Jets Nation Recap: Jets Know Their Way In San Jose Winning 4-1

Just when you think it’s time to give up on the Jets season, they pull you back in again.

Not that they had an overly good effort tonight, but they did just enough against a bad San Jose Sharks team to earn a much needed 4-1 victory.

In the game preview we mentioned how the Sharks were not a very good home team playing host to a Jets team that has not been very good on the road.

This game was every bit that. Not played overly well by either side, but well enough by the Jets to earn the win.

We should have perhaps known it was going to be the Jets night when while short handed, Blake Wheeler picked off a cross ice pass and after dancing around a diving Brent Burns passed the puck off to Drew Stafford who had a wide open net to pick up the 1-0 goal.

The second period started off just as well for the Jets as the fourth line chipped in some offense and a Joel Armia rush and shot to the net deflected off a Sharks player and in for his first career goal.

Nailed it!

The Sharks did get some life when a bad Dustin Byfuglien slashing penalty away from the play allowed the Sharks to pick up a power play goal, but the Jets got things back in their favor by scoring a power play goal of their own about six minutes later thanks to the snipe job from Matthiew Perreault.

From there it was the Connor Hellebuyck show as he stopped 27 of 28 shots and did so in a calm and collected manner.

Big And Boring: There is something to be said for a goalie who plays well positionally and makes calm saves when when things get frantic around the net. Hellebuyck reads plays well, gets square to shooters and doesn’t have much of a need to lunge at pucks unlike other goalies we know in the Jets system.

Still Taking Penalties: The Jets still took too many dumb penalties (Buff’s slash could have been a real back breaker and would have been if the Sharks hadn’t been so inept) and gave up a power play goal against. Thankfully it didn’t hurt them tonight and the shorthanded goal to lead the game off was a bonus. Blake Wheeler seems to generate a great scoring chance while short handed at least once per game, but then lord knows he’s had plenty of times to practice.

Depth Scoring: Perreault, Armia and Ehlers scoring could be a very good sign as the Jets have desperately needed players on the 3rd and 4th lines to start chipping in with offense. More of that is needed if they want to climb back into a playoff race.

(The following charts are courtesy War-On-Ice.com)

Shot attempt chart for all minutes:

Shot location for all minutes: