Time: 8:00 PM CST
Channel: TSN3
Radio: CJOB680
Christmas Break is over in the NHL and the Winnipeg Jets are back in action tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jets recently beat the Blackhawks at home and will now attempt to do the same at the United Center. The Jets look to come back from break the way they went out: winning and on a high.
A big part of the Jets winning streak has been the play of the first line. For proponents of First Like Nikolaj Ehlers, the play of the line has been vindication for all we have been saying for years. Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi are all looking like a fantastic first line that the Jets need. The Jets have not looked this good in years.
If the Jets are looking great, than the Blackhawks are looking like a team that is in the midst of a major rebuild. One that they sort of brought onto themselves by refusing to move assets for younger one when the opportunity was there. The Blackhawks did get Connor Bedard who has been excellent for the team. However, he is one player and the Blackhawks have a lot of holes they have to fill.
The Jets have been playing well, but they do have their constant issue of playing down to the team they are playing against. They have done this for years and it has not changed this year. Hopefully Chicago is bad enough it does not work against them. The Jets will want to get the unofficial second half of the season started on the right foot and a statement win would go far there.
Subsequently, the Blackhawks will want to show improvement this season after being terrible enough to draft Bedard last year. They are the second worst team in the league, so from the outside it looks like nothing has changed for them. They are still one of the worst teams in the NHL. Outside of Bedard, they seem to have little development. Bedard seemed to come at the start of the rebuild, not near the end where there would be pieces to help support him.
Whenever I make predictions, the opposite to what I predict will happen, happens. So my prediction is that the Winnipeg Jets will play down to the Chicago Blackhawks level and frustrate fans forever.
