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Recap: Team Chaos Reigns Supreme

The Winnipeg Jets won their first game of the season in the most chaotic way possible. They were down 4-0 by the second period and slowly started clawing their way back into the game.

Three Takeaways

Laine Looking Good

Patrik Laine appeared to take a step back last season, but he has looked a lot better this season albeit it has only been two games. If he can keep up this new, higher level of play the Jets are in good shape. He looks stronger on the forecheck and more engaged in the play in general. He also has a beard again and we all know that Laine gets his strength from his beard. This is hopefully a good sign of things to come.

Nikolaj Ehlers is Everywhere

When the Jets did not know if Kyle Connor and Laine would be with the team to start the season, all eyes shifted to Ehlers to see what he could do. And he has delivered. He is the Jets best puck carrier and he has retained that title two games into the regular season. Ehlers has been plagued by droughts of not scoring over previous seasons and he would like to shorten those draughts this season.

Goaltending

Someone pointed out on Twitter that after a season with Wade Flarehty, a goalie with the Jets has dropped in quality of play. This applies to all goalies including Ondrej Pavelec. This should not be the case and if a goalie coach is not helping his goalies improve or stay consistent, they should be fired. It does not mean that the coach is a bad coach, but a bad coach for the goalies he is working with. People blamed the shrinking of equipment last year for Connor Hellebuyck’s struggles, but he was seemingly the only goalie who had that blamed for his decline in play. The more concerning thing for both Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit is that they seem to struggle to track the puck, making seemingly nothing shots dangerous. Anyways, maybe it is nothing, but Brossoit’s play this year will be telling.

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Talking Points