Everyone needs a break every now and then, right? Well, the Winnipeg Jets certainly seemed to have put the 3 week Olympic break to good use, as the franchise has yet to play a game since then where the True Northers didn’t walk away with points. The Manitobans have a 4-0-2 record since goalie Connor Hellebuyck won a gold medal in Italy and that has launched a new belief that they could comeback to steal the Western Conference’s final wildcard spot.
The Seattle Kraken have provided some assistance in that regard since they have plodded along to a 2-4-0 record since the Olympics concluded, allowing Winnipeg to pull within 5 points of the coveted playoff berth. The Jets haven’t been this close to qualifying for the post-season for a very long time and their remaining 20 contests are evenly mixed between the NHL’s top 10, mid 12, and bottom 10 clubs. The toughest games on the horizon include 3 versus division rival Colorado Avalanche, as well as a pair against the Vegas Golden Knights and one final match versus the formidable Dallas Stars. But they also have a pair of games each against the lowly St. Louis Blues & New York Rangers, along with one more visit with the Chicago Blackhawks.
So with a renewed sense of hope, the Winnipeg Jets will host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the Canada Life Centre. The 7:30 pm Central start will see the NHL’s 13th best club (ANA) take on the 27th (WPG) and both franchises will be motivated to pick up points in the standings. The Ducks aren’t satisfied with ending their long post-season drought, but also have set their eyes on the title of the Pacific Division, as they currently have a 1 pt lead on the Knights (plus have a game in hand), so will be looking to add to that margin.
Winnipeg (26-26-10) have picked up points in 6 straight games since the break, but if you go back a bit further you would see that the Jets have gained nothing only once in their last 9 matches. The True Northers are 11 pts behind tonight’s opposition and have 178 Goals For (24th most), the 189 Goals Against (10th least), and a 47.9% xG rating at 5 on 5 (24th).
Anaheim (35-25-3) have gone 7-3-0 in their past 10 contests, but did get shut out 4-0 on Sunday versus the Blues. The Ducks have 211 Goals For (12th most), the 221 Goals Against (30th least), and a 50.79% xG rating at 5 on 5 (13th).
Here is how the two clubs’ year-to-date stats compare, via ESPN‘s team & goaltender comparison numbers:
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Congratulations to Mark Scheifele, who was recently named the NHL’s First Star of the Week, his first such reward this season in what appears to be a career-year in terms on production (on pace for 40 goals & 103 pts).
Anaheim rely more on their depth to fuel their high octane offense, with at least 8 different skaters clearing the 30 point plateau, while Winnipeg can only claim 4 skaters with that kind of production.
Here are the line up projections for both clubs via PuckPedia and you can let me know your thoughts about them in the Comment section:
WINNIPEG JETS LINE UP
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ANAHEIM DUCKS LINE UP
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Since Lukas Dostal should be back between the pipes tonight, the Ducks will be icing 10 players aged 25 yrs or younger while the Jets’ recent youth movement has resulted in Winnipeg having 4 skaters in that category.
According to the pre-game skate for the True Northers, we shouldn’t expect any line up changes from the coaching staff tonight. That means young prospects Isak Rosen & Brad Lambert remain stuck in the bottom six, which will obviously limit their chances to impress the fans.
Another busy day at work….so I will have to be brief again. Double header of hockey tonight for me, as I will be watching the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose playing at the same time. Despite having their roster raided by call ups, the minor league affiliate continues to fight for 3rd place in the Central Division and they will hope to continue that success tonight in Abbotsford (VAN).
Go Winnipeg Jets!!!!! Go Manitoba Moose!!!!!
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POST-GAME INFO
Scoring Summary: (courtesy of ESPN)
FINAL SCORE: Anaheim Ducks 4 Winnipeg Jets 1
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Game Stats: (courtesy of MoneyPuck)
Expected Goals (all): ANA 3.97 WPG 2.13
Expected Goals (5on5): ANA 2.49 WPG 1.13
Line up blender once again, with 6 lines getting at least 4:24 of 5 on 5 playing time.
Time to sit Fleury for Heinola.
Not a great outing for Hellebuyck….but the team in front of him was less impressive.
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BOJA’S Post-Game Thoughts:
Well, that was one of the worst games the Winnipeg Jets have played lately. The middle six forwards were able to hold their own for the most part, but the rest of the team was severely outplayed by the youthful Anaheim Ducks.
The first loss for the True Northers in this 8 game homestand, with 4 more contests left to go before they head back out on the road. The club is off until Thursday, when they will host the New York Rangers, who will be coming in on a 2 game winning streak (3 out of last 4).
