| Broadcast Schedule |
|---|
| Time: 6:30 P.M. CDT |
| TV: SN, TVAS2, USA, FS-N |
| Radio: TSN1290 |
Game One of the Central Division quarterfinal series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, to say the least.
The excitement of pre-game carried into the first period. But after twenty, things were still tied and a nervous energy set in.
Would this be just like the Anaheim series in 2015 all over again?
No…no it would not. After taking the lead, losing the lead, and taking the lead again, the Jets prevailed, while dominating in shots, faceoffs and hits.
If the Jets can keep that production up tonight, capitalize on a few more of those shots, and Connor Hellebuyck has a better save percentage than .900, the Jets should win easily.
Of course, there’s no such thing as easy in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ask the Philadelphia Flyers that.
The biggest question for the Jets headed into game two is the health of Mathieu Perreault. Both he and Toby Enstrom are game-time decisions, and I have doubts either of them play. Toby is probably more likely than Matty P at this point.
The biggest question for the Wild headed into this game is how to ignite their offence. Eric Staal’s line was all but invisible, as it was negated by the work of the top line and the Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey pairing.
| Winnipeg Jets | Stats | Minnesota Wild |
|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | Series | 0-1 |
| 52-20-10 | Record | 45-26-11 |
| 114 | Points | 101 |
| 2nd Central | Division | 3rd Central |
| 2nd West | Conference | 4th West |
| 5-0-0 | Last 5 | 2-2-1 |
| 277 | Goals For | 253 |
| 218 | Goals Against | 232 |
| Regular Season | ||
| Patrik Laine (44) | Goals | Eric Staal (42) |
| Blake Wheeler (68) | Assists | Mikael Granlund (46) |
| Wheeler (91) | Points | Staal (76) |
| Connor Hellebuyck (44) | Wins | Devan Dubnyk (35) |
| Hellebuyck (2.36) | Goals Against Average | Dubnyk (2.52) |
| Hellebuyck (.924) | Save Percentage | Dubnyk (.918) |
| 23.4 (5th) | Power Play % | 20.4 (18th) |
| 81.8 (9th) | Penalty Kill % | 81.2 (13th) |
| Playoffs | ||
| Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, Joe Morrow (1) | Goals | Matt Cullen, Zach Parise (1) |
| Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Paul Stastny, Nikolaj Ehlers (1) | Assists | Mikael Granlund, Jordan Greenway, Nate Prosser, Mikku Koivu (1) |
| Seven Players (1) | Points | Five Players (1) |
| Connor Hellebuyck (1) | Wins | Devan Dubnyk (0) |
| Hellebuyck (2.03) | Goals Against Average | Dubnyk (3.10) |
| Hellebuyck (.900) | Save Percentage | Dubnyk (.925) |
| 50.0 (3rd) | Power Play % | 0.0 (13th) |
| 100.0 (5th) | Penalty Kill % | 50.0 (14th) |
| 3-1-0 | Season record between | 1-3-0 |
| 18-16-1-2 | Overall record (W-L-T-OTL/SOL) | 18-14-1-4 |
Enemy Territory
Minnesota Wild Coverage: Hockey Wilderness
GAME 2 – Preview by @DarrenFunBrown breaks down what the Wild needs to do differently to find a victory tonight against the Jets. https://t.co/WaPiAZYS2u
— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) April 13, 2018
Last Game:
Winnipeg Jets 3-2 Minnesota Wild
Joe Morrow netted the game-winning goal, which is more than the guy he was traded for has done in his NHL career. Of course, that guy doesn’t even know he was traded for him yet, but that’s beside the point.
Players to watch:
Winnipeg Jets
Connor Hellebuyck had a stellar regular seaso that quite likely will see him as a finalist for the Vezina trophy. While his save percentage was only .900 in game one, that came as a result of two goals that weren’t his fault on just 20 shots against. If he plays anywhere near as good as his .924 save percentage this year, this series will likely end quickly.
Minnesota Wild
Devan Dubnyk was the best player on the ice for the Wild in game one, and while he doesn’t always have to be the best, his level of play is going to have to remain solid if the Wild are to have any chance. His defence cannot allow 40 shots a night if he is to sustain his play over the course of a series.
