Kenny and Renny Post Game Show | Jets vs. Stars Game 29

Kenny and Renny Post Game Show | Jets vs. Stars Game 29

Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hello everybody. I’m Sean Reynolds from Sports about to be joined by Ken Weeb from the Winnipeg Free Press. Together we are Kenny Renie. This is the Kenny and Renie postgame show after a game that I think why don’t you come on walk over here with me. Join me in the parking lot here at Jim Pisod and Toyota on Region. Let’s hop into a car. How about a BZ4X because you’re going to want to hear what I have to say. So, a nice electric hum of an engine will make it so that you can hear me uh loud and clear because this game for me is a game in which I walk away from more belief in the Winnipeg Jets based on this game than any other game that I’ve seen the Winnipeg Jets play so far this year. Um, a lot of you are going to be like, “Reny, what are you talking about? The Winnipeg Jets lost this game. You know, they didn’t even get the two points out of this. They had two points the other night here. How can you have more faith in this? And listen, you can say that. I would never interrupt your right to be wrong. So, if you want to be wrong, you can go ahead and do that. But the Winnipeg Jets tonight looked more like the blueprint that that they have established over the last number of years than any game I’ve seen them play this year. The Winnipeg Jets looked more like they could make me wrong in my saying that I don’t think the roster is currently constructed can operate and perform and pull off the blueprint that they’ve tried to pull off the last couple years. That’s is that that game is the best evidence. That is exhibit A. exhibit A for any hockey fan out there that the Winnipeg Jets could bring it out, trot it out, place it in front of you and say, “See, we can do it. We can play that style or a a proximity to the style that we played last year.” Uh, and this is the example that we can do it. Um, still lots of things to clean up. Uh and and maybe, you know, this is probably building, but maybe, just maybe, uh this is, you know, the most you could hope for from a Winnipeg Jets team, one that is going to be defending more often than it did last year, and that maybe that just means more pucks in the back of your net. We’ll get to talking about Eric Comry. Um I take a look at a number of the goals in this game. I know my man Tico, who I’ve talked about before on this show, was texting me and is definitely definitely a guy who’s not the biggest Eric Comry fan out there. Um, I would say this is a game that I think maybe, just maybe, the Winnipeg Jets walk away with a victory if Connor Hellbuk is in net, finds a way to stop one of those four shots that was going in. Although I don’t think, you know, the second goal of the game or the uh, you know, the two power play goals scored against the the fourth goal of the game, I don’t think anyone’s stopping those. Maybe there’s an argument to be made about the other two. Um, but the Winnipeg Jets, as they played on this night, uh, looked a lot like what the Winnipeg Jets, I think, are supposed to look like. There’s a number of reasons for that. I I I don’t want to go too long and too heavy on the Toyota opening drive on this night. I’d rather bring in Ken and have some of these conversations because to me, one of the things about this game that I walk away and I’m happy about is that I think it’s going to spur some interesting conversations tonight. Um, and I want to get to those with my main man, Ken. So, let me just allow you to walk away from this and think I think especially on a night where if I just quickly look at the scores that happened on this night, the Edmonton Oilers were looking like they were about to lose. Taking a look here, the Oilers did lose that game, although they lost it in overtime, so they do get a point. The St. Louis Blues lose on this night. The uh uh Sharks lose on this night. And then who else would the this Avalanche and Predators? Uh that’s a little less likely to affect the Winnipeg Jets here, but for the most part outside of the Edmonton Oilers getting that point, the Winnipeg Jets, it’s not a bad night for them when it comes. Winnipeg Jets find themselves two points out of a playoff spot right now. Okay. Um, if this is a turning point and this is to me the kind of game that could be a rallying point, could be a reason for the Winnipeg Jets to believe in themselves, could be a game that they can say, “Okay, let’s start replicating that over and over and over again.” And we think we’re going to go from being the team that, as I’ve pointed out to you, hasn’t been able to beat playoff playoff teams for a long time and typically only beats, you know, lower echelon teams. I think it’s like what, November 24th, the last time this team didn’t beat a team that was in last place in, you know, one division or another. This game to me, I confidently think the Winnipeg Jets walk away with wins against fairly good teams. Um, so we’ll see if Ken agrees. I think he’s probably going to, but if if you were looking for positive Renie, he showed up on this night. But he only showed up because the Winnipeg Jets grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him in front of the camera here tonight. I don’t think there’s a lot to be overly negative about in this game. Lots of optimism, I think, if you’re a Winnipeg Jets fan walking out of this game. And that for me is the Jim Patterson Toyota on Regent. Opening drive here, ladies and gentlemen. And hey, this December, it’s time to Toyota at Jim Patterson Toyota region. You may want to hop out of our BZ4X and hop right into a 2025 Tacoma 4×4 SR5 truck because you can lease it from just $116 weekly for 64 months at 6.59% with the with $7,699 down and a $1,500 accessory credit. But hurry, the offer ends December 31st. Visit Jim Patterson Toyota on Regent for a test drive today. Okay, time to bring in the man with the best music in the business, folks. Here comes Kenny. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] So want to share a little something with you in the KN&R audience. Um Reny’s got a little out of hand here. Uh and uh you know the fridge and him were getting along a little bit too well. I’m supposed to be going down to see, you know, if Frankie’s watching, he’s going to be like, “Reny, you were supposed to be down here weeks ago.” I was supposed to be down getting fitted for a new suit that I’m going to be getting from the boys at Victoria Rossi, but Renie got fat. It’s as simple as that. And you’ve heard me talk about my struggles trying to be a TV personality and maintaining the look. I’ve been buckling down the last little while and this gorgeous classic suit that uh I get got from the boys at Victoria Rossi is now the button is closing up nicely. I’m close. I’m close. So, if you’re listening, Frankie, I’m going to be heading on down there walking in loudly proclaiming that Kenny and Randy sent me and ask for you Frankie and the boys to see if you can hook me up here because I know you’re going to. You all should be doing that soon, too. Uh and that’s that, folks. Okay, Ken. Um, I thought that that game was I So, just to give you a behind the scenes, Ken and I always talk a little bit. I texted Ken after the first period and I thought that that was the Winnipeg Jets best period of of the of the season up to that point. I know that they started out and boom, they’re down one- nothing. That doesn’t help. And then I know that I’m watching the second period and the Winnipeg Jets come out and boom, early on they’re down two nothing again. So, missing a little bit of what they had last year. can although