The Winnipeg Jets’ historic run to start the season has officially come to an end as they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Monday night. The Jets fell behind early and were never able to fully recover despite their best efforts.
It was one of the craziest games of the NHL season thus far, with the Jets nearly erasing a four-goal deficit on the back of a Kyle Connor multi-goal game. Connor was initially credited with a hat trick, but his third goal was given to Gabriel Vilardi after the game. The Maple Leafs had a hat trick of their own, with John Tavares cashing in a trio, including what ended up being the game-winner late in the second period.
There are plenty of talking points that come from a game like this, and it’s going to be looked at even closer given the Jets’ hot start. Here are the postgame notes from a crazy one in downtown Winnipeg.
Jets Finally Drop a Game
It was going to happen eventually, but the Jets finally suffered their first loss of the season after winning the first eight. That streak tied the franchise record for consecutive wins, and that record will remain unbroken for the time being.
It ended up being closer than it initially looked like it was going to be, as the Maple Leafs jumped out to a 4-0 lead less than five minutes into the second period. Largely on the back of Connor’s offensive efforts and Connor Hellebuyck keeping things closer than they should have been, the Jets managed to storm back and it felt like there may have been another miracle brewing.
Their luck ran out before they could even things up, and despite the comeback effort, it never really felt like the Jets had enough to find their way to victory. In the early stages, things weren’t particularly close as the Maple Leafs outshot the Jets 19-6 in the first period and were leading 2-0 after 20.
Ultimately, some of the issues that had begun to emerge late in their win streak reared their ugly heads and became an obstacle even an 8-0-0 team couldn’t overcome. You can’t be perfect, and despite winning games in spite of those cracks starting to appear, it was bound to hurt them eventually.
The Power Play Remains Hot
One thing that didn’t take a step back was the Jets’ league-leading power play. After two more power-play goals against the Maple Leafs, the Jets remain atop the NHL with a 44.4% success rate with the man advantage.
After last season’s struggles, this feels like an entirely different team despite having a nearly identical roster. There were very few adjustments last season, leading to dreadful stretches that dropped the Jets well below the league-average mark. It’s refreshing to see such a change in tactics.
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They relied heavily on the “umbrella” last season, funneling things from the top of the zone through the defencemen. This season, it is much more fluid and tends to run low to high instead of the opposite. Will it regress? Maybe, but to see this level of success early shows that assistant coach Davis Payne’s power-play systems are easy to follow for the Jets and hard to defend as an opponent.
Line Changes on the Horizon?
While it is far from a guarantee, head coach Scott Arniel, who suffered his first loss as the Jets’ full-time bench boss, threw the lines into a blender in the third period and appeared to settle on a familiar trio on the top line. Nikolaj Ehlers moved up to join Vilardi and Mark Scheifele to start the period, a sight that was welcomed by fans after their outstanding stretch last season during Connor’s injury absence.
Connor shifted down to play with Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti, while Vladislav Namestnikov ended up sliding down to the third line. The top line, despite the success on the power play, has been dreadful at even strength and this is the type of change that might be able to establish a more sustainable method of winning hockey games.
That being said, Arniel’s early season reliance on the Connor and Scheifele duo has many skeptical that the change will actually happen, especially with the past coaching staff’s reluctance to separate them. It would be in the Jets’ best interest to do so, but there will be a hesitance based on past precedent.
Worthy of a Mention
Some pieces of information or events in the game that may not have been worthy of a Game Note bullet point, but still deserved mention after the action.
- The Jets’ defensive group was in shambles for most of the night, with the pairing of Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk taking the biggest beating, with the duo being on the ice for five Toronto goals.
- Logan Stanley also had a tough night, and it appears time to try out the third-pairing rotation spot again to give the big defender a night off in favour of Haydn Fleury or Dylan Coghlan.
- Despite giving up five goals (six with the empty net goal), the Jets’ penalty kill was solid again as they killed off both Maple Leafs’ power plays as their units continued to climb up the league rankings (88.9%, ranked fourth in the NHL).
Up Next – A Trip to Detroit
The Jets now head back on the road after their one-game stop at home, flying to Detroit to take on the 4-4-1 Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Red Wings are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, Oct. 27.
After the loss to the Maple Leafs, the Jets need to bounce back in this game to avoid getting away from the success they found early in the season. Luckily for them, this early stretch has allowed them to bank a lot of points and could give them the runway to make the adjustments they need to get back in the win column quickly.
