WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets all the time say they attempt to win video games 2-1.
They simply did that on Monday, exhibiting a masterclass efficiency that epitomized ‘Winnipeg Jet hockey’ en path to taking a 2-0 lead of their first-round sequence in opposition to the St. Louis Blues.
‘Winnipeg Jet’ hockey boils right down to 4 issues, that are painted on their dressing room wall:
They ticked every field in Recreation 2.
Structurally, the Jets fully clogged up the slot, limiting St. Louis to only one high-danger shot and three high-danger makes an attempt throughout five-on-five play. Connor Hellebuyck would’ve needed to have made greater than 21 saves if it weren’t for his teammates nullifying potential rebound possibilities.
“We weren’t giving them a lot ice, and we have been simply being affected person with it, making them come by us,” Cole Perfetti stated. “We did not give the center of the ice away. I feel it is irritating to play in opposition to if you play like that. We have been in a position to maintain them on the skin, and once they did get an opportunity, like on the onset there, Bucky made an awesome save. It was an awesome defensive efficiency.”
Embracing the onerous areas of the ice and profitable 50/50 battles? That was the Jets’ bread and butter. Eight of Winnipeg’s 17 five-on-five photographs got here from high-danger areas.
“They’ve been tougher on the web entrance than we have now offensively,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery stated. “And that’s web starvation.”
The staff’s slew of north-south, meat-and-potatoes gamers weren’t the one ones with an urge for food. It was everybody, notably the staff’s prime line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo. Scheifele’s web entrance drive to open the scoring was an ideal instance of a talented participant placing his work boots on and driving to the online, even when the purpose wasn’t the prettiest.
“Our compete stage is the place it must be for playoff hockey,” Jets coach Scott Arniel stated.
The puck battles weren’t coin flips.
“I believed our puck battles have been actual robust tonight. It began within the first interval — on the partitions, web fronts, off faceoffs — there’s lots of areas the place we have been definitely lots stronger,” Arniel stated.
And the ten per cent extra trope? One more third interval the place Winnipeg was above and past the higher staff.
“Winnipeg has made another play than us. Each video games,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery stated. “Pictures are useless even, in order that they’re simply making another play, and their finest gamers are making them.”
Two wins down. 14 to go.
Joel Hofer might need to watch out subsequent time he toys with Scheifele.
The Blues’ backup goaltender, the final one on the ice for warmups, has been taking pictures pucks from his finish of the ice into the Jets’ web in every of the primary two video games. He continued because the clock struck zero, a queue for everybody not named Scheifele to exit the ice. Quantity 55 is all the time the final one off the ice, particularly at Canada Life Centre.
Scheifele even waved at Hofer to get off the ice at one level.
Solution to go Joel, you awoke the beast.
Scheifele performed with a vengeance tonight. He was leveraging his strengths — defending pucks alongside the wall, threading the needle along with his passes — and he had some snarl. After scoring the sport’s opening purpose, he was jawing at Brayden Schenn from the bench. He was dialled in defensively, ending hits with authority and batting down opponents’ passes with precision.
Right here’s the factor about Scheifele — his sport is tailored for the playoffs. He loves creating offence off the cycle, is superb at pinpointing slim seams, and has the clutch gene, too.
Relationship again to the 2017-18 playoffs — the place he scored 14 targets in 17 video games — Scheifele is tied for the third most playoff targets per sport amongst gamers who’ve performed a minimum of 30 post-season video games (0.58).
Winnipeg’s third pair of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn deserves a nickname.
The Hammer and the Sword.
Stanley, the hammer, can immediately change a sport with a bone-crushing hit. Other than the 2 targets, Canada Life Centre didn’t get any louder than it did when the six-foot-seven defencemen obliterated Jordan Kyrou.
Schenn, the sword, demonstrates procession when taking time and area away. He might not lay a man out in open ice — though he does go away gamers black and blue alongside the wall — however the best way he can field gamers out and pin them in opposition to the wall is a murals.
The hammer and the sword have been wonderful on Monday.
“These are two intimidating guys on the market,” Arniel stated. “After we’ve received Luke there, and it is the identical as Stan, we wish individuals to go the great distance round to get to the online entrance. And if they are going within the corners to get pucks, we need to make certain they know it isn’t going to be a simple experience.”