they did have trouble starting on time in the first period at times last year but I thought that the second period outside of the beginning of it was a great period and the third period I thought was phenomenal as well came up a little bit short at the end there but I have no doubt in my mind Ken that this is the best 60-minute effort that the Winnipeg Jets have put forth and that we are starting to see some of the tenets that made them the president’s trophy winning team last year and that we’re starting to see a team able to play that style and I think it almost got them to win on this night. Yeah. And I wasn’t ignoring you. I went down to see my dad at the first intermission. He was at the game here tonight. So I wasn’t trying to leave you hanging with the with the commentary about how you thought it was a very good period. I I do think you know lethargic first period. Uh or sorry first shift uh right first period. Uh that’s a tough one. Jets got to get that out of the zone. They got to be again you know that you’re going to be under attack here. Uh but again after that yeah I mean shots were a bit deceiving Sean for me there were a couple like three flip shots in there that weren’t really scoring chances but high dangers were 54 for Dallas so I thought the first was mostly even game. Um, you know, obviously the power play goal early was, you know, pretty hurt. You know, obviously, obviously, uh, you know, damaging to the Jets. Uh, you know, giving up another goal. You know, two goals in the first minute of each of the first two periods is not a great template or recipe, but again, this is one of the best power plays in the NHL. And, you know, excellent movement. Uh, and then two, you Jets top line gets going again. I mean, newly constructed version. Uh, but there’s Mark Shley, there’s a one-timer, there’s a bad bad turnover from Niels Lungquist, Sean, like that. That play cannot happen if you’re a team holding a two nothing lead. And imagine how, you know, fans would have reacted if that’s, you know, whoever it is, whether it’s Logan Stanley or Dylan Dlo or any player in the NHL, Luke Shen, people would have been all over him for that turnover. But Jets converted it. Then they had a very strong power play and as Wyatt Johnson is coming onto the ice, Josh Morsy makes a great play, great pass, almost an identical one-time. So, not a power play goal technically, but Sean, you know, it’s close to a power play goal when the Jets still had four forwards on the ice and hadn’t changed yet. So, uh, you know, a little bit risky business, but they had enough zone time, so they got away with it and they got another goal there. So in some ways it’s only 2 to one in the special teams battle even though the sheet itself will say two zero for Dallas. You know the Jets that that to me is a power play goal because the player was still not involved in the play yet. Having said that in the third sorry although although Wyatt Johnson got a started salivating over the idea. Oh sure he did a break. So he didn’t get back as quick as he probably should have. He was looking to go the other way. the puck didn’t get there and the player who turned it over mo moved it straight over to Mark Shley and it’s in the back of the net, right? Like Wyatt Johnson should probably going and trying to get up and pickpocket Josh in that scenario and it’s one of the reasons that puck’s in the back of the net. Anyways, go on. No, totally fair. But see, the other the other issue with saying it’s still two to one. The Jets get a couple of third period power plays, including a sixon four, and are unable to convert. So, uh, that’s I totally understand Scott O’Neal’s frustration with that in a game where they do a lot of good things, uh, at five on five. Now, Sean, for me, similar to what you’re talking about, the more encouraging part about how the Jets played was five on five. The Dallas Stars are a team that can take opponents to the cleaners at five on five as well as playing a strong, you know, power play game. Today at five on five, the Jets mostly, you know, I wouldn’t say they dominated. I don’t think that’s accurate, but they held the, you know, fairly significant territorial advantage and generated plenty. And the fact that they were much better defensively and playing faster, I agree with you. It’s encouraging for them that they might be able to, you know, speed up their play to the point where they can play with contenders. And make no mistake, Dallas is one of the best teams in the NHL. And they would be the best team in the NHL if the Colorado Avalanche weren’t uh going hog wild out of the gate here. Both these teams, Sean, this is reminiscent of 1718 where Nashville and Winnipeg went toe-to-toe down the wire. won two for the President’s Trophy and you know for some for reasons only be known to uh the folks at the NHL had to play in the second round even though they were the two best teams and that should have been the conference final. But I digress. Um yeah, if you’re the Jets, there still are things to clean up, but that is a step like this is not rosecolored glasses territory, Sean. Uh even though some folks are are may be suggesting that this is the you know acceptance for the Jets that they need to be better still and that staying close is not good enough. But when you are a team that has won five times in 17 games, you need to throw that up as a template type of game. This is not playing one of the worst teams in the league. This is playing one of the best teams in the league toeto toe. and you know basically standing in the middle of the ring trading punches and you know yes they still got knocked down at the end but if the Jets play like that more often than if they can do it with any sort of consistency then they’ll be able to start getting wins over teams above the playoff line uh rather than you know what’s been happening for the last month and change five weeks and change now going on six weeks where they haven’t beat a team uh that is above the playoff line in the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s the last This is not piling on, Sean. This is reality for the Jets. This is these are facts. And again, if they play like this for the rest of the home stand, they would have an opportunity to be 500 or better on the home stand. But now, the big issue for the Jets is to stack games like this, not just think, “Oh, there’s the template. Let’s lean on it when we feel like it.” Because the Jets can’t afford to do this once a week or once every three games or once every two games. They haven’t stacked nearly enough 60-minute efforts. And if they don’t stack 60-minute efforts, they’re going to still, you know, be trying to get themselves out of this big hole they’ve dug for themselves. Um there’s already a big uh conversation about Jonathan Tay is happening in our chat room here. Uh we spoke with him earlier on today. Um, I thought he had something interesting to say and it’s why I wanted to ask a question about it about the idea that when the whole team is struggling, if you’ve got personal struggles, is it almost easier to to get along because you you can focus on the team struggles, right? Like you can be like, “Okay, I’m going like we need to get the team going. I’m secondary, right?” Like every once in a while you’ll hear you’ll see a team that’s going really well, but one player is not scoring. and they’re afforded the luxury of being like very selfish and like oh man I just got to get my game going too and things are going to elevate here you know maybe a little not that not that he I’m calling him selfish but like Gabe Valardi was at the beginning of the year things were going good