.
*Armia, Matthias and Lowry are the best Jets’ line so far in the game. No sooner do I write that than Laine and Ehlers combine for a nifty play.
*Canuck’s Hansen levels Jets’ Morrisey with an elbow, Perreault comes to Morrisey’s aid, and the refs intervene as Morissey heads to the dressing room. Wheeler jumps out of ref’s way and tries to go after Hansen. Hansen in the box for roughing, Perreault charged with double roughing. Jets’ PoMo is pissed! Power play for Vancouver and Morissey has yet to return from the dressing room.
*Jets’ Enstrom with the heroic dive to save a goal, and Jets kill ensuing power play, despite letting the Canucks get off 2 shots to Hutchinson.
*Shots are now 15-12 for the Canucks with 9 minutes left in the second.
*Jets’ Dano is a sparkplug as he does the dirty work for Little and Wheeler, while Trouba tries to jump in to the play. As the play is whistled down, Morissey return to the bench.
*Vancouver has done a great job in slowing the game down and simplifying their defensive game.
*Jets with dominating play in the Canuck’s end for a full minute with solid work by the Lowry line, then the Little line as the Jets get a line change.
*Trouba in his own end to Scheifele to Ehlers to Laine, and Laine scores tying the game 1-1.
*11 shots for the Jets in the second, 18-16 are the total shots with Vancouver slightly leading in that category and the period ends tied 1-1 and the Jets will look to start the third with some momentum.
3rd Period:
*Third period starts with a good chance by Jets’ Wheeler, but no good.
*Ehlers and Scheifele on a two on one, Ehlers keeps and scores glove side on Van’s Miller. 2-1 Jets.
*Matthias to Armia to Lowry with a nifty play but can’t convert.
*Armia takes a hooking penalty with 15:29 left in the third period, and the Jets go on the PK. Jets’ Hutchinson with a good glove save early in the Canuck’s power play.
*Jets kill off the penalty and now there’s alot of back and forth action with 10 minutes left.
*Power play for the Jets as the Canuck’s bench is called for a too many men minor with 8:46 left in the game.
*Ehlers’ scores his second goal of the game on the power play, as the Jets’ put all kind of pressure on the Canucks. 3-1 Jets.
*Little jams the puck past Van’s Miller with 4:17 left in the game. 4-1 Jets but the play is under review. It’s a good goal, and it’s been a reverse of Tuesday’s game as the Jets explode for 3 goals. Now, Vancouver challenges the goal based upon goalie interference. Desperation play by the Canucks, but the call stands. 4-1 Jets officially.
*Jets kill off the remaining minutes and take the game 4-1.
*Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
