Goaltending and defence was optional on Sunday night, as the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche opened up their series with a 7-6 barnburner.
This game featured ups and downs, a handful of lead changes, and a barrage of momentum swings from start to finish. In what was an incredible game inside Canada Life Centre, there was plenty to takeaway as we look ahead to Game two.
The Winnipeg Jets Know They Have to Be Better to Win the Series
The Jets calling card for the 2023-24 season has been their defence, and going into this series, it was expected that the key matchup would be Winnipeg’s defence facing Colorado’s offence. On Monday night, it was all offence, all the time. That can’t be the case if the Jets want to win this series, and they know it.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think Bones is going to be preaching 7-6,” Adam Lowry joked after the game. If there’s a positive to the Jets’ suspect defence, it’s that they proved they can win in a track meet. Giving up six goals usually means a loss for this version of the Jets, but on this night, their offence clicked, and they took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The deafening crowd definitely played a factor in the Jets’ nervous levels, as the ‘Winnipeg Whiteout’ was as loud as ever ahead of Game 1. Gabriel Vilardi had a fantastic game, and he even admitted in the post-game that he was nervous given the stakes:
“Definitely, we know we can play better. We’ve got the best goalie in the world. They played well, so credit to them,” Vilardi said after the game. “I was nervous at the start. We played kind of nervous. But hey, we got the win. Good teams find a way to win.”
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Good teams absolutely find a way to win, and even better teams find a way to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Veteran defenceman Brenden Dillon shared the same thought in the post-game, highlighting Winnipeg’s inability to shut down the Avalanche’s high-octane offence.
“I guess we proved that we can score goals too. But man oh man, that’s just not us,” Dillon explained in the post-game. “We have got to be way better here in Game 2. But I mean, tip our cap to us, a Stanley Cup Playoff win is a Stanley Cup Playoff win, we’ll take it for sure.”
Jets’ Captain Adam Lowry Plays One of the Best Games of His Career
Heading into this first-round series, everyone knew that Jets’ captain Adam Lowry had a massive role to play, as he was set to play important minutes against Nathan MacKinnon. On Sunday evening, he played those tough minutes and scored two goals in what was one of the best games of his career. His second goal was one of the craziest goals you will see over the course of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as it hit two posts, and went in, before hitting the post a third time.
“It’s crazy. Crazy. It was a crazy play but we got lucky.” Vilardi said about Lowry’s second goal. Did he know it was in? “I didn’t know. No. We got the little screens there at the bottom of the bench and they showed it. It’s a good goal, and we all got fired up.”
Given the stakes, the pressure, and Lowry’s ability to step up, this was one of the best games of his career. That is something that the Jets will need if they want continued success in this series, and Jets’ Head Coach Rick Bowness provided some insight into why Lowry is always found elevating his game at this time of year.
“Again, he’s been a great leader for the team on and off the ice. He was a great choice for captain. He loves these challenges,” Bowness said about his captain. “He’s going up against one of the best players in the world, not necessarily the league but the world in Nate. So, he loves those challenges and he takes his game to another level.”
That will be a matchup to watch going forward, and it’s one that is essential for the Jets to break even on if they want to win this series. MacKinnon had a goal and an assist on this night, and a handful of dangerous chances, even hitting the post a few times.
Winnipeg Whiteout Was in Full Force for Game 1
Whether it was the eight-game winning streak to close out the regular season, or the sense that this years team feels different in Winnipeg, this was one of the louder ‘Winnipeg Whiteouts’ in quite some time, as the Jets’ faithful packed Canada Life Centre and made themselves heard early on, and the players took note.
“I think we heard them all the way from Donald Street there. We heard them all the way from True North Square.” Dillon said about the fans. “I think as a young Canadian kid, getting to watch the Winnipeg Whiteouts and now getting to be a part of the Winnipeg here, and last year obviously was nice to get a taste of it, but to get a win, to feel good and not have my neighbours all over me when I get home tomorrow will be nice.” If that’s not the most ‘Winnipeg’ answer to a question about the in-arena atmosphere, I don’t know what is.
For players on the Jets experiencing the whiteout for the first time, like Vilardi, it was an experience like no other: “It was nice that we won. A great atmosphere. I’m looking forward to some more games here.” Vilardi said on the crowd inside Canada Life Centre.
The Winnipeg Whiteout will be in full effect for Game 2, which goes Tuesday night at 8:30 PM central time. The Jets will look to tighten up their defensive structure and take a 2-0 series lead, while the Avalanche will look to mostly replicate their Game 1 performance, and receive a few more saves.