Not much else to cheer about

CHICAGO – The process of picking off the team in front of them just hit a significant speed bump.

With the Chicago Blackhawks clearly in their sights, the Winnipeg Jets missed out on a valuable opportunity to leapfrog them to escape the basement of the Central Division after falling 2-0 on Monday night before a raucous crowd of 19,894 at the United Center.

Instead of passing the Blackhawks with a regulation win, the Jets are now three points behind them, though they do hold a game in hand.

“A big missed opportunity,” said Jets defenceman Logan Stanley. “We’ve got to bear down a little bit, find a way to score. It was a one-goal game. We’ve got to come away with two points.”

The Jets, who slipped to 19-23-6 on the season, are back in action on Tuesday at Canada Life Centre against the St. Louis Blues.

Let’s take a closer look at what happened in this game:

The return

The first game back in the United Center for the former captain of the Blackhawks generated plenty of attention and it lived up to the advance billing.

Following a video tribute that chronicled the time he was chosen third overall in the 2006 NHL Draft to the outpouring of support during his final game in a Blackhawks jersey, the crowd saluted Jonathan Toews with a rousing standing ovation that lasted longer than three minutes.

Toews showed his appreciation on multiple occasions as the cheers got louder and louder, culminating with the crowd chanting “John-ny, John-ny, John-ny.”

“It blew me away, obviously. It’s a crazy moment. To get that reception from the fans is pretty special. It’s something I’ll remember forever,” said Toews. “It felt like forever. I’m not sure what to do after a while in that situation. The boys kept telling me to do another lap. Pretty special.

“I tried to do my best to take it all in and really savour it. To really appreciate the love from the fans.”

That love was clearly reciprocated, as Toews skated to each corner of the building, touching his heart on multiple occasions to show exactly what the moment meant to him.

“The video tribute was special. I know that he was trying to get it to end, but I thought it was great that the fans wouldn’t stop,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “He’s a first-ballot hall-of-fame guy. He’s done an awful lot for this organization, I’m talking about the Blackhawks, and they showed their appreciation.”

The only disappointing part for Toews was the end result.

“You want to have your cake and eat it too,” said Toews. “When you have a game like this, to go out there and have a productive night and get a big win, but aside from everything, it was a big division game for us, with where we are in the standings. Every chance we get, we’ve got to gain some ground. Obviously, we didn’t get that job done.”

The crowd was filled with No. 19 jerseys and there were plenty of signs in the building welcoming Toews back.

Toews had a number of friends and family members in attendance, including his parents.

“It’s always nice when they come back,” said Toews. “They’re enjoying it, maybe just as much, if not a little more, than I am. Good to see them having fun and reconnecting with some people here at the United Center and just around town.”

The key play

Jason Dickinson’s shot off Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg was the only one to beat either goalie.

THE THREE STARS

1. Spencer Knight, Blackhawks, Made 32 saves for the shutout.
2. Jason Dickinson, Blackhawks, Scored the lone goal.
3. Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, Scored an empty netter and was dangerous throughout.

The (Jets) debut

Defenceman Isaak Phillips was a late addition to the Jets’ lineup after Elias Salomonsson was scratched due to illness.

Phillips, who was chosen by the Blackhawks in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, suited up for the Jets for the first time since he was acquired in a trade last January.

The physical blue-liner was used on the third pairing with Logan Stanley (who played on his off-side).

Phillips finished with nine shifts for 6:29 of ice time, recording two shots on goal and a blocked shot.

“He’s obviously a good skater,” said Stanley. “Big guy. handles the puck pretty well. So a lot to like about his game.”

There’s a chance Phillips could be right back into the lineup on Tuesday, depending on how Salomonsson is feeling.

“Yeah, that was real short notice for him,” said Arniel. “Might have helped him, not coming in here too nervous. He handled himself well, used his size, skated well, made some nice plays. He did what he had to do.”

The salute

One of the questions for Toews was during his pre-game press conference was about whether he saw any parallels for the new face of the franchise, 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard.

“I can’t compare anything that I went through to the pressure he’s been under since he was a junior hockey player. I can’t imagine,” said Toews. “Only one guy knows what that’s like, and that’s him. It’s pretty incredible to see how he keeps raising his game, too. What is he, 20 or whatever he is now, and he’s been in the league for almost three years now. The pressure that’s on him, what he walks around with every day, it’s not an easy way to grow up as a young man. But from afar, it looks like he’s doing a heck of a job.”

Bedard, who scored an empty-netter, is having an excellent season, with 20 goals and 48 points in 36 games.

But it’s the improved two-way play that has caught the attention of Arniel.

“He’s been fun to watch. He’s a dynamic kid,” said Arniel. “You see maturity in his game, which you usually do from young kids. His game has really evolved, that’s why his name was mentioned a lot (in relation) to the Olympic team. (Jeff Blashill) is putting (Bedard) out in all situations and he can rely on him.

“That’s probably one of the biggest things for young players, especially centremen. It can be a heavy, hard league for centremen. The offensive side, the skill side is there, it’s the defending side that all young guys have the learning process that has to happen. He’s done a really good job of getting better (at that).”

Extra, extra

The Jets survived a two-man disadvantage in the first period that lasted 83 seconds.

The Jets healthy scratches were forwards Danny Zhilkin and Gustav Nyquist, who sat out for a seventh consecutive game.

The star-studded crowd included Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas was among the observers, though it was unclear if he was there to scout for his team or Team Canada’s men’s Olympic team.

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