for the Jets he couldn’t put the puck in the back of the net you know you could focus a little bit more on that so uh you know in this situation the Jets are in you can focus a little bit more on well this is what we’re going to need for team success um so I can focus on that right now I don’t have to focus that things aren’t working. But he was also asked about the move being moved down to the fourth line. I’ll say this, Ken, and I think that this is important. I think one of the things that like like that we’ve seen here and and I’ve thought this for a long time. I’ve talked about it. The Winnipeg Jets were giving Jonathan TA every opportunity to try and get going to try and wake him up just like they’re doing with certain things. They’re moving lines around now, trying to wake up different lines. Um I thought tonight Ken moving uh um Gabe Valardi to from that second line with Lowry to the Nemesikov line with Perfetti was an attempt to try and get Perfetti to wake up. I actually think that somewhat backfired a little bit. I thought he looked and we’ll get into that in a little bit. Um I thought he looked better with Lowry’s line. I thought that that line looked closer to what it’s looked like last year with him on there. Another puck possession guy. big body that’s hard to kind of handle in that situation. We’ll get to that um a little bit more here. But I think one of the things that is helping the Winnipeg Jets right now is until now there’s been coaching to to kind of wake up specific players and I don’t think it’s worked and I think it’s worked against the team. So the whole thing with Jonathan Ta I get it. You want to get him going. You want to get the best of him. He’s a guy that you’re banking that is going to be making a difference come playoff time if you’re able to make it to the playoffs. So, they’ve been doing what they can to get him going. But the fact of the matter is the amount of production that he’s been getting is not enough to justify the spot that he was holding in the lineup. And what hap what would if this was just, you know, a secondyear player, he would have found himself down the lineup. And he would have found himself down the lineup a long time ago. I think and I want your thoughts on this. One of the things that’s been important to get the kind of response that you got tonight is that you are moving the guys who are earning opportunities into spots and you are taking the guys who are not grabbing the brass ring over and over and you’re moving them down the lineup. And I would say that goes for Jonathan Taz being moved to the wing on the fourth line. I would say that goes to for Gustaf Nyquist who’s now watching from the press box. there was a lot of coaching happening in earlier on in the year catering to players trying to get those players going. Now what I’m seeing and what I think works and I always think now I can say this I’m not a coach. I don’t need to deal with rooms and personalities but I always think the right thing to do in sports is the people who are getting the opportunities and earning the opportunities should be getting more opportunities. That wasn’t happen tonight. I personally thought this lineup was a better reflection of those who are earning ice time and the ones who aren’t earning ice time losing opportunities. And I think that even goes for Cole Perfetti and the Nomesticov line being moved down to the third line in in the kind of hierarchy of things here. I think that’s one of the reasons you got the response you got here tonight because you moved into more prominent roles, the players who have been earning those prominent roles. Am I off, Kevin? Uh, I mean, I’m not saying you’re off. I just I mean, the issue for the Jets is still the same. I mean, they they didn’t get enough from guys not named Mark Shley or Kyle Connor. I mean, Gabe Valardi still had 20 minutes in the game. Uh, Perfetti was able to chip in an assist. He had three hits. Um, got a little bit more involved. He had two shots, four shot attempts. Um, so again, I Yeah, I mean, Taves, no, Taves, Taves is under 10 minutes, so your point is made. But who had the best scoring chance in the game who wasn’t on the first line? It was Taves. He sailed it wide. I get it, but he still had he had the best scoring chance of those guys. Okay, but what did the lines look like? What did the lines do as far as doing things that would give you an idea that they’re more likely to have success in the future? What did the lines do when it comes to executing the blueprint? What did the lines do when it comes to tilting the ice and taking away from the constant giant snowball of offense from the opposition that is always running over the Winnipeg Jets and kind of tilted it back in the other direction. like I I I think it’s I know exactly what you’re saying and to that point and it’s something we’ll get to later. Uh Scott O’Neal made it abundantly evident in in his post game, right? Uh that he’s frustrated with the lack of support that the top line is getting. No doubt about that. But when it comes to th those lines executing and looking more like what they’re supposed to look like, which is what you want, it’s more process is more important than results. Sure. So, if the process is looking like it’s starting to work, the results will come. I would contend that the results are more likely to come based on what things look like tonight and how opportunities were doowled out than what we were seeing before when opportunities were being doled out to try and get specific players to shake off the rust and get going. Yeah. I mean, and that’s that’s totally fine. I mean the I thought that Pearson so when they flip-flop Pearson and Valardi, Pearson actually fit in on that Lowry line. I thought he had a couple really good shifts for sure. Uh they got on the attack a little bit more for sure. Uh you know, Perfetti and Valardi, I could see there being, you know, some potential there with Nesttov. So yeah, I mean no issue there. And again, Jonathan, he understands he’s got to be better. And uh and then you know there would not have been many times during his career where he was a 9-minute player in the NHL. And again he’s got to work his way through it and fight his way through it. And Sean based on everything that he said this morning uh I saw a guy who wants to be better and knows that he can be part of that. Uh but he is a guy that’s going to be playing a complimentary role. He’s got to find his game in that complimentary role and then see what happens from there. But yeah, I mean the Jets have got to get going. Um, you know, in terms of secondary offense, I mean, Logan Stanley, fourth goal, 10th point. I mean, he’s outscoring some of the Jets guys that they were leaning on uh heavily going into this season. And, you know, as strong as it is for Stanley to be up to four goals, there are players who need to catch him and that, you know, that includes Taves, that includes Gustaf Nyquist, that includes Cole Kepky, that includes Cole Perfetti at this stage. So, um, yeah, 100%. And the all I’m saying is that I don’t know that we’ve landed on the optimal optimal situation. Um, I I’m ready to hand out the uh the flame and comfort comment of the game. Where is it here? Okay. Stephen Brun coaching says, “You either have a presence trophy winning team or you have secondary scoring from Logan Stanley. You can’t have both. which I got a huge crack out of earlier on. Sometimes a red hot comment is just a red hot joke that a a host can’t stop laughing at in the middle of his show. Uh so honestly, this was uh this was a home run here. And of course, that’s your KN&R take brought to you by Flame and