The Winnipeg Jets picked up a convincing 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, one that saw standout performances up and down the lineup. The first thing to note is that forward Rasmus Kupari left early in the first period with a shoulder injury and did not return. Acting Head Coach Scott Arniel stated after the game that they will know more about his injury tomorrow, Nov. 15.
With Winnipeg in the middle of a five-game home stand, now would be the perfect time to get on a hot streak, and it seems as though they have done just that. This piece features analysis, quotes, and a few takeaways from the win.
Cole Perfetti is Finding His Groove Offensively
Cole Perfetti has now scored in four straight games and is up to five goals on the season. The incredibly talented 21-year-old winger is in the middle of a contract year with five goals, seven assists, and 12 points as he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) this offseason.
Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Jets a 3-2 lead late in the third, and after the game, Ehlers was asked about Perfetti’s vision on that goal as he stated: “We’ve done that twice this year now. Cole is a really smart player, he’s got great hockey sense and reads the game really well, and he told me that just before he saw me he was going to rip the puck. I think our line played pretty well tonight, we won some battles in the o-zone, which is something we’ve been trying to get better at.”
Related: Jets’ Cole Perfetti Excelling in Contract Year
Perfetti has been able to use his vision to complete plays like this all season long. This goal below is just one example of him dissecting a defence, and firing a pass right on the tape, and giving his teammate an empty net to shoot at. It’s impressive for anyone, especially from a 21-year-old who is playing in just their 84th career NHL game.
So much of the talk around the Jets’ forward core early on in this season has been about the Adam Lowry line, and the top line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Alex Iafallo. The second line and their resurgence of late has flown under the radar, and with Gabriel Vilardi’s return on the horizon, this forward group may be able to improve even further.
Nikolaj Ehlers Had a “Get Right” Game with Two Goals
Ehlers has had a slow start to the season, with only two goals through 14 games coming into tonight’s contest. He had a performance that could jump-start his season, with two goals and a fight, which was a surprise to many. It was the seventh fight of Ehlers’ career and one that he promised to his family he wouldn’t do again in the post-game: “Earlier today I told them that my fighting days are probably over… yeah that lasted about five hours.”
Perfetti and Ehlers have shown real chemistry early on in this season, and it’s a welcome development for the Jets organization, given their previous injury history and how slowly they each started the year. Now, the Jets have three lines rolling and they look like one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Arniel spoke after the game on Connor’s incredible start to the season, one that sees him tied for the league lead in goals with 13. He stated: “Once those guys get one, they are goal scorers, they get that good feeling about themselves, and hopefully now Nikolaj has that feeling as well.”
Josh Morrissey is Following up His 2022-23 Campaign Nicely
Josh Morrissey is currently tied for sixth in the NHL in scoring by defencemen with 14 points in his first 15 games. After a monster 76-point campaign in 2022-23, he is on that same pace this year and has been a huge factor in the Jets’ power play gaining life as of late.
In Tuesday night’s game against New Jersey, Morrissey tied a franchise record with four assists in a single game. Both Iafallo and Scheifele have tied that same record over the past week, and that goes to show how well the Jets are clicking offensively.
Morrissey was named an NHL All-Star last season, establishing himself as one of the best offensive defencemen across the league. His play to start the season has been no different, as the Jets have relied on him heavily to contribute from the back end. He is delivering under that pressure and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
The Winnipeg Jets are Starting to Establish an Identity
The 2023-24 Jets are starting to form an identity with their on-ice play. When Ehlers is fighting after one of his teammates takes a bad hit in the corner, that says all you need to know about how much this group has bought in to sticking up for one another. They have won four of their past five games playing a fast, direct, and physical style and have even managed to limit the back-breaking turnovers to an extent.
If Hellebuyck begins to string together strong performances, and the special teams continue on their upward trajectory, the Jets can go from a bubble playoff team to a surefire contender in the Central division quite quickly. Pair those with Vilardi’s imminent return, and the Jets have a chance to bank a ton of points over the next 2-3 months which will prove to be valuable down the stretch, as it did last season.
