“It’s all game three now,” Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel said when asked about team swagger and the job not being done.
Arniel is at the helm of a Jets team coming off a historic regular season by clinching the Presidents’ Trophy. The Jets are now halfway up the mountain against the St. Louis Blues after winning games one and two on home ice and are looking to push their way into round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Related: Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues Series Preview
“I mentioned after game 82 that we learned some lessons on how to play in different buildings, against different teams, and against different styles,” Arniel added to his response.
Winnipeg has been a team that hasn’t gotten its flowers since training camp opened in September. That will likely be the case until they go the distance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but until then, the Jets will continue to be overlooked.
Game one ended with some physicality, including nine misconducts and 114 PIMS at the conclusion of the game. The Jets turned the dial to 11 from the moment the puck dropped until the sound of the final buzzer, and they mesmerized the St. Louis Blues, who outhit Winnipeg 58-56 in game one. Winnipeg flipped the script in game two, outhitting St. Louis 33-29 in a defensively sound game.
Related: St. Louis at Winnipeg Game One Recap
The game was defensively good for both teams, but the Jets had a significant advantage with Dylan Samberg elevating his play to be a real thorn in the side for the Blues’ attackers to play against. His zone entry denial was great in game one, but Samberg took it to a whole new level in game two.
With 14 zone entry denials at even strength, Dylan Samberg continued to prove that he is the Jets’ next elite defenseman. His consistent effort and reliability on the ice will only become more valuable as the games pass and the Jets inch closer to a playoff date in late June.
Looking at the forward group, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor have proven themselves as some of the most dangerous Winnipeg Jets on the ice when not being actively defended. Scheifele’s goal in the first period to break open the scoring in game two, but it was his assist on Kyle Connor’s second game-winning goal early in the third period that really made the duo dangerous.
Related: St. Louis at Winnipeg Game Two Recap
St. Louis has had a problem defending Scheifele and Connor, simply put. Scheifele has five points (2G, 3A) to Connor’s four points (2G, 2A), which have proved both of the Jets forwards all the more valuable given their contributions throughout the first two games.
Ultimately, when the Winnipeg Jets are 100% healthy with Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabriel Vilardi back in the lineup, they will become a tough team to face with added firepower in their top six.
The Winnipeg Jets (2-0-0) travel to St. Louis (0-2-0) for game three, which is set for Thursday, April 24th, with puckdrop scheduled for 8:30 pm CST.
ITR 40: Headed For A Repeat? – Inside The Rink
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