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The NHL’s No. 1 team is back in town, as strange as that might be to hear for fans of the Winnipeg Jets. But it’s true. And the high-flying club will be looking to keep their incredible run going as they open a four-game homestand against Columbus Blue Jackets.
Winnipeg is coming off a perfect three-game road trip, have won six straight games overall, are 10-0-2 in the last 12 and 14-1-2 in the last 17. In other words, they are scorching hot, even if they are not letting the success get to their heads.
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“Until you win a Stanley Cup, there’s always room for improvement on everything,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said this morning in response to a question from the Free Press. “That’s the way we live here. Every day, we want to address things. Every day, we want to keep getting better, with the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup. Until you win that, you should be trying to get better at everything every day.”
The Jets are facing a banged-up, rebuilding Blue Jackets club led by first-year coach Pascal Vincent, who spent a decade in Winnipeg’s organization. This will be another chance to see former Jets forward Jack Roslovic, who has recently returned from an injury, but unfortunately the same can’t be said of Patrik Laine, who is out long-term with a fractured clavicle.
Winnipeg will be trying to extend another incredible streak tonight, having gone 29 straight games of not giving up more than three goals. That’s the second-longest in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967).
“I think we’re just all on the same page,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele said of the stifling nature of his squad. “I think at times last year we didn’t know if a guy was going or when to jump a guy, when not to, when to stay in your spot, when not to. I think a lot of those things take time to feel themselves out. I think this year we’ve done a better job of clarifying what to do in certain situations and really hone down on that. That helps a lot in terms of knowing your reads. I think that makes it easier, and it’s getting more and more to that.”
Connor Hellebuyck vs Daniil Tarasov is the goaltending match-up.
Here’s some other information to get you set for puck drop:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: What’s impressed me most about the Jets recently is how they haven’t allowed their overall game to slip, even if they might have several excuses (travel, condensed schedule, fatigue, satisfaction over wins in the bank, etc) to do so. They just keep chugging along and mowing down opponents.
Sunday’s game might have been the most impressive of all. Already 5-0-0 over the previous days and facing a Coyotes club desperate for points, I figured that might be the night for an inevitable letdown. Was I ever wrong, as the Jets absolutely dominated the desert dogs.
Which brings us to tonight, which is the type of “trap” game against an inferior opponent that, at least in the past, has led to an upset. And while it certainly could play out that way, all signs point to this Jets team staying true to form.
The Jets haven’t just been building momentum on the ice, but off it as well. The last few home games (Boston, Minnesota, Tampa Bay) have seen the biggest crowds and best atmospheres of the year at the downtown rink. Now, with four straight in friendly quarters, will we see that continue?
Nate Schmidt, centre, and Josh Morrissey, right, shared a laugh during practice at Canada Life Centre recently. Schmidt has chipped in a goal and three points during his past five games. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files)
KEN SAYS: Just to expand on all the impressive numbers the Jets have put together during this incredible streak since Dec. 1, let’s take a moment to talk about goaltending – and not just because I’ve written stories on both Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit recently.
Hellebuyck didn’t have a busy night on Sunday, turning aside 15 of 17 shots on goal that he faced on Sunday and he’s set for his 30th start of the season on Tuesday. He’s riding a remarkable run of allowing two goals or fewer in 16 of his past 17 starts, the lone exception being the Dec. 18 game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt has settled in nicely on the third pairing with Dylan Samberg and after a tough start offensively (one assist through 25 games) and enduring five healthy scratches, he’s chipped in a goal and three points during his past five games.
As for the Blue Jackets, 2023 second overall pick Adam Fantilli is having a solid rookie campaign, sitting third on his team in goals (11) and points (24) in 41 games, centring the top line with Johnny Gaudreau, whose production has dipped considerably since signing as a free agent in the summer of 2022. Gaudreau has gone four games without recording a point since a three-point outburst against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, Gaudreau remains dangerous and has 11 goals and 31 points in 29 career games against the Jets.
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