Game Recap: Winnipeg Jets vs. Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have been a bogeyman for the Jets over the past several years. Whether you care about the Atlanta franchise records or not, this franchise has repeatedly dueled the devils of DC for nearly 2 decades. Winnipeg faces Washington a lot less frequently than it used to, but one theme has generally held; the Jets lose to Washington a lot. In yet another visit to the American political center, the Jets had a chance to squeeze out 2 points with a solid road effort. Instead, Winnipeg’s efforts fizzled out to a lackluster overtime loss after a strong start. Here are my takeaways from a night of fun and frustration.

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Seven Takeaways

1. Cole Perfetti bagged his first NHL goal! It’s been coming for a few outings now, but the Coletrain finally grabbed the marker to kickstart his career. On a line with Dubois and KFC, Perfetti was positively radiant, generating beautiful chances with his teammates. He has a long and bright future in Winnipeg.
2. Dylan Samberg had another strong, well-rounded outing alongside Neal Pionk. Dylan kept his zone exits clean and simple, supporting Pionk’s rushes up the ice when needed. His calming defensive presence is a welcome addition to a helter-skelter group.
3. The Stanley-Schmidt pairing was virtually unwatchable. Logan hasn’t been good for a while, but watching him alongside a partner who doesn’t defend all that well was excruciating. The kid genuinely needs to be sat a few games. People will think Heinola is going to have the same issues, but I’m not as convinced of that. A few mistakes here and there won’t trouble me, but Stanley is drowning.
4. Ehlers is going to miss a few games after his knee-on-knee collision with Orlov. It was hard to watch and I’m sure the league will suspend Dmitry for a couple games. The Jets are lacking talent upfront after the first 2 lines, and this won’t make life easier.
5. The overall vibe with this team is a bit strange. Offensively, they’re attacking the slot and aggressively forechecking well. On the defensive side of things....well, you might as well pretend defending doesn’t exist.
6. The power play looks to be clicking along but the lack of ice-time for the second unit is troubling. I get that PP1 is handling matters well, but PP2 needs to get out there for a change of pace, if nothing else.
7. What was that display in overtime? Scheifele, Connor, and Morrissey (to a lesser extent) all got smoked. With the forwards, they got caught puck-watching while Josh was bowled over by Kuznetsov. That cannot happen. Winnipeg might have left an extra point on the board with such a poor OT effort.