As I settled in on Thursday night to watch this game, I was preparing for the worst. After all the negative attention, all the hate on Toby Enstrom and the overall negative demeanor that resulted from the loss I was expecting to watch the Jets get completely out-manned and over powered for a couple hours. Maybe it was the low expectations, but I really didn’t think they played that poorly, and the scoring chance count supports that notion.

That’s right folks. The Jets actually out-chanced St. Louis this game. As I mentioned in my Entries bit yesterday, despite the fact that the Blues controlled the neutral zone and put more pucks towards the net than the Jets, the Jets did a good job to keeping the Blues outside. The Blues aren’t really a “blow you out” team and take advantage of their chances (as you saw Tuesday night), but they do a great job of grinding teams out in their own end.

The craziest part of it all was that the Jets probably could have had more. A lot of potential chances were nullified due to poor passes that ended up in players’ skates.

Five on five play in the first was… yikes. A single even strength shot (the chance missed the net), the Jets were lucky the Blues weren’t able to take better advantage of their control.

The second period though was a bit of a different story. Actually, make that the first half of the second. At the ten minute mark of the second, the Jets were leading the period 6-1 in chances. Then they went on the power play. The Jets only managed ONE chance 5 on 4 in the game, and having the man advantage was more of a momentum killer than anything else. This has to change.

Tuesday night you saw the difference between a good “fourth line”, and a Jets fourth line. Morrow, Reaves and Cracknell were often responsible for sustained pressure in the Jets end of the ice, and were actually the only three Blues to finish in the positive in regards top scoring chances. Thorburn, Wright and Tangradi on the other hand were terrible. They barely played, were mostly negative players and just…yuck. Get Peluso back out there.

Scheifele, Frolik and Halischuk had a great night together. Not only did they manage to generate chances, but they minimized the Blues opportunities against as well.

Setoguchi had a fantastic night. He looked like a huge threat out there all night, and finished a +3. He could have had a few more as well if he would have shot the puck more. He also had a very good chance and what could have been a goal taken away by an absolutely horrid elbowing call in the third. If he keeps playing like this, he’s going to break out soon. I’m liking this top line Claude, please don’t change it.

I get it was a pretty bad penalty, but why did everyone hate Enstrom after this game?

Byfuglien and Clitsome did have a pretty good game as well. I haven’t been able to say this often, so I should probably point it out.

Toews and company come to ‘Peg City Saturday afternoon as the Jets continue this Central Division stretch. The Jets need to start winning some of these games against tough opponents if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs, so why not start on Saturday?