The Winnipeg Jets are trying to lock up the top spot in the Central Division to ensure the easiest first round playoff match up they can manage…..so were they able to add some more points to their NHL leading total last night against the visiting New York Rangers? Lets find out…..
GAME RECAP
When the linesman dropped the puck to start the match, both the Jets & Rangers’ players seemed to have good energy and that resulted in a fairly even beginning. In a 1st period that saw Winnipeg out-shoot New York 11-9, it was the hometown Jets that struck first 5 minutes in when the 2nd line combined for a nice passing play that ended with Vladislav Namestnikov netting his 11th goal of the season. Around the middle of the frame, the officials called a questionable penalty on Nino Niederreiter to send the Rangers to the powerplay. About a minute in, Dylan DeMelo had the opportunity to clear the puck but instead just flipped the puck to the opposite defensive corner to allow New York to regain the puck. A few quick passes from the Rangers saw Mika Zibanejab get set up for a 1 timer that was able to get by goalie Connor Hellebucyk. Neither franchise was able to take the lead in the remainder of the opening period, though it was the New Yorkers who doubled the Manitobans in expected goals to start the match.
The 2nd period saw more of the same…two squads very interested in picking up a win and playing with an intensity to match that. Three minutes in, the Rangers’ monster forward Matt Rempe was slightly pushed by the Jets’ Morgan Barron and he used this as an excuse to run into Hellebucyk. The officials weren’t fooled and sent the New Yorker to the sin bin and Winnipeg’s powerplay went to work. With only 5 seconds remaining in the man-advantage, Kyle Connor sent the puck down to Cole Perfetti at the right side of the net and the winger attempted to make a quick move to the net-front for a shot attempt. However, the puck bobbled and he whiffed on the shot, but kept his focus as he poked the biscuit into the lower slot, towards an open Gabriel Vilardi and he was able to beat the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin to give the Jets’ a 2-1 lead. The refs were quite involved in the 2nd period, calling a total of six infractions in the frame but the goalies & penalty killers were able to keep the score the same until the horn sounded.
The Winnipeg Jets have been near perfection when the team has a lead going into the 3rd period and they set out to test that strength once again. And this game was no exception as they played a fairly stellar version of shutdown hockey in a period that saw the visiting Blueshirts only manage 7 shots on the Jets’ net. Both squads did get some scoring looks in the final frame, including a couple failed breakaway attempts by a couple of Winnipeggers. New York was the only team to get a PP in the 3rd and they came very close to knotting up the game, but a great stick by DeMelo saved the day. In the end, neither franchise was able to add another goal and our squad was happy to walk away victorious.
FINAL SCORE: WINNIPEG JETS 2 NY RANGERS 1
FINAL STATS
Shots: 24-22 WPG / Hits: 29-24 NYR / Face-Offs: 52.6% NYR / x Goals: 3.47 NYR – 3.00 WPG /
MoneyPuck’s Deserve to Win: 59.1% WPG / High-Medium Danger Scoring Chances: 17 to 10 WPG
*****
SCORING SUMMARY from ESPN
SHOT CHART from MoneyPuck
ADVANCED SKATER STATS from MoneyPuck
GOALIE STATS from ESPN & MoneyPuck
If you would like to dive deeper into the game’s stats, follow the links below to the game pages:
MoneyPuck: New York Rangers vs. Winnipeg Jets – Tuesday March 11 2025 – MoneyPuck.com
NaturalStatTrick: New York Rangers @ Winnipeg Jets, 2025-03-11
*****
BOJA’s Observations:
- The Winnipeg Jets’ trio of Nikolaj Ehlers, Vladislav Namestnikov, & Cole Perfetti have been the team’s best forward unit for the past three contests. Last night was no different, as they had 8 shots on net, one goal & 3 assists, and 73% of the expected goals versus the Rangers.
- It appears that Dylan DeMelo is continuing to adjust to life as a new Dad, as the defenseman had another rough outing due to numerous turnovers in the defensive end. That being said, it was worth having him on the ice just for the one great defensive play he made on the penalty kill in the 3rd period.
- Luke Schenn made his initial appearance in a Jets’ uniform and while his performance wasn’t really note-worthy…the big defenseman didn’t look out of place and will only become more impactful as he gets used to Winnipeg’s system. 5 blocks and 5 hits in 16 minutes of ice-time.
- The Jets’ top forward line was not very good against the Blueshirts, with Winnipeg getting outshot at a 2 to 1 rate when they were on the ice. Only managing a pitiful 13.8% of the expected goals, the True Northers need more from their top players….and not only when they are on the powerplay.
Well, I am running out of time and need to switch over to my actual paid employment. Hope you enjoyed the game last night and we will get a little break as the Winnipeg Jets aren’t back on the ice until Friday. But that game could be a doozy….the top two teams in the Central going head-to-head.
UP NEXT: Dallas Stars @ Winnipeg Jets – Friday, March 14th @ 7:00 pm CST
