Things have been unusually grim in Jetsland recently, and Winnipeg needed a pick-me-up in any form to get the vibes back. A Friday evening slaughter at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers only served to fuel the Jets fan angst brewing. A lot of us were rightfully pissed at Winnipeg’s trade deadline, and a laugher of a game that same day was the last thing we needed. Saturday provided a chance for the Jets to try and stem the bleeding. Despite some questionable officiating and a poor penalty kill, Winnipeg survived long enough to get revenge on the Edmonton Connor McDavids.
The game didn’t start off with the happiest of events. Draisaitl nabbed an easy power play goal less than 2 minutes after the puck dropped, and Jets fans immediately began to sweat. It felt eerily like Winnipeg’s Friday outing, a game I’m sure we’d all love to pretend didn’t happen. The Oilers continued to mount pressure afterwards, but Winnipeg managed to collect itself enough to prevent further blunders. Mark Scheifele, who’s not been at the races recently, decided to stamp his identity on this game with a cheeky tipped goal, tying it at 1-1. A few minutes later, Norris candidate Josh Morrissey released one from the point to put Winnipeg ahead. Yay!
The lead lasted all of just a few minutes, with the Oilers opening the second period with a shorthanded goal. It’d be nice if the Jets could just Not for once. After that, an absolute clusterfudge of a game broke out, with the Jets and Oilers seemingly intent on scoring 30 goals in the span of 5 minutes. Winnipeg conceded a Draisaitl hat-trick while firing back with goals from Capobianco, Lowry, Barron, and Morrissey. It was an utterly bonkers middle frame, and I have no idea how the Jets emerged with the lead.
The Oilers came alarmingly close to clawing the lead back, kicking off period 3 with a Bjugstad goal. It’d have been nice if the Jets could get 1 or 2 extra saves in this one, but Hellebuyck’s been carrying the load for long enough to get the benefit of the doubt. He made some stellar saves late to preserve Winnipeg’s lead, and managed to keep the Jets ahead for the remainder of the evening. The Jets got the victory, and while it wasn’t clean, it’s hard to complain.
Five Takeaways
- If Barron ever finds a consistent finishing touch, he’ll be a menace. He does so many detailed plays well, but hasn’t had the fortune to make them count.
- Niederreiter’s been a seamless fit, notching a handful of assists early into his Jets career.
- Give Gustafsson a chance in the top-6. I swear Winnipeg will reap the benefits of a center with a brain like his.
- The Jets had to win this game. The Flames are a little too close to Winnipeg in the standings, and the regular season schedule is winding down…
- Chevy’s press conference was comical. Evidently, committing to winning is now “playing fantasy hockey,” or something to that effect. A lot of NHL GMs with Cup rings to their name sure seem to be good at fantasy hockey.
