St. Louis and Winnipeg are gearing up for the second clash at the Canada Life Centre. Inside The Rink’s own Conrad Jack gears you up for game two with his gameday thoughts.
Physicality Will Be Amplified
After game one ended in a super physical fashion, with each team being assessed five misconducts after two separate scrums broke out. It is obvious that both teams will play a highly physical game, but the need to play disciplined is amplified in this game.
When you look at the hits from game one, game two likely has more in store when it comes to physicality. The Jets have a lot of firepower on their team, scoring-wise, but they wind down a bit with physicality. However, throughout the entire season, the Jets would come together as a group when a team tried to outplay them physically.
St. Louis could pose a challenge as they’ve hit their opponents hard all season long. Winnipeg will likely respond against its divisional rivals according to how St. Louis plays, but as I alluded to earlier, discipline is important in this game.
Discipline is a Must After Game One
After game one had more than a few questionable calls, game two will be called just as closely and maybe even tighter than the first.
With 114 penalty minutes in the first game handed out to both teams, it is to be noted that the referees were setting a clear precedent for both teams.
While being physical is important, being smart while playing physically is a must. If neither team can rein it in discipline-wise, it will be a long night for them.
Score the First Goal
The Winnipeg Jets need to do one massive thing in tonight’s game if they truly want to swing momentum; they must score the first goal.
Robert Thomas scored the first goal of game one on the power play for St. Louis and gave the Blues a ton of momentum that they weren’t able to capitalize on. Game two will be different as the Jets have a 1-0 series lead and will be looking to get a jump on the Blues with the first goal. Similarly to St. Louis, they will be wanting to score the first goal to swing momentum in their favour if they want a shot to even the series score.
Ultimately, the first goal is important, and whichever team scores it will have a significant edge in game two.
Final Thoughts
Game three between these two Central Division rivals is set for Thursday, April 24th with a scheduled puck drop set for 8:30 pm CST.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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