Well that was fun. The Winnipeg Jets were able to pull off the impressive upset over the Detroit Red Wings Monday night. Solid performances out of Bryan Little, Michael Frolik, and Mark Scheifele paved the way for the Jets as they were able to put a stop to their losing streak.
The Jets responded to a 2-1 deficit earlier on in the game to rally with three unanswered goals. This was an impressive showing of composure and will against a veteran Detroit squad.
Quick thoughts:
- Al Montoya was a legitimate difference maker tonight. With the amount of solid performances he’s had in limited opportunities it must leave some Jets fans wondering whether or not Pavelec ever won the starting job, or whether it’s been gifted to him. Considering the struggles this team has faced thus far this season, it’s likely a very legitimate question to ask which goalie gives the Jets the best chance to win.
- It was really nice to see the Jets have a balanced offense tonight. Their top two lines were clicking and coming up with many scoring chances. While Jimmy Howard made quite a few outstanding saves, they were able to mount enough pressure to eventually break him down and come away with a victory.
- The power play looked improved tonight. While it certainly isn’t turning heads around the NHL, there was some cohesion out of the power play. The right passes were being made, which ended up resulting in high quality opportunities for the Jets. Results come and go, but all you can do is put yourself in a position to succeed and hope that success follows. Tonight it looked like the Jets were on the right path.
- Mark Scheifele looked a little more under control tonight. He had an absolutely gorgeous assist and overall looked composed. There were bound to be lumps taken as a rookie this year, but it was nice to see Noel give Scheifele minutes tonight so that he could get comfortable and eventually excel. The fact of the matter is that this team is not a contender and the more the Jets can develop our young prospects, the better off we are. If this means that the Jets lose a couple more games along the way it shouldn’t matter; we need to find out exactly what we have with our prospects before we move forward.
- Jordin Tootoo drives me insane. That is all.
- Newly acquired Jets defenseman Keaton Ellerby looked alright tonight. Personally I would have preferred to see Zach Redmond in the lineup, but Ellerby looked solid and finished the night with a +1 rating.
Hopefully the Jets can carry some of this momentum into their next game against the Chicago Blackhawks. While it would be nice to see Claude Noel reward Al Montoya for a great performance, the smart money appears to be on Ondrej Pavelec starting against the Blackhawks. Let’s hope the Jets can pull off another win and get Evander Kane back as soon as possible.