Comfort. Manitoba’s premier supplier of fireplaces, wood stoves, inserts, and everything hearth related. After 50 years heating up your world, Flame and Comfort has moved to 1465 St. James. When you get down there, you’re going to see it is one of the most impressive rooms in Western Canada showrooms. You don’t need your hot takes, folks, to keep that warm feeling inside. You can visit Flam and Comfort. They will take care of it for you. I also wanted to build on this point. Love the no quit from our boys, says Phyllis. I really thought we’d get another Manitoba miracle tonight with how strong the boys were playing. I wanted to bring this up. I don’t know what you saw, Ken. I saw a Winnipeg Jets team that was becoming that snowball rolling down the hill and then they drew a penalty and it’s like okay here we go and then blah nothing after that. If I and so I I’m sure people now have heard my take on this and my theory on this for the longest of times, but I had said at the beginning of the year the Winnipeg Jets would not be the comeback team that they were last year that they were consistently last year. And it was because of the loss of Nikolai Eers. If I needed Ken, if this was a thesis and I was going and I was presenting this at the university level, right, I would take that last 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the game and I wouldn’t even have to step to the days and argue it. I would just press play on the VCR because I can’t afford a DVD player if they even have those things anymore. And I would play the last 2 minutes and 30 seconds of that game and watch as the Winnipeg Jets failed time and time and time again to get into the zone with possession, never mind getting the Dallas Stars backed into a defensive position. It never even came close. And when it came to that time for the Winnipeg Jets to make the push, the push that was so successful so often last year, they do not have that element. That element was so important because if you remember last year the Winnipeg Jets in situations like that would get the puck in the zone and for like two to three minutes they would rag the puck around the boards. They would just run ragged their opposition until finally something opened up and boom the pass was made and it was in the back of the net. They never even got the chance to do that. And if you go back and look at this year they rarely do. I said this was going to happen. Again, if I was delivering this at the university level, you would be calling me Dr. Renie at this stage because that was a perfect a perfect explanation right there. You want to know what Nikolai Eers meant to this team in the most crucial of moments? Just go back. I’m telling you right now, 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the end of that game. Go watch it and imagine what would happen if Nikolai Eers was winding up with his speed through the neutral zone and what would have ended up happening in that game. I contend, Ken, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Nikolai Eers is in the lineup. The Winnipeg Jets win that game tonight. They tie it up. They win that game in overtime because that’s what Nikolai Eers does at just a base that very few players in the league can do. That’s where they miss Nikolai Eers the most. Yeah, I mean there’s there hasn’t they haven’t had anybody that’s stepped up. No one’s going to step up in the speed department. But again, this is where Cole Perfetti, Gustaf Nyquist, Jonathan Taves, Nino needer, Vlad Neomesticov, these guys. I mean, Manitoba Miracle is not possible without Vlad Neomestikoff’s goal either, right? I mean, uh I’m not not trying to give him short shrift here either, but he’s now gone into a massive offensive funk here, Sean. That’s one assist in 17 games, no goals, I believe. So, um, anyways, agreed. I mean, there were not enough clean entries. There were not enough situations where they had quality scoring chances. And right now, um, you know, Jets power play is in a little bit of a funk itself. And they’ve done a couple things. They put Alex out there for his retrievalss. Uh, but they don’t have it’s not as dangerous as it was last year, but yeah, they battled for sure. Uh but those are the Sean those are the situations as you’re talking about where it was common place. The Jets expected to win those games and right now uh they’re doing their best but right now they don’t have the formula to put it over the top and of course missing eerts is a massive part of that for sure. Um let’s just Okay, so Gabe Valardi gets pulled down. Uh Mark Schiffley and and Kyle Connor just keep going. uh your thoughts on their game with Alex Aalo tonight? Yeah, I mean there’s those guys have some familiarity so I understand that’s that’s where the first turn of the wheel goes for sure. Uh I follow in the game 2133 19 shifts he is plus one in the game. Three shots, four attempts, three hits, one giveaway. So Alex Ill is doing everything you would ask of him, right? I mean this is a guy that you know yes he’s played on that line before. Yes, he can play anywhere in your lineup, but Alex follow mostly played on the Jets fourth line last year. He seamlessly stepped onto the top line. I mean, and one of his best passes of the game was to Gabe Valardi. Incredible pass in tight. Valardi stopped twice. A great sequence there for Casey to Smith. Uh I thought his game was pretty solid. I mean, that line’s going to look different with Alexo on it than with Gabe Valardi. I mean, that’s that’s just the way that it goes. But uh in terms of you know first look I thought he did a nice job there. I mean the thing is I mean Alex a follow it’s not that Alexo was playing great so he got a promotion to the top line. They went there because there’s familiarity there and because he’s such a great digger digger along the boards. Digger with the forche. Uh and that’s the other thing Sean we’ve been crushing the Jets for having no forche. This is finally one of the games they actually got a forche going and they did it against a very mobile defense core and a defense core that got back Thomas Harley who is a you know Olympic caliber player and they have one of the best defenseman in the league in Miro Hastenan and Essa Lindell is a great shutdown guy that is also mobile. So um yeah I mean I thought that that was an important part of it. So for sure is it their optimal combination? No, but right now I think it was worth trying and I would try it a little bit longer for sure. I I I can’t easily identify a better option there is what I’m trying to say. Well, I I would say it like this. I mean, Alex Afallow spent time there last year when Gabriel Ardi was hurt. Um, it worked last year and the year before. Yeah, it worked again here tonight. Um, I in an effort to try and create more depth scoring. Now, I know uh you know towards the end of the game uh Scott Arine went back to putting Gabe Valardi on that line and I guess so. I guess he would do that. It’s one of the best lines in hockey when it’s been together. But what I walk away from in this game, Ken, is that Mark Schiffley and Kyle Connor can fly without Gabe Valardi. Like that works. Okay. So, if you need to try and spread around the love, what I walk away from tonight is the understanding that you can do that. you can have Alex Aalow up there. So, you’re basically taking you’re taking a topline guy, a guy that you believe is a topline guy. You’re pulling him down the lineup. You’re moving Alex Aalow in there. And I don’t think that the drop off is huge. I mean, the Winnipeg Jets against one of the best teams that they’ve played in an extremely long time gave themselves a really good chance to tie and potentially