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Can anyone stop the Stanley Cup champs?
We’re 10 games and nearly a month into the NHL season and the answer, so far, is a resounding “No.”
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Vegas has yet to lose in regulation this year, and the only blemish on an otherwise spotless record is an overtime defeat back on Oct. 27 to Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Might that change tonight on the Sin City strip?
Winnipeg will get a second crack at denting the Golden Knights’ armour, having fallen 5-3 on Oct. 19 at Canada Life Centre. That game came right down to the wire, with the score tied 3-3 until Jack Eichel’s power play goal with 4:36 left in regulation proved to be the difference.
Vegas Golden Knights’ Brett Howden (21) scores on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit (39) during second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Oct. 19. (John Woods / The Canadian Press)
Logan Thompson vs. Laurent Brossoit was the goaltending matchup that night. Tonight, expect to see Thompson vs. Connor Hellebuyck.
Vegas has won five straight head-to-head meetings with the Jets dating back to the first round of the playoffs last spring. Winnipeg struck first, with a convincing Game 1 victory, but it was all downhill from there.
This is the start of a three-game road trip for the Jets, who will carry on to Arizona (Saturday) and St. Louis (Tuesday).
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MIKE SAYS: Winnipeg has let two straight winnable games get away, and you get the sense that isn’t sitting well with a group that has lofty goals.
Sure, they’ve racked up points in five straight outings (3-0-2), but back-to-back extra time losses to Montreal and the New York Rangers have left a bit of a sour taste with the group.
Throw in two regulation defeats already this year in games that were tied late in the third period — to Calgary and Vegas — and it sure feels like the Jets have left many points on the table.
A timely goal here or timely save there, combined with a little luck, and the Jets could be closer to 8-1-0 than their 4-3-2 record.
Now, a chance to right some recent wrongs and maybe get a little revenge on the Golden Knights, who have certainly had their number of late.
T-Mobile, for my money, is the most raucous building in the NHL, so the key here is always surviving the first 10 or 15 minutes.
In that sense, a strong start is important for the Jets if they want to get this road trip headed in the right direction. I’ve seen quite a few Jets jerseys on the strip today, and there were many on the flight down Wednesday as well, so the visitors will at least have some vocal support in the house.
KEN SAYS: The Jets seem to be getting into a groove on all fronts but one: special teams.
The power play struggles continued (it is now in a zero-for-13 rut), despite a change in personnel (Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers flip-flopping units).
The power play is now 4-for-34 (11.8 per cent) overall, slipped to 27th in the NHL, and it’s looking for a spark.
Things also need to improve on the penalty kill, which is ranked 28th (71.9 per cent).
At even strength, the Jets continue to showcase their depth up front, with Perfetti chipping in four assists over the past four games and Ehlers scoring twice during the past three games after a slow start.
The Golden Knights are third in the NHL in goals against per game (2.20) and ninth in the league in goals per game (3.50). After becoming the first defending champion to win seven consecutive games to start the season, Vegas has gone to extra time in each of the past three games, losing once in overtime and winning a pair of shootouts.
William Karlsson leads the Golden Knights balanced offensive attack with 11 points, while Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore are tied for second in team scoring with 10.
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