JGD 63: Are either of these teams #actuallygood?
By Mack Irwin
7 years ago
© Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
The Jets look to string a three-game win streak together in Toronto tonight, taking on the Maple Leafs at 6:30pm CT.
Winnipeg’s playoff hopes are all but done and dusted, but tonight is an opportunity