Jets Nation Recap: Jets Light Up Flames 3-1

You’re starting to feel a little bit better about the Jets at this point aren’t you?

A second straight win – this time a 3-1 victory against the Stockton Heat Calgary Flames – and a second straight game where the youth on this team stepped their game up and kept things interesting for the coaching staff in terms of final roster selection going into the final preseason game this weekend.

The Flames jumped out with some decent pressure that caught the Jets a bit flat-footed (Perhaps underestimating the talent level coming into the game? Can that even happen in the preseason?) and a Deryk Engelland goal from the point that floated past Michael Hutchinson that the Jets starter would have liked to have had another chance at for an early 1-0 Flames lead.

The teams traded a couple of more chances early until a Flames penalty led to a led to a sweet looking goal from the combination of Nik Ehlers and Mark Scheifele.

That goal seemed to get the Jets going as they started to apply more pressure in the later half of the first period and were rewarded by some nice work from the line or Ehlers, Scheifele and Thomas Raffl that was capped by a great solo effort from Nik Ehlers who cut across the slot, lost his balance but still managed to get a shot off that slipped past the Flames starting goalie Joni Ortio.

The second period was more of the same from the Jets as Ortio kept the Flames in the game with some nice saves. Ben Chariot continued his strong offensive play this preseason by working into the Jets cycle game behind the net and then feeding Scheifele out in front who didn’t hesitate to put home his second goal of the night.

The third period was a little more even between the two teams as things got a bit chippy on the ice including a scrap between Brandon Bollig and Anthony Peluso who quite literally stepped in front of Thomas Raffl who looked to be the person initially challenging Bollig to a punch-the-face contest. (More on Peluso who you could say was fighting to stay on this roster in a bit..)

Michael Hutchinson rebounded from his shaky start to stop 32 of 33 shots in the game and made a series of nice saves in the second half of the third period that would have given the Flames some life had they gone in.

After the Jets snagged the 3-1 win, it was mandatory 3 on 3 OT practice time which didn’t last very long after Tyler Myers and Bryan Little worked some magic that saw Little fire one past Ortio but off the post, then Myers with a backhand to forehand move that slipped the puck past the sprawled out Flames goalie.

And a fun night was had by all!

The Kids Are Alright: It will be *very* interesting to see what Paul Maurice and the staff do about Nic Petan, Nik Ehlers and Thomas Raffl. All three of them again had strong nights. If the Jets truly are all about the youth taking over I don’t see how you can send either of these three off the main roster. Ehlers struggled early but has gotten better, Petan and Raffl have been steady the entire camp. Honorable mention to Scheifele as well who had a really good game with three points as well.

Peluso Punched Out? On the flip side of the kids, you have Anthony Peluso who made a string of bad hockey plays early in the game including a bad cross checking penalty early in the second period. Even if you wanted to appreciate the grit he displayed in taking the fight over Raffl (who let’s admit, may have been over-matched by the tough Bollig) you have to question the timing of it as he was clearly third man in and given a game misconduct for that reason.

Still Not A True Test: Admittedly this was a Jets lineup made up mostly of NHL players (and on-the-bubble guys) against a Flames lineup that was made up of bottom six forwards and AHL level players. Saturday night we should see something that resembles more of an NHL vs NHL lineup between these two clubs and it will (hopefully) be where Petan, Ehlers and Raffl will have one final chance to prove they belong.

BONUS FOURTH KEY! Andrew Ladd left the game early and was noted by Paul Maurice post-game as being taken out for precautionary reasons. It would be surprising if he makes the trip to Calgary this weekend.

Individual scoring chances (iSC), shot attempt differential (Corsi +/-), non-blocked shot attempt differential (Fen +/-), and offensive zone face off as percentage of all non-neutral zone face-offs:

Shot attempt chart for all minutes:

That first goal against had us a bit worried there for a moment, but in the end all was well!