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Game Recap: Winnipeg Jets vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

It’s always nice to see Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic back in Winnipeg. Though the parting wasn’t entirely amicable, both players have seemingly found their way in Columbus. The Winnipeg Jets welcomed the pair to Canada Life Centre once more. Unfortunately for the Jets fans in attendance, both took advantage and left quite a smelly gift on the ice. A pair of Laine goals and a Roslovic assist or 2 helped put a middling Jets squad to bed.

Winnipeg spent the first 30 minutes of the game looking like it was playing against a Cup contender. The Jets were outworked, out-maneuvered, and out-scored in just about every facet of the game. It wasn’t until Winnipeg had already conceded a pair of goals to Laine that the Jets roared to life. Winnipeg created some excellent offensive zone pressure and nearly scored. Instead of clawing back a way into the game, the Jets then conceded a Nyquist goal. Korpisalo did the rest and shut the door in net.

The Jets were undone by a handful of issues that have remained since the start of the season. Winnipeg does not handle a trap well, and struggled to skate through the Jackets defense. The Jets also didn’t help Rittich out enough to prevent some easy cross-slot passes for goals. Big Save Dave wasn’t amazing in net, but it would have been nice for Winnipeg to make his life a bit easier. All the same, the Jets fell 4-1 and will look to rebound against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

A Few Takeaways

  1. Sam Gagner returned to the line-up and looked good again. He probably shouldn’t be benched unless there’s an injury concern.
  2. Gustafsson is still a beast, but you already knew that.
  3. The Jets weren’t nearly as bad as the scoreline suggests, but they also can’t complain about the loss either.
  4. Meh. Winnipeg will likely have a number of nights like these for the rest of the season. Prepare your napping pillows accordingly.
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Talking Points