win that game basically based off the strength of a top line that was ferocious on this night. that you know that this is like the whole you know Josh Moresy conversation where it’s like you almost can’t talk about Josh Moresy every time you do a postgame show on here because he’s just so good over and over again. It’s getting hard to continue trying to find different ways to say how amazing Mark Schiffley and and Kyle Connor have been like that they are going up against really really great teams and they are dominating. They are the best versions of themselves that have ever existed. And what I saw tonight is that that’s not reliant on Gabe Valardi. It’s not reliant on a three-way chemistry. And we probably should have known that because they were just fine with Alexia Fallow last year. Which kind of brings me to to to the next topic. I had said on this program um last game that when you break up that line and you take uh when you take Gabriel Valardi and you put him down the lineup, it almost seemed to me like I I don’t I didn’t not that I didn’t understand. I totally understand. I just didn’t think they’d get the results that they’re looking for. Now, you don’t exactly get that. You don’t get like a runaway success with with Gabriel Ardi out there. But what I did see, Ken, coming back to what I talked about earlier on, was that was the best I’ve seen Adam Lowry’s line look all year. And it wasn’t close. Like it it was not even close. The way that that line was able to start doing, you know, they were back to some of their churning shifts. Um Gabe Valardi did a really good job of working the boards with them. I want I’d like to see more of that line. And I want to see what that line looks like with Gabriel Valardi not only playing the grind that he brings to that line. It seemed like it had the other guys on that line, Netherrider and Lowry, more on their toes. But now I want to see if that grind leads to opportunities and I want to see what Gabriel Ard’s finishing touches on that line looks like with those opportunities. I thought, you know, in in an effort and hey, when the wheel starts spinning, it’s hard to stop it on the right thing, right? You know, like only the casinos know how to do that, right? The rest of us, none of us know how to do that consistently. Grab the wheel and stop it at the right time. But I didn’t think I I actually thought that the Jets depth scoring got got and the play of the team outside of the top line dropped off after they moved Gabe Valardi to the line with Vladislav Domesticov and Cole Perfetti. I understand why they did it. You’re thinking that those are the guys who are supposed to score for you and and Adam Lowry is the guy who’s supposed to grind and you needed goals in that game. So, I get it. But I guess I would ask myself this question. Let’s say both those two lines are going. Who’s more important to the Winnipeg Jets? the the Adam Lowry line grinding and the way that they tilt the scales for the Winnipeg Jets or the second line scoring and and before you go and say, you know, all you folks out there, before you go and say, well, the second line scoring because you know, then you score and they add up and this and that, it’s like, no, no, the second line scoring to the capabilities you could expect from that line. Remember, it’s Vladislav Nomesticov, it’s Cole Perfetti, right? like the these guys are a secondary scoring unit that you should probably only expect so much in the way of scoring out of. So, I think that the wrong decision was made in that game. And I rarely rarely do I, you know, like try and call out and I don’t think I’m doing that, but like rarely do I say I think a coach made a wrong decision because they’re on the bench, they get it. I just think that what you were seeing from Adam Lowry’s line was the precursor to the rest of the team starting to return to the blueprint because that’s been the line that that’s what they do. They show you the blueprint. They say follow this is how you do it and everyone else follows. I saw the Winnipeg Jets following that line tonight. And I think there was a bit of a tail off after they switched that out. Uh, and outside of Mark Shaley’s line continuing to fly and fly and fly, I would I would think if it were up to Renie, which it’s not, and thank God it’s not, but I would have Gabe Valardi going back to that line with Neo Nether and Adam Lowry going forward. Again, I’m not I’m not here to argue, but the just just presenting the other side here. The good folks at Natural Statrick say at five on five, the Perfetti Valardi domestic offline had three high danger chances with zero allowed. And the Pearson moving with Lowry and Nether Rider uh two scoring chances, four or zero against. So, or whatever. So, anyways, again, I’m not saying this is gospel. I’m just presenting it as part of the discussion. So, and I’m with you. I I I I actually, and again, this is going to sound crazy because we just said it. I follow worked fine there. What we were talking about, if the Jets are trying to get some secondary scoring going, I would still consider putting Cole Perfetti up with Mark Shley and Kyle Connor. Again, I’m not saying it has to be next game and I’m not saying it has to be for three games or three periods or whatever else, but in this effort to get guys going because of what you said, there doesn’t necessarily have to be a big drop off. Perfetti looked a little bit more like himself today. I would again, we know that Cole is down on how things have been going. We know he stayed out late on a game day and on a practice day. I would consider still putting him I know he doesn’t do the same things along the wall as I follow orali but I would still consider that as an as an alternative uh as a way to try to get things going down the lineup too but I’m also with you I want to see everything so I want to see with Lowry and Netherrider as well. Well, I I think that you give that line a little bit of time, you’re going to start to see them score because I think they’re playing the game the closest to the Jets blueprint that I’ve seen in a long time. And you too can score, folks. You can score a great rate with Camrian Credit Union. Getting a mortgage doesn’t have to throw you off your game while you focus on Home Sweet Home. Our friends at Team Cam Credit Union take care of the mortgage part with their low rates. Whether you’re looking for a new home, renewing, or making the switch, Cambrian is your mortgage MVP. They can help make the next season of your mortgage path easier and help save you money. Now, that is what we call a win. Head to cambrian.mb.ca/rates for more. And Ken, why don’t you give Sweet Lou a shout out while we’re at it. We’ll do. For folks who have realy needs you’d like to have met, whether you’re buying, selling, curious what that house on the corner might be selling for, contact our main man Lou Ferland at Royal Laage Dynamic Realy 204791-9971 or at the office 2049895000. His email is louferland.ca. That’s lufurl.ca. Lou Furlin, excellent realtor, excellent human being, and excellent supporter of the community, including this podcast. So Cam and Jim at CJ OB at noon, um I saw something from them the other day that I thought was really interesting. They played a clip from the Jets last win against the Buffalo Sabres of of a game that I I honestly thought that the the Jets were the second best team in, but they found a way to win that game. Just for the record, for all those people who think I’m being negative, I thought the Jets were the best team in this game here today and didn’t come away with the win. So it goes both ways. But um Scott O’Neal was in that game talking about them being better and this and that, but they played the clip on on the show and and basically said like, “Does this does he sound confident? Does he sound like the the Scott Arneal of last year in a post game and I thought the point was really well made.” So because of that, I’m paying a little bit more attention to kind of the tone and things like that. And I got to say, Ken, I was almost a little bit surprised at the tone of Scott Arneal after this game. Now, I get it. Two points are what he wanted tonight. They didn’t get that. But I was expecting a coach that was a little bit more optimistic and a little bit more positive about the Jets in the way that they played this game tonight. What did you take away from his tone in the post game? Well, I wasn’t down there, so I’m going to have to defer to you uh on that. I was writing uh the gamer again today, so I didn’t have a chance to listen. I did see some of the quotes, but uh I have to I have to defer to you here. Sorry. Okay. Well, I I I guess I I I don’t know that I have a lot more to say on it just other than the fact that I I mean, okay, let’s if I’m talking about just tone, the tone surprised me. Um it felt like he came out and was more frustrated than he was encouraged. I think that there’s reason for being encouraged. That said, um you know, maybe you don’t have time right now if you’re a head coach to be like, “Okay, well, we’ve got encouraged or maybe he’s not a guy for moral victories.” Because this is just another way of saying, “Okay, moral victories here.” The one thing I would also take away from this is is I had thought and it sure seemed in the way like I asked questions about this, the reactions that I got from the players and the reaction that I got from Scott O’Neal, was I really touched on something here? And maybe I touched on the very nucleus of this thing and that was that the Winnipeg Jets defense were extremely gapped up and as aggressive as I can remember seeing them for a long time this year. And so asking what got to that, Logan Stanley was the first one to talk about their 3F and doing the job that they need to do to allow the defenseman to take the the risks that they take to gap up and to, you know, challenge the Dallas Stars and try and hold them in their zones. And the fact of the matter is if that that um 3F does his job properly, the risks are mitigated in that situation. So that’s what he had to say about it. Then um Scott Arneal when I asked him about the gap up and the aggression that we were seeing from their defense, you know, he kind of got into the 3F, he talked more about that, but he said that’s what all our video was about. That’s what our practice was about. Ken, how much credit do you give to the Winnipeg Jets coaching staff and that, you know, after a very, very almost humiliating loss to the Edmonton Oilers? They got that practice day they hadn’t had for a while. He basically let us in on what they were working on in practice day. How much credit do you give the coaching staff for the turnaround that we saw at least at the very least between this game and the game that they played last against the Edmonton Oilers? Well, it reinforces what we’ve been talking about the last week or two. Sean, I mean Scott Neil’s comments, our forch check was really good. We didn’t spend a lot of time in our own end. Yes, they made some mistakes, but we did a good job defending when we didn’t have the puck. that has to be more of what we look like as a group. Then he talked about the compete, but then quickly he said, “It can’t just be there against Dallas because they’re in your division. It has to be a constant.” And that is something the coaches are smart, Sean. We know this. The Jets have not been consistent at all. So, uh, the fact that he was willing to acknowledge some of the good, but also saying like now trying to stay on task, right? I agree with you completely. the game plan they put together was a winning type of game plan. They just happened to put up that game plan against one of the best teams in the league and didn’t get the job done uh fully over the line. But uh for sure they deserve credit for laying it out. And um yeah, and I mean they’re going to have to have a this is the problem for the Jets right now. They have to be precise almost every time out. And the other thing that we know, and that’s something Scott was also asked about in the morning, Sean, about the inability to get games to overtime. This is another game. They got to find a way to get that to overtime. Whether they lose or not, that the difference in those loser points in shootout or overtime are what’s preventing the Jets from being over the line. Don’t you agree? Uh, I actually think that this this whole thing is a little bit of a a nothing burger. Um, the whole them getting it to overtime thing. I thought Adam Lowry treated that question like it was a nothing burger question and I agree with Adam Lowry in this case because for the most part the Winnipeg Jets have not been close in the losses. Well, no, that’s totally fair. So, lamenting the fact that they don’t that they’ve got so many regulation wins and that they don’t have overtime points is as ridiculous as lamenting because there was an example used about uh some team that had like eight overtime losses and where they were in points compared to that team. Well, it’s like lamenting that that team’s not very good in overtime and that they’re that team is missing out on four points. You know, like if they can switch half those 500. Yes, I got it. Now, now they’re another four points up on the Winnipeg Jets, right? So, to me, that’s St. Louis. That’s a Yeah, that’s St. Louis. So, to me, that’s a little bit of a nothing story because it can everyone can use that to their advantage. Oh, we’re getting to overtime, but we keep losing. The only team that can’t you that that can’t use that to their advantage is teams that are going to overtime and winning every single game that they have in overtime. No, no. My point is that the Jets inability to get to overtime is an issue for them because they’re so good in overtime, right? They’re not at least insuring themselves of an extra point. The fact that they’ve not been able to get to overtime is a big problem. But the bigger problem, Sean, is that they’ve been losing too many games by two, three, or four goals. They don’t deserve to go to overtime. They’re not even close enough to be getting to overtime. But that’s also that’s still part of their story this year that they can’t get those games. But that’s because of the lack of defending, not because their, you know, inability to close out games in extra time. That would that would be a big storyline if the Winnipeg Jets led the league in onegoal losses or something like that, right? Then you could go in that direction and be like, “Oh my goodness.” But if you’re just not giving yourself a chance in games, I I’m not going to be like, “Oh man, if only you could have got that to overtime as you lost 62.” You know what I mean? Like Yeah. to me and it comes back to the point that I made at the beginning of the year and I made on this show and I’ve made time and time again. One of the reasons you’re not coming back is yes, they’re great in overtime, but one of the biggest threats they had that got those games to overtime in a game like tonight is gone in Nikolai Eers. That’s what you were losing when you lost that player. And I don’t know with I know that at the beginning of the year last year, I’d said that I thought Nikolai Eers was gone. In the end, I was right. Um, I don’t know if there was a time that that could have been fixed. I I personally believe that if Nikolai Eers