This game was not fun to watch. The Jackets lacked finish, and the Jets showed that they didn’t. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg make a run this postseason. Here’s what happened.
1st Period
The Jets struck early. Off a faceoff, a set play sent the puck behind the net. Jenner chased the puck and left the slot wide open, leading to an open Connor and the 1-0 goal.
WPG Goal 1-0: Connor (Scheifele, DeMelo) 1:26
A few minutes later, a hooking penalty gave the Jackets an opportunity to tie the game. Unfortunately, an efficient kill by the Jets stifled the power play. Marchenko did manage a prime chance in the dying seconds, but Hellebuyck was quick to cross the crease to make the save.
Fix: Wolansky was booked for tripping while battling for the puck along the boards. Gudbranson saved a goal by sweeping away a puck that got behind Elvis, and the Jackets were able to kill off the rest of the penalty.
The Jackets played well in the first, leading in shots, CF%, and xGF after 20 minutes. It’s the scoreboard that matters most, however. Maybe don’t leave one of the best finishers in the NHL wide open in the slot.
2nd Period
The early period woes continued when the Jets made it 2-0 at 1:10. The Jackets didn’t listen to my advice and once again left the slot wide open. Jenner chased the puck into the corner, which is fine, but got caught in no man’s land without checking behind him. That allowed Ehlers to sneak into wide-open ice. Another one-timer from close range and another goal.
WPG Goal 2-0: Ehlers (Toffoli, Monahan) 1:10
3-0 came halfway through the period. A rush was masterfully executed by the Jets. Another center, Sillinger this time, let Toffoli slip in a little too deep. Ehlers found him, and Toffoli didn’t miss.
The positioning of the defensemen could also be questioned here. They were basically pylons during the play. I would think that one of them should have stepped in to challenge the streaking forward.
WPG Goal 3-0: Toffoli (Ehlers, Monahan) 9:45
The onslaught continued when Stanley sent a shot in from the point. A full screen in front of Elvis provided what was needed for the puck to go in unchallenged.
WPG Goal 4-0: Stanley (unassisted) 11:59
The Jackets had a chance to cut the lead when Texier and Marchenko had a two-on-one. Unfortunately, Marchenko completely missed the net.
A hard shot bounced off the end boards and found Namestnikov, forcing Elvis to quickly lunge across the crease. Namestnikov was ready and snapped it home to make it 5-0.
WPG Goal 5-0: Namestnikov (Barron, Pionk) 18:24
Sigh.
3rd Period
The Jackets finally scored early in the third. Of course, it was Gaunce. A loose puck, a rebound, and a goal.
CBJ Goal 5-1: Gaunce (Christiansen, Olivier) 0:39
It looked like the Jets had another one, but it ended up being a deflection off of a high stick. Still 5-1.
A few penalties led to a Columbus power play. The Jackets had a few good chances, but they still struggled to get the puck into the areas close to the net.
Toffoli made it 6-1 on a breakaway.
WPG Goal 6-1: Toffoli (unassisted) 17:34
Final Thoughts
I’ve long argued that Jenner is not a natural center and is actually not good at defense. Sure, he’s good at faceoffs, but he’s a natural winger in every other aspect. He was directly responsible for goals one and two in this game. He has poor defensive awareness and tends to chase the puck instead of sticking to his center-ice defensive responsibilities.
I know there are those who will say Elvis is at fault for this loss, but realistically, not one of the goals was on him. Three defensive breakdowns led to open shots from within 15 feet (two were one-timers). Goal four was a screen (no defensemen near the net). Goal five was a lucky bounce. The sixth was a perfectly placed shot on a breakaway.
The partial AHL lineup shows against good teams. The lack of scoring depth didn’t give the Jackets much of a chance once the Jets stretched the lead.
If the Jackets don’t get some reinforcements, it’s going to be a long remainder of the season.
Up Next
The Red Wings host the Jackets on Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET.