A lot of the NHL revolves around the Boston Bruins, who are difficult to stop. A team where the form barometer is also very high is the Winnipeg Jets. Coach Rick Bowness’ team has become a serious contender in the fight for the title of the Western Conference crown, or at least the Central Division, in recent weeks. The Jets’ most recent coup was a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday (local time).
The Jets are doing really well right now. The Penguins win was their seventh win in the past eight games and their second in a row. Only in the 5:7 at the Detroit Red Wings at the beginning of this three-game away tour did Winnipeg leave the ice as a loser in the past eight games. However, that didn’t throw the team off track. With the 4:2 at the Buffalo Sabers, who were also in a good mood, and now with the victory at the Penguins a day later, the team showed that they can deal with such industrial accidents and put them through easily.
Accordingly, the guests’ coach did not spare his protégés with praise: “That was perhaps one of our best games of the season.” There were no followers, everyone contributed their part to the success. It was a success that was evident early on. Against weakened hosts – the Penguins had to open Marcus PetterssonKris Letang and Jeff Petry renounce – the jets immediately took command. They ended up with 40 shots on goal, almost twice as many as Pittsburgh (23). Another indication that the Jets’ defense, which is already among the best in the NHL, was working well is the fact that Sidney Crosbythe star of the Penguins team, went without a shot on goal.
However, the field superiority of the team from the Canadian province of Manitoba was not reflected on the scoreboard following the first third. Blake Wheeler gave the visitors the lead. Penguins goalie Dustin Tokarski gave everything in the scene, once even scraped the puck off the line with the trowel. In the end, however, Wheeler followed suit and pressed the hard rubber disc into the mesh. The Jets scored twice more in the first third. But both goals were disallowed. Once Penguins coach Mike Sullivan won a challenge for offside, and once Bowness lost his challenge for goalie interference. Bowness struggled a bit with the decision in his challenge: “Offside is usually a clear matter. It’s not a goalkeeper handicap.” But you have to stand behind your players. “And if they do everything you ask of them and you think they’re right, you have to take the challenge. If it doesn’t work, then so be it.”
And so it went 1-1 into the first break because Jets defenders Dylan DeMelo first lost his bat and then his balance. Kasperi Kapanen accordingly had no problems Drew O’Connor to use in front of the gate, the David Rittich in the case of the Jets overcame. However, it was to remain the only time that evening that the Czech had to reach behind him. 22 saves were in the statistics for him. DeMelo still had reason to be happy that night, because with two assists he now has 100 points (ten goals, 90 assists) in his NHL career (436 games).
Video: WPG@PIT: Scheifele, Ehlers meet in 22 seconds
A brace towards the end of the middle section finally put the Jets on winning ways. Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers gave the guests a two-goal lead within 22 seconds before the second break. At Ehlers’ hit gave Kyle Connor the template, which extended his series of games with at least one scorer point to nine (six goals, nine assists).
“We had our chances and didn’t take them at first. The two goals were extremely important,” said Scheifele. In the third third, the team played the game down confidently. “We kept the puck low. We made it really difficult for the Penguins to get over our blue line and put pressure on us in our defending zone. When we play like that, we’re hard to beat,” said the forward scored the final point in the final third with his second goal and leads the internal list of top scorers with 26 goals. If he remains injury-free, he should have no trouble surpassing his previous record of 38 goals from the 2018/2019 season. At the top of the internal scorer rating, however, is Connor with 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists).
Scheifele now has 156 career games with at least two points to score, ousting Ilya Kovalchuk for second place in Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets history. Wheeler is in first place with 194. One can only be amazed at what Scheifele brings to the ice this season, said the Jets rookie Cole Perfetti. “What matters is how clever he is to get into the open space. It’s something very special to play with a player like that.” Perfetti collected an assist for both Scheifele goals and also for Wheeler’s goal and thus cemented third place in the scorer ranking of the league newcomers (six goals, 19 assists). It also made him the first rookie in franchise history to have multiple games with three assists or more in a single season. He did it for the first time on November 29 in a 5-0 win over Colorado.
Video: WPG@PIT: Scheifele sinks a direct shot
And so, following the not entirely convincing performance in Buffalo despite the win, the Jets camp might be completely satisfied this time. “You’re always looking for solutions. That’s what it’s all regarding,” Bowness said. “Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t. No matter what happens, we’ll be ready for the next move. We’ll keep going.” The competition will hear this announcement and think regarding what else can be expected from the Jets. At 57 points, the Jets are now level on points with leaders Dallas in second place in the Central Division. And that doesn’t have to be the end of a team that seems to be right in all parts of the team.
