FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Raise your hand if you thought Winnipeg’s power play was going to help complete the comeback on Thursday night. I certainly did, especially after they’d turned a 5-1 deficit into a 5-4 game and Dallas defenceman Thomas Harley then flipped the puck into the seats. Sure, they were 0-for-3 in the game at that point with the man advantage. But no way they would be denied for a fourth time, right?
Wrong.
“Struggled on our entries early, then we really got them going. Then it became the next part which was the attacks. And then it’s retrievals. I don’t think everything was hitting on all cylinders at the same time,” said Arniel.
Getting the PP up and running early is a top priority for the club, but it could remain a work-in-progress as they adjust to life without Nikolaj Ehlers and the man who was set to replace him on the top unit, Cole Perfetti.
On the other hand, the penalty kill was impressive by going 4-for-5. Yes, the Jets surrendered one goal at the tail end of a 5-on-3 (which became a 5-on-2 after Josh Morrissey lost his stick), but it’s a good night at the office when you can outscore your opponents while you have someone in the sin bin. The Jets scored two shorthanded goals, showing why speed can kill as Morgan Barron and then Kyle Connor turned on the proverbial jets.
Esa Lindell (23) and goaltender Jake Oettinger defend against Winnipeg Jets’ Jonathan Toews in Winnipeg on Thursday. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)
Throughout Thursday’s game you could feel how much fans wanted Jonathan Toews to hit the scoresheet, and he had a few terrific chances to do so. Could this be the day? The 37-year-old was around the puck all night but is still clearly trying to get both his timing and his hands back to big-league levels.
I’ll repeat what I said in this space Thursday: I’m not a fan of the Logan Stanley-Luke Schenn pairing. They were caved in by Dallas.
KEN SAYS: The seventh hat trick of Connor’s career capped an impressive performance for the sniper that signed a lucrative contract extension earlier this week. Connor was all over the ice and all over the scoresheet, generating six shots on goal and 10 shot attempts in just under 20 minutes of ice time. One of my pre-season predictions was that Connor would capture the Rocket Richard Trophy and I truly believe he could reach 50 goals for the first time in his career.
It should be interesting to see how the middle-six swap — which began during the third period of Thursday’s game — goes for the Jets as the search for chemistry continues.
“I’m not sure where I’m going yet with all this,” said Arniel.
Alex Iafallo’s ability to disrupt things on the forecheck should create opportunities for Jonathan Toews and Nikita Chibrikov, while Gustav Nyquist showed some chemistry with Vladislav Namestnikov during the final exhibition game against the Calgary Flames and Nino Niederreiter’s ability to get to the blue paint should benefit his linemates.
What an individual effort by Barron, whose shorthanded breakaway goal sparked a three-goal third period rally. Barron is someone who could blossom into a threat to be a consistent double-digit goal-scorer that could threaten to reach 15-plus.
The Jets will need to be much more cohesive in the defensive zone and connected all over the ice against a Kings team that had 105 points last season to finish second in the Pacific Division.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar has announced that this will be his final season, so this is a great opportunity for fans of the sport to watch one of the best two-way players of his era. Kopitar has already chipped in two assists in two games and he’s had a penchant for delivering against the Jets during his career, recording 18 goals and 41 points in 37 games.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS:
- Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
- Niederreiter-Namesnitkov-Nyquist
- Iafallo-Toews-Chibrikov
- Koepke-Barron-Pearson
DEFENCE:
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Fleury-Pionk
- Stanley-Schenn
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Miller, F Ford, F Lambert
INJURED: C Lowry (hip), F Perfetti (ankle), D Samberg (wrist)
LOS ANGELES KINGS
FORWARDS:
- Kuzmenko-Kopitar-Kempe
- Fiala-Byfield-Laferriere
- Foegle-Danault-Moore
- Malott-Turcotte-Armia
DEFENCE:
- Anderson-Doughty
- Edmundson-Clarke
- Dumoulin-Ceci
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Moverare, C Helenius
INJURED: D Burroughs (upper body), F Perry (knee)
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo on the unusual 12:30 p.m. puck drop:
“I love the afternoon games, personally. I am up and at it anyways in the morning with the kids. So, for me, you get some breakfast and come to the rink and play. I love it. You don’t have to worry about a morning skate, sometimes, and on those night games you are sitting around just waiting to play. The routine changes a little bit in regards to just waking up and even playing. I am looking forward to the afternoon game and a great crowd, like we always have.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Ken will have the game analysis of Jets versus Kings while Mike will file a sidebar. You can find both pieces online.
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