After a strong pair of games to open the season, the Winnipeg Jets had a couple night off in New York City. The Big Apple did nothing to fend off doctors, in fact quite the opposite. The Jets lookeddead through tthree first 40 minutes of play and dropped the game 4-2 after an empty netter was scored against.
Ten Thoughts:
1. Mid-day hockey games normally suck, but given the holiday and the weather this wasn't half bad. The game made for some nice filler before turkey.
2. The Jets started the game skating as though they'd already downed a bird. They weren't moving much to start and they were outplayed handily. The first 40 minutes were completely one-sided – it was incredible that the game was as close as it was after 40
3. All of the credit for keeping the Jets in the game goes to Ondrej Pavelec. Pavelec was phenomenal. He stopped a number of sure goals and gobbled up just about everything that came within reach.
4. Through the first two periods, the Winnipeg D men played positional hockey like a plate of stuffing. Most of them couldn't find their man, let alone stop him.
5. The fact that Travis Hamonic finding himself on a clean breakaway is representative of the Jets night on the back end. Everyone was bad. Even Jacob Trouba couldn’t get things going and Tyler Myers bobbled the puck repeatedly. All of the D get a share of the blame pie.
6. Normally reliable Adam Lowry had his carriage turn back into a pumpkin tonight. Pucks just weren’t going where he wanted them to go. It looked like a frustrating game for the youngster.
7. The outcomes in this game weren’t entirely about the Jets stepping on their own toes. Jonathan Tavares is one heck of a hockey player. Islanders fans have plenty to be thankful for.
8. The lone bright spot for the Jets was in the play of the youth. Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele were the Jets’ two most impressive players. I am also out of Thanksgiving puns.
9. Mark Scheifele did it again. He scored another beautiful goal off of a lightning quick release. The pace isn't sustainable, but it isn't impossible to think this kid could put up some nice point totals this season.
10. Nikolaj Ehlers was all over the ice creating chances again. This kid will score soon and it will be awesome. Puck luck already owes this kid a goal or two. Despite the fact that the goals aren't coming, Ehlers is putting up points with an assist in each of the last two games. His defensive game has been solid too. Even in this mess he kept his plate of errors largely clean.
The Winnipeg Jets return to action tomorrow evening versus the New York Rangers.
