As someone who is pretty much done with everything right now, this game was great. It was great because the Winnipeg Jets played well. It was great because Ville Heinola is back in our lives. It was great because the Calgary Flames fill their stands pictures cut outs of pets and not people. It is great and should be what all teams are doing. Now to the actual game.
Ville Heinola did play and the Jets did remain undefeated with him in the lineup. Now, correlation does not equal causation, but Heinola helps bring a different element to the Jets game and he should be playing more regularly. He adds a different dimension to the whole team and he makes them better. Who cares that he is young and small (according to my grandpa), he is a damn good player and should play more especially because he helps the team when playing.
Another player who had a notable game was Adam Lowry. He is coming back from a concussion and looked very good centring the third line tonight. He even chipped in two goals. The Jets need more of that from the third line which they are definitely capable of seeing as Andrew Copp and Mason Appleton were the other two on the line.
The biggest concern for the Jets going forward is going to remain player usage on defence. Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk should play together long term to see what is there. Dylan DeMelo and Heinola should also be given a lot more time than Derek Forbort and Tucker Poolman, but baby steps here.
The Jets looked far better than they have in a while. They also got outshot badly and still need to work on some things. That said, it was refreshing to see them look competitive the entire game, play a full 60 minutes, and have luck on their side. There were a couple dicey moments where the luck came through for them.