had been handled the way Scott Arneal handled him last year for multiple years before that, Nikolai Eers would still be here and then maybe it would be an issue because Nikolai Eers would be getting them into more games like that. Uh, anyway, um, oh jeez, I had somewhere I was going to go, but you had a really interesting point to make there and and it kind of Sorry, but it took me off. It’s okay. Um, oh, there the consistency part of it there. That was where I wanted to go with Scott Arneal because I thought that that was fascinating because that was another thing is I I think maybe the reaction that we got from him tonight with like the lack of being like he wasn’t resting on his laurels on this because to your point, he’s a guy that hasn’t seen consistency from his team. So, the last thing he wants to do is be like, “Guys, we did it. I know we didn’t with Sean Reynolds DNM doctor of national media. Excellent. Good one. Hey, that one that one. Nice job. Nicely done. Nicely done. Um, no. This is the pristine wakeup call for you for not thinking of it yourself. What’s that? Oh, no. No. I wake up call. Oh, you got one. Okay. Well, I I do because if the Winnipeg Jets are looking at this situation, they’ve got a coach right now that has not they’ve not earned his trust that he can expect them to come out in their next game against the Boston Bruins the way they came here tonight. He he could do that last year. Scott Arneal knew that the next game and and Rick before that would say, “We’re going to be better next game or we need to do this game and we will.” You remember how often he would do that? Because you could set a watch by what the Winnipeg Jets were doing and what they were going to do coming off of losses and coming off of games where they were challenged or coming off of games where they’d built a blueprint and taking it forward. This is a coach that is not sure right now, Ken, if his team’s going to do that. And until we see that Bruins game and how they play, we will not know if the Winnipeg Jets got the pristine roofing wakeup call here tonight. You know what that means? It’s time to give North End Rick the pristine roofing wake up call at 204981-6289. The guy you want down at your place for all your roofing, siding, and exterior needs. A guy, you know, he’s a good guy to talk to about life as well. But if you’re not interested in talking about life and you’re just straight up business, you can also call Pristine Roofing directly at 2042377663. Give your home to Pristine Roofing and Siding Wakeup Call. You will be glad that you did. Um, okay. Comry. Yeah, I mean, I know the raw numbers definitely don’t look good. Um, both power play goals I got no issue with. The other goal is a definitely looked like he didn’t see it. I think Logan Stanley was close. I mean, he was definitely there was a pile of people there. Stanley one of them. Uh, first goal from Lindell. Certainly don’t love it. Um, you know, top of the circle looked like there might have been some traffic there, too. But again, first minute of the game, that’s kind of one that you’d want to have. Uh, but again, it’s I don’t place this game on goalending. Uh, but it it’s another game where the numbers don’t bear out that it’s a, you know, when the Jets have won the games with Eric Comry and Net, he’s been, you know, posting 9009 to 9, you know, what was it? 971 say percentage 935 today is 789 and Sean I mean under no metric is that going to work in a in a long stretch of time. So uh I’m not placing this at the feet of comry but in a onegoal game there’s probably a goal that he’d like to have back in there. So um you know that’s 10 of 11 starts. We know that Scott Neil intimated that Dom Devenentis would be starting. I it made it sound to me like it would be one of these games on the home stand. My best guess is Monday against the Ottawa Senators. When or what do you think? First of all, Comry’s play and then when we’re going to see Deven Chantis make his NHL debut. This is one of those ones just like you deferred to me with the coaches. I have no interest in who’s going to play goal game. Honestly, it’s it’s one of the least interesting parts of this job that that So, I I it’s one of Well, goending is important for the Jets right now with their MVP out. Yeah, I guess I ju I just and maybe I should be more checked in because last year it just kind of felt like it was the the most interesting part about the goalie uh carousel in the last couple years with the Winnipeg Jets was I just thought that it was wrong that the Jets never found Lauren Bruis enough games to get his name on the Jennings Trophy. for Comry. Um, other than that, I mean, it’s, you know, I guess I got too used to the Winnipeg Jets being a team uh being a team that, you know, I didn’t think it mattered who was in that. I and I don’t I don’t I don’t think it mattered last year uh with Comry uh or or Hella and and I definitely don’t think it mattered the year before with Lauren Bristo in net. Um, I thought I thought like I’d said, well, my my thoughts on the matter are are well known. I just if and maybe, you know, maybe I’m not giving Domacantis enough of a a go here, but I I I don’t think that, okay, I think that I think that Connor Hellbuck in this game, the Winnipeg Jets win this game. Okay, I said that earlier on. I think that’s happening. I don’t fault Eric Comry, but I do think it’s a game that uh Connor Hellbuck could have won for them. And I think that there’s been a couple games that the Winnipeg Jets um could have won with Connor Hellbuck in the lineup during this stretch. But but do don’t give me like all the people out there who are saying the Winnipeg Jets would be winning if not for this are the ones who are taking a look at a team that had, you know, a couple games ago, nine shots after two periods and are getting pumped in the shots and stuff like that. Don’t give me that BS because all you’re doing is you’re just ignoring the faults of a team and saying, “Oh, yeah, that would have happened.” I don’t buy it. I don’t buy it for a second. But I It’s easier to buy it, Ken, on a night like tonight where they win. I know you’re not the big believer in the shot clock on this night. I am. I thought the Winnipeg Jets turned things immediately after that goal was scored. And I think that they showed like if you want to say, “Hey, we’re not winning games because of our goalender.” You need to have more stat lines like you had here tonight where you went out and you showed that you were getting the the busier of the shots and that you were getting the busier of the five on five opportunities and that you were controlling the puck more often. Okay, now I’ll take some of that argument because as I say that there are some games that I think maybe just maybe the Winnipeg Jets would have won if Connor Hellbuck was in that. There’s also two games, the Montreal Canadians game and the Buffalo Sabres game uh last Friday that I think that the Winnipeg Jets could have got no points in either of those games in a game that Connor Hellbuk was in because I thought Eric Comry was that good in those games. So for me, uh maybe I should be giving Domentus more of an idea that he’s going to come up and he’s going to steal a game. a young kid’s going to walk into the NHL and immediately start earning Danchentis points for the Winnipeg Jets. But uh other than that, honestly, it it’s No, I’m just saying because he basically he said he was going to be playing. I just was curious. I know. It’s going to be against one of the Eastern Conference teams. I just don’t expect it to be against Washington and Ottawa. It’s not going to be next week against the three Central teams. We