Jets’ dominance of Hawks continues

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This article was published 09/12/2022 (1053 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO — The third game against the Chicago Blackhawks this season didn’t go as smoothly as the first two, but the Winnipeg Jets still found a way to leave with two points.

The Jets dominated the Blackhawks in previous games this season, outscoring their opponent 11-2, including a 7-2 drubbing on Nov. 27. After taking a 2-0 lead Friday night, setting up what looked to be another rout, the game turned into a real battle, with the Jets leaving the United Center with a 3-1 victory.

Cole Perfetti, Blake Wheeler and Adam Lowry each registered a goal, with Lowry’s marker, following a nice feed from Jansen Harkins at the 12:25 mark of the third period, providing some much-needed breathing room in a close affair.

“You come into a back-to-back, you’re not sure how the legs are going to be. I think getting in early last night, travel wasn’t too bad, I felt like we had a pretty good first period again, similar to St. Louis,” said Lowry. “It was a big power-play goal to start the second. Then I think we sagged off a little bit and allowed them to start transitioning some pucks. We kind of pulled off of them and gave them a little bit of life. But I liked our third period, for the most part. We got back to being direct.”

The Jets improved to 18-7-1 with the win, moving into sole possession of first place in the Central Division, two points up on the Dallas Stars with a game in hand. The Blackhawks dropped to 7-15-1, keeping them in last place in the Central.

Let’s dig deeper into this one with some news, notes and analysis from Friday’s win.

1) It’s been nothing short of a tire fire this year for the Blackhawks as they slog their way through a slow rebuild. Chicago entered the game having been shut out the previous two games, with losses in 10 of their last 11 (1-9-1) and tied for last in the division with the Arizona Coyotes, who have played one fewer game.

Chicago was undisciplined throughout the night, clearly trying to get Winnipeg to engage in extracurricular activity after the whistle. It was a strategy that backfired, though, with the rough-and-tumble style of play giving the Jets an added sense of purpose and energy after playing the night before.

“They’re playing tough, they’re obviously in a little bit of a funk right now, too, so they’re trying to do whatever they can to find success,” said Perfetti. “We were kind of hemming them in and playing really well. Anything to get a spark for them is kind of what they’re looking for. I thought we responded well. They got a four-minute penalty there, we scored one on that. That’s really important for us. We stick together as a team but at the same time we play smart, no retaliating for no reason. We’ll make them pay on the scoreboard.”

One particular bone-headed sequence by Blackhawks defenceman Jack Johnson, who cross-checked Jets forward Mikey Eyssimont before standing over him to deliver several shots to his head, led to a four-minute power play for Winnipeg. The Jets cashed in before the first penalty expired, with Wheeler tipping home a Josh Morrissey shot from the point for his ninth of the season.

The goal was Wheeler’s 15th point (5G, 10A) in his last 10 games. The Jets power play has been just as hot of late, with Wheeler’s goal extending Winnipeg’s streak of at least one marker on the man advantage to seven games.

 

2) Twenty-four hours after being forced to juggle their forward lines following a suspected shoulder injury to Saku Maenalanen, the Jets were dealt another blow against the Blackhawks.

This time it affected the defence, as Logan Stanley fell awkwardly into the boards behind his own net halfway through the first period, leaving him in considerable pain on the ice. He would eventually limp his way to the bench and into the locker room.

Stanley reappeared a short time later, but his stay was short-lived, with the Jets eventually ruling him out of the game. Stanley had just returned to the lineup against the Blues the night before, after a six-week absence owing to suffering a broken bone on Oct. 24.

There was no update on Stanley, other than to say he would be further evaluated once the team returned to Winnipeg. It was the same story for Maenalanen, with assistant coach Marty Johnston confirming prior to puck drop that he, too, would need a closer look before making any definite statements.

 

3) David Rittich made his sixth start of the season and looked fairly solid in his first taste of action in a week. He wasn’t overly busy, making 22 saves on the night, but stood tall when his team needed him, especially with little run support to back him up.

Rittich stopped centre Jason Dickenson on a shorthanded break in the first period and was steady late in the second when the Jets were on the penalty kill. The Blackhawks pushed in the final 20 minutes, but the 30-year-old was once again up to the task.

Taylor Raddysh broke Rittich’s bid for a shutout midway through the middle frame when the Blackhawks second-leading goal scorer turned and fired a shot past Rittich’s blocker to make it a 2-1 game.

 

4) The Jets improved their record on back-to-back games to 3-1.

They’re going to get used to playing these types of sequences, with nine more sets of back-to-back games on the schedule, including one more this month when they travel to Boston and then Washington December 22-23.

“Obviously, a lot of back-to-backs coming up, but playing the right way, we can’t be trading chances and having a little bit of a track meet on those back-to-backs,” said Perfetti. “Travelling, on the flight, getting in late and not getting a lot of sleep, that kind of stuff, it takes a toll on the body. So, we’ve got to make sure we’re playing smart, playing above them, playing behind their goal line, stuff like that that we did tonight will work to our advantage. That’s why we’re finding success right now.”

Winnipeg returns home for a three-game run at Canada Life Centre, beginning with the Capitals Sunday night, followed by tilts against the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday and the Nashville Predators Thursday.

 

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton