How would the good guys respond to a night of travel after a victory in the shootout over Montreal?

First Period

A predictably slow start for the road team in this match and Winnipeg got an early power play after Provorov hit a Jet with a high stick. The PK did a good job to kill off the penalty with little trouble and even created a shorthand chance. A few moments after the kill the Jets broke down the Columbus defensive structure and created a chance for Lowry alone on the back door that he buried to open the scoring.

WPG Goal 0 – 1 Lowry (Niederreiter, Pionk) 7:35

This seemed to wake the Jackets up a little bit as play evened out with chances going both ways but still some noticeably heavy legs. Late in the period Severson flipped a puck out of the zone to Miles Wood who deftly kicked it forward to create an opportunity for him to display his blazing speed. Miles won the race and made a quick move to beat Comrie on the breakaway to even the scoring.

CBJ Goal 1 – 1 Wood (Severson, Elvis) 18:27

A good job to get out of the first period tied.

Second Period

The second period on the road is always tough, but this team made it even tougher giving up a rush chance to the Jets’ top line a minute in. Scheifele made a great pass to the back door where Morrissey was available to tip it in and restore the Winnipeg lead. Provorov and Z probably would like a do over on the sequence.

WPG Goal 1 – 2 Morrissey (Scheifele, Connor) 1:12

The rest of this period was what you expect from a team with tired legs. Unable to generate much puck possession, they at least did a decent job limiting chances the other way. This is of course until LDBB took a, questionable, holding call in the offensive zone late. The Jets took full advantage of this power play opportunity to extend their lead on a shot Elvis probably could’ve had.

WPG PP Goal 1 – 3 Pionk (Nyquist, Niederreiter) 15:30

Two plays doomed a team that was simply trying to escape this period unscathed.

Third Period

Yet another quick start to the period for Winnipeg when Morrissey intercepted a play at center ice, found Scheifele on quick re-entry before he fed a quick pass to Kyle Connor who used a burst of speed to turn Fabbro around, create space, and snipe a shot from near the red line to beat Elvis.

WPG Goal 1 – 4 Connor (Scheifele, Morrissey) 2:45

To their credit the Jackets responded quickly when the Coyle line get the puck into the o zone and used the full width of the ice to create space ending with a Sillinger pass to Z in the slot who put home his sixth of the year.

CBJ Goal 2 – 4 Werenski (Sillinger, Coyle) 4:04

Not to be outdone, the Jets continued to create issues for the transition game of Columbus and scored off another failed clear at the end of a long shift. An exhausted Provorov couldn’t close the gap to Logan Stanley who sauntered in towards Elvis before unleashing a booming slap shot over his glove hand.

WPG Goal 2 – 5 Stanley (Scheifele, Schenn) 6:23

Columbus finally got a power play opportunity a little later but were unable to score thanks in large part to a sprawling save from Comrie at the end to stonewall KJ point blank.

Marchenko had a glorious chance late to extend his point streak but was unable to tuck the puck home behind a sprawling Comrie. The rest of the game came to an uneventful close

Final Thoughts

The schedule makers put them in a tough spot here but the Jackets did not, or could not, rise to meet the challenge. It was evident from the jump the Jackets had heavy legs and Winnipeg took advantage of it often. Several forwards took every opportunity they could to take short shifts, the normally noticeable forecheck of the top line was absent, and the top pairing got caught on long shifts after being unable to clear the zone. Elvis’ streak of being in net for the worst performances of this team continues.

Credit to Scheifele, Connor, and Morrissey for repeatedly creating quick transition chances and converting on them, they were the best players on the ice tonight. Credit as well to the Winnipeg Jets defensive structure absolutely suffocating the Columbus transition game.

Congrats to Werenski on 400 points, Elvis on his first point of the season, and a sad end to Marchenko’s point streak ending 1 shy of RyJo’s record. Get some sleep, study the Jets’ structure for the rematch later, and prepare for the next one.

Up Next

The Jackets stay in Canada with a trip to Toronto on Thursday night. Puck drop is at the normal 7pm.