Intense weekend on tap as Jets, Wild renew rivalry

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This article was published 29/12/2023 (671 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This time, it truly is a proverbial four-pointer.

As the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild prepare for a weekend doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday, there is plenty at stake — including those four available points for Central Division clubs that seem to be on top of their respective games.

The Jets are 8-1-2 during the month of December and continue to battle for top spot in the division, while the Wild are riding high and boast an 11-3 record since John Hynes took over as head coach from Dean Evason.

Even with the remarkable run by the Wild, the Jets have an eight-point cushion over the Wild, raising the importance in what will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs in the four-game series.

“There’s got to be games that get your blood going a little bit,” said Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt. “You’ve got to know that you’re not in for an easy night. You know you’re going to get it and you know it’s going to happen, so everyone’s senses are heightened.

“There’s a lot of things going on. It’s a way for us to look at our December as a whole, it’s a way to look at how you’re going to go into the new year. There’s a lot of stuff here.”

The last time these two teams played was April 11, when the Jets were able to secure a playoff spot but lost forward Nikolaj Ehlers to a shoulder injury after he was on the receiving end of a reverse hit from Wild forward Ryan Hartman that resulted in a one-game suspension.

Ehlers sat out the final game of the regular season and missed the first four games against the Vegas Golden Knights before suiting up in the series finale.

Late in that contest, Jets captain Adam Lowry dropped the gloves with Wild enforcer and Winnipegger Ryan Reaves in what was a spirited tilt.

There was no talk of retribution coming from the Jets locker room on Friday afternoon, but you can be sure they’ll be on high alert when Hartman is on the ice on Saturday.

This is precisely the type of scenario players are thinking about when they talk about taking a number and having a long memory.

“I find that stuff gets forgotten about until about three seconds into the first shift and then all hell breaks loose,” said Schmidt. “Someone does something and it just blows up from there. You’ve always got to be aware of what’s going on out there.”

While Reaves is no longer on the Wild roster, players such as Marcus Foligno and Pat Maroon definitely like to mix things up.

That’s not to suggest these games are going to be filled with fisticuffs and focusing on payback, since both teams realize there’s a lot at stake in the bigger picture.

History also suggests the intensity level is going to be high, since this rivalry is built on more than just simple geography.

Once the puck drops between these two teams, the animosity is real, and stuff often happens between and after the whistles.

“Usually it comes from the playoffs, that’s where it usually starts. When you play a team in the playoffs and you go seven games and every game is a battle, usually those things linger for a couple of years,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness, asked to describe what makes a good rivalry. “And sometimes you have (personalities) where you don’t like each other out there and it rubs off on everybody. That’s hockey and that’s the passion of the game. That’s what we love about the game.”

The Jets and Wild met in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2018, with the Jets winning in five games, but this rivalry has grown over the years and figures to be reignited this weekend.

“It’s really tight,” said Jets centre Mark Scheifele. “They have a good team over there, we have to be prepared for everything. Obviously since the coaching change they’ve taken it to heart and have really been rolling. So we have to be ready for a hungry team in Minnesota and we’ve got to bring our best.”

The Wild have tightened things up defensively and have found a way to score with greater frequency since Hynes took over, with Kirill Kaprizov leading the way with 13 goals and 33 points in 33 games.

“Historically, they’ve been a great defensive team. They don’t give up a whole lot,” said Lowry. “They’re a big, physical team. It’s going to be important that we battle to get to the front of the net, use our speed and keep up that pressure game.”

Should either of these teams find a way to secure a weekend sweep, the Jets’ cushion in the standings could reach 12 points or the Wild could pull within four with the same number of games played (35).

“They’re scoring goals. Their structure is really good. At one point they were what, three or four games below .500, now they’re above .500 and they’re chasing us,” said Bowness. “We know how they’re looking at this weekend — they’re trying to close their gap with us — and we’re looking at it to try to extend the lead on them.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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