The Winnipeg Jets just wrapped up a massive home-and-home against their Central Division Rival, the Minnesota Wild. On Saturday, Dec 30, the Jets defeated the Wild 4-2, before following that up on Sunday, Dec 31, with an equally impressive 3-2 victory.
Connor Hellebuyck was incredible in game one, stopping 35/37 shots his way, but the team in front of him put forward an extremely solid effort. Laurent Brossoit picked up the role in the second game and was equally as reliable, as he improved to 3-1 in the month. Outside of the goaltending, here are three takeaways from the back-to-back wins over the weekend.
Winnipeg’s Third Line is Built for Playoff Hockey
The Winnipeg Jets’ third line of Nino Niederreiter, Adam Lowry, and Mason Appleton is built for playoff hockey with their physical style of play below the goal line. That was on full display across these two games, which had a playoff feel to them.
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Niederreiter scored two crucial goals in Saturday’s contest, both of which came off of a successful Winnipeg cycle in the offensive zone. He’s got 13 goals on the season and now has five goals in his past five games against the Wild, dating back to his days with the Nashville Predators. He loves playing the Wild, and this past weekend was no different.
The Captain, Lowry, continued to be a physical force in all areas of the ice and even dropped the gloves with Pat Maroon to open Sunday’s game. Appleton is on pace for over 30 assists and looks to be a different player in all three zones. This line has been one of the most consistent lines across the entire NHL, and their presence was felt across the two fast, physical games.
Lowry picked up his 100th career goal on Sunday when he got Winnipeg on the scoreboard and evened the score at one. The long-tenured Jet has not only had a massive impact on the ice this season but has been a tremendous leader and Captain of the group, as many of the players have stated.
Jets’ Fourth Line Continues to Provide Positive Minutes
Morgan Barron scored on Wednesday against the Blackhawks, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored on Saturday, and Dominic Toninato got the game-winner on Sunday. The fourth line is not only winning their minutes, but they are chipping in offensively, and that’s a massive win for the Jets.
Their forechecking abilities have allowed them to spend a good chunk of their shifts inside the offensive zone, and from there, they generate chances in a very direct way. Direct, meaning shots from the point or outside that will generate rebounds, which they relentlessly pounce on.
Toninato was only in the lineup due to David Gustafsson dealing with a day-to-day injury, and he may have won that job altogether. Jonsson-Fjallby is in the lineup due to a long-term injury to another speedster in Rasmus Kupari, and he may have won that job outright as well. That goes to show not only how well this line is playing right now, but how much organizational depth the Jets have both up front and on the back end.
The Winnipeg Jets Add 2 More to Their “Impressive Wins” List
In the month of Dec, the Jets defeated some of the NHL’s elite. Those include the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche twice, the Carolina Hurricanes, and now they’ve added the Minnesota Wild twice. Some of these games ended in blowouts, such as the Bruins game before the holiday break, where the Jets were able to overwhelm their opponent at five-on-five and easily come away with a victory.
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The Jets have still yet to allow more than three goals in a game since Nov. 2. In Dec, they never allowed more than two goals in regulation, as the only team that reached three goals on them was the Montreal Canadiens, who won the game with their third goal coming in overtime.
They are completely bought in to whatever defensive system Rick Bowness has been installing over the past season and a half, and the results are better than they could’ve ever hoped. Hellebuyck is easily in the running for the Vezina Trophy once again, something that comes as a shock to nobody, despite his slow start to the season.
Winnipeg finishes the month of Dec with a sizzling 10-1-2 record, with their three losses coming to the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadiens. They have lost to some bad teams, but when playing the NHL’s elite, they continue to show that they are capable of dominating at even strength.
