Hot, Cold Performers From Jets Comeback Victory

It’s Game Three of round one between the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. The Jets are up 2-0, have outscored the Oilers 5-1 and have kept @Connor McDavid and @Leon Draisaitl pointless. Again, I’ll be talking about the hot and cold performers of each period.

Hot performer of period one goes to @Josh Morrissey. I know he was out there for the first goal against, but the man went hard to keep McDavid away from the net. He abused @Jesse Puljujarvi, McDavid, and @Zack Kassian. Morrissey helped force the puck out of the defensive zone and also managed to get a dangerous shot on net. The fact he’s keeping up with McDavid is amazing. Though the Oilers’ captain got two points in the first period, Morrissey still kept McDavid fairly contained.

Cold performer goes to the entire forward group. I know the Oilers came out fast and furious, but the fact those 12 forwards could only muster one shot on net in the first 20 minutes is embarrassing. They tried to look too fancy and it just wasn’t working. I know Paul Maurice is paid a pretty penny, but that forward group should ad-lib and see if they can break through the Oilers’ forecheck.

The hot performer has to go to another defenseman. Why? Because the D-men and @Connor Hellebuyck were the only guys who knew what the mission was for period two. Yes, @Nikolaj Ehlers scored on the power play and the Jets “showed up” for period two, but 11 shots on net still isn’t enough. The hot performer is @Derek Forbort, he had two shots on goal, two blocks and a hit in the middle frame. I thought he picked up a couple of loose pucks and stayed with his man. He was very engaged and played well around the rink. It was difficult to find one, I thought the Jets were still sloppy in the second period and needed to figure out how to play a fast-paced game.

Cold performer goes to the guy who I thought was turning his game around, @Pierre-Luc Dubois. The guy went back to his usual ways where he doesn’t look invested in the game. There was that weird no-look pass straight to @Ryan McLeod when he was already in the Oilers zone and missing some passes. Dubois, you’re my cold performer of period two.

My hot performer for the third period is… everyone. The whole team deserves some love after going down by three goals and rallying back to tie it up at 4-4. I’m at a loss of words. The fact they came together for 17 minutes and scored three times and limited the Oilers’ offensive zone time is great. The defense kept the Jets in it and in just over three minutes, the game was all tied up. We can always remember the Jets gave the Oilers hell in the third period and set the tone for a high-octane conclusion in overtime.

Cold performer of period three is the person who makes the fan noise. Bell MTS Place is one of the most high-energy buildings in the NHL and there was no one in the crowd on Sunday. I could have left my vacuum on in the other room and it would’ve had the same feel. Why can’t we get a “Go Jets Go” before the fourth goal? I don’t know if it would’ve helped Winnipeg, but there needs to be somewhat of an edge when you’re playing at home. Have a “SCHIMMMMMDY” chant going or something. It might get in @Mike Smith’s head and we needed to expose that loophole. The lack of noise from Bell MTS Place was lame, the person controlling the sound board, you’re my third-period cold performer.

Shoutout @himynameisbaggedmilk for this absolute gem.

This guy had the best possible time. I’m beyond jealous.

I took three minutes to lose my mind and chirp Oilers Nation before I named my hot performer of overtime. It goes to Ehlers, obviously, for the game-winner and the first goal of the contest. The fact he planned it with @Paul Stastny before the faceoff just feels so much better. As I write this, I’m watching McDavid and Draisaitl be sad boys during the post-game presser. As a result, Ehlers, you’re my overtime hot performer.

Let me know who your hot and cold performers are in the comments below or you can always hit me up on Instagram and Twitter – @angushout. Don’t forget, Game Four goes Monday night at 8:45 pm CT.