The Winnipeg Jets earned a convincing 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, improving their record and extending their strong play at home. It was a game where Winnipeg controlled the pace, dictated possession, and leaned on their stars while also getting contributions from deeper in the lineup. With a 30-22 advantage in shots, a 54.8% success rate in the faceoff dot, and a 50% power-play clip, the Jets did almost everything right.
Jets’ Stars Took Over the Game When It Mattered
This was one of those games where your top players need to set the tone — and Winnipeg’s best players delivered.
Josh Morrissey opened the floodgates early in the second period with a tip-in goal at 1:12 to put the Jets up 2-1. Less than 15 minutes later, Neal Pionk hammered home a power-play slap shot to extend the lead to 3-1. Winnipeg’s blue line didn’t just activate offensively — they dictated the game. Morrissey was everywhere, making plays in transition, jumping into the rush, and moving pucks confidently. Pionk’s goal was his first of the season, and it came at a pivotal moment where the Jets were looking for separation.
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In the third period, Kyle Connor added the dagger. Just 2:45 into the frame, he buried his 11th of the season off feeds from Mark Scheifele and Morrissey, giving Winnipeg a 4-1 cushion. Connor’s ability to find soft ice and release the puck quickly continues to make him one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. His production remains essential to Winnipeg’s identity, and nights like this reinforce his status as the engine of their offence.
Scheifele also deserves recognition. While he didn’t score, he registered three assists and was the playmaking backbone of the Jets’ attack. His transition game was sharp, his puck distribution was clean, and he drove offence relentlessly. When Scheifele and Connor are in sync, the Jets become a team that’s extremely difficult to defend. Head coach Scott Arniel praised his group by saying, “I thought everybody was good tonight in the sense of defending first and not giving up.”
Even depth contributions mattered. Logan Stanley capped the night at 6:23 of the third period with a slap shot for his third of the season. When a defensive defenseman adds insurance goals, you know the group is clicking.
This win was driven by Winnipeg’s elite tier — Morrissey, Scheifele, and Connor — but reinforced by steady support across all three pairings. For a team with playoff aspirations, that’s exactly what you want to see.
Special Teams & Faceoffs Tilted the Ice in Winnipeg’s Favour
Special teams and faceoffs formed the backbone of Winnipeg’s overall dominance, giving them control of possession and momentum throughout the night. The Jets went 1-for-2 on the power play while shutting down Columbus’s lone attempt, and the difference in structure between the two units was clear. Pionk’s power-play one-timer in the second period didn’t just extend the lead — it changed the complexion of the game by giving the Jets more breathing room and forcing Columbus onto its heels. Winnipeg’s puck movement on the man advantage was crisp, their zone entries were clean, and their net-front presence consistently created shooting lanes.
Defensively, the Jets’ penalty kill executed with precision. They blocked lanes, pressured puck carriers, and limited Columbus to low-danger looks. Even in limited time shorthanded, their discipline and structure stood out, maintaining the kind of composure the team has been working to build all season.
Faceoffs were another area where the Jets controlled the rhythm of play. Finishing the night with a 54.8% win rate, Winnipeg consistently started with possession in all three zones. Scheifele and Adam Lowry set the tone down the middle, allowing the Jets to dictate offensive pressure and establish early momentum. Winning draws helped Winnipeg sustain zone time, transition efficiently, and limit Columbus’s ability to establish any extended forechecking presence. This combination of special-teams success and faceoff dominance was one of the biggest keys to the Jets controlling pace and tempo from start to finish.
Balanced Defence & Shot Pressure Highlight Jets’ Team Identity
Winnipeg’s defensive effort was as complete as their offensive one, showing a level of structure and discipline that has been a focal point all season. The Jets held Columbus to just 22 shots and tightened up significantly after the first period, allowing only four shots in the second and seven in the third. Their blue line not only contributed offensively — with goals from Morrissey, Pionk, and Stanley — but also dictated tempo with clean exits, smart pinches, and controlled puck movement. “When your defence can add offence from the backend it makes you that much more dangerous,” said Arniel post game.
What stood out most was how interconnected their defensive effort was. The Jets consistently closed gaps in the neutral zone, disrupted Columbus’s transition attempts, and controlled the middle of the ice. Their ability to break up plays before they became dangerous allowed them to stay in control of the flow, turning defence into immediate offence. Winnipeg finished with 18 blocked shots, illustrating their commitment to protecting the slot and supporting their goaltender.
Shot pressure was also a major factor. The Jets outshot Columbus 8-4 in the second period and 11-7 in the third, wearing down the Blue Jackets’ defensive group. That sustained pressure came not just from their forwards but from their activated defencemen as well, creating a layered attack that fatigued the opposition. Columbus’s goals — one on a backhander from Miles Wood in the first and another on a near-solo effort from Zach Werenski in the third — were isolated plays rather than systemic breakdowns.
This game was a perfect example of Winnipeg’s ideal identity: strong defensive structure, smooth transitions, balanced scoring from the back end, and the ability to control shot volume as the game progresses. When the Jets play this connected, confident style, they resemble a team with genuine playoff aspirations.
Looking Ahead
The Jets earned this win by controlling nearly every major category: possession, faceoffs, special teams, defensive structure, and scoring depth. Their stars made an impact, their defence played one of its best collective games of the season, and their overall commitment to detail stood out from puck drop to the final buzzer. If Winnipeg can continue playing with this blend of discipline, aggression, and balance, they have every chance to build momentum and strengthen their position in the Western Conference standings.