know those are going to be Comry games. Well, but you never know, Ken. Just maybe, and I wonder about, you know, maybe this will change with the way that the team is playing, but maybe, just maybe, Scott Arneil is in a position where he picks the the weaker of the teams and then puts Eric, his starting goalender, Eric Comry, in those games because getting those two points and locking them away is more important than matching your best player against the stiffer challenge. So because of that, I would think maybe just maybe he’ll go with Eric Comry against the Boston Bruins because they look as look a less formidable team than the Washington Capitals. And then you throw in Dom Danchentes and if Dom Dententis is able to go off in that game and turn things around, maybe you steal one with a hot young rookie. Hey, now that I’m getting, you know, the muscles working with this goalender conversation, I’m starting to love it. But we should do this more often, Ken, these debates. Anyways, um before we do do the awards, I would like to uh dawn the headband because that helps with the award selections. Um I’m kind of like uh what’s his name? Uh Johnny Carson when he used to wear his little hat and he hold the things. That’s what I got to do. Some of these uh uh there’s not there’s going to be definitely an era of people who are not going to understand anything that I’m saying about their doesn’t matter. What they will check the YouTube folks, you can do it. What they will understand is this is going to be a Sean’s headband version of the Kenny and Renie show. Let’s go. [Music] Honestly, [Music] Ken, we’re almost too old for Johnny Carson references. I was pretty young when he went moving. Carac the Magnificent. People look Carac the Magnificent. There you go. Hold the envelope to your head. And that’s what we’ll have to start doing with the awards here. But uh before we do that, just want to tell you about the folks down at Meyers Drugs, the people that will take care of all your pharmaceutical needs, all of your health food needs. Uh and they can take care of that right with you sitting at home. You could take care of it right now just sitting in front of your computer because Meyers delivers everywhere across the city. So give them a call. They will take care of you and take care of your right. Okay, Ken, time for the Johnston Group. Got you covered. Play of the game. What do you got? You know, there was a breakup uh at the 43 stage here. Got into what didn’t happen often. There were just a couple of track meet situations and I think Neil Pian broke up a twoon-one rush there. That that’s what I’m identifying in the game as my Sorry, who did Pon? I thought it was the breakup. Or was it Dlo? I It seems like it’s always dlo, but I thought it was was Ponk in the defensive zone. I think it was Rantin and and uh Johnston attacking there. So, okay. Okay. Well, I I would say this, and this was one of the things that really tipped me off that the Winnipeg Jets were kind of back closer to their blueprint, is Josh Morsy made a play to hold the puck in at the line. It was one of those plays that, you know, like the aggression that we saw from them last year. And what happened was it chipped behind him and there was a little bit of a twoonone possibility and Josh Morrisy, you know, facing one way turns and catches the other guy and negates the two the the twoon-one makes it a twoon two ends up being a nothing burger play. We saw that so often last year. And that’s not just the speed that Josh Morrisy shows and his agility and his ability to get back into the play, but it’s it’s it’s the fact that those forwards aren’t flying through that zone because the way that the Winnipeg Jets are defending at that stage or pressuring it it somewhat keeps the opposition on their toes. I’m going to say this is one of those things where it’s Josh Morrisy with the Johnson Group got you covered uh play of the game here, but it’s Josh Morsy having the opportunity to do that because the Winnipeg Jets system is starting to have their defenders covered which has the potential for changing the way this team plays and the pressure it’s able to apply to um to to its opposition. So that for us or for me and Ken is our Johnson group. Got you covered. Plays of the game. And hey, do you run a small business in Canada? You need to look to Canada’s number one employee benefits plan, Chambers Plan, to give you a competitive edge. Chambers plan is the simple, stable, smart choice for over 30,000 businesses countrywide. Visit chamberpl.ca to learn more. And that is the Kenny and Renie OGs. The Johnson Group got you covered plays of the game, which brings us to the keg save of the game. Ke, what do you got? Yeah, I think it’s got to be the Sam Steel Breakaway. I think, you know, there were that’s that’s the one that stands out to me. I mean, there there were some others, but uh that’s the one that I liked. An honorable mention to Dismouth, the the double sequence on Gabe Valardi was pretty impressive, and I think there was a crossbar in there, too, at some point. But, uh, Comry on Steel, I think, is what I’m going with. I I entirely agree, Ken. If that was Connor Hellbuk making that save, we would have called it boring because he just had him the whole way and played it the right way. We would have been giving major accolades to Connor Hellbook had he made that save. Um and it was a really key time of the game like if if Sam Steel scores that game can twist and it can get ugly. It could get a little bit more like the Edmonton game at least with the score line even though the game didn’t look anything like the Edmonton game. That is Ken’s and my hashtag the keg save of the game. Doesn’t matter what we think though matters what you think. Share with us your #thekeg save of the game. You are automatically entered to win a $50 gift certificate usable at any of the three fine keg locations here in the city of Winnipeg. Each location finer than the last. And I see this person in the chat room here tonight. Dr. Sad W. Dr. Sad W. A doctor like me, Ken, here uh winning on this night. Dr. Stad W, you are the winner of our #thekeg save of the game uh from our last show. Uh what you need to do is direct message me at snan Reynolds. Send me your full name. Send me your email. I’ll have the fine folks at the keg send you a $50 gift certificate usable at any of the three fine keg locations here in the city of Winnipeg. Each location finer than the last. All right, Ken, anything you have to say before we get going? No, I think we tackled pretty much everything, but uh we have to provide a stick tap to newcomer Danielle Bane, who confidently called a Logan Stanley goal this morning. So Oh, really? Small stick taps there. Yes. All right. Well, you’re going to get her into the gambling world if you keep that up there. But uh anyways, uh that’s it for us. Uh time for us to check out. Before we do, we would like to know, hey, do you appreciate the conversations going on in this space? because if you do, you need to appreciate the contributions by our sponsors who fight to keep the conversation going in this space. For us, that’s Jim Patterson Toyota on Region, Victoria Rossi, Cambering Credit Union, Pristine Roofing, Sweet Lou Furlin, Flaming Comfort, Meyers Drugs, the Kenny and Renie OGs at the Johnson Group, and of course the Keg. Thank you to them. Thank you to all of you. Let’s reconvene. Do this after the Jets game against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Talk to you then. Bye-bye.

Jets finally find the blueprint but come up shot against a red hot Stars team. Reason to believe?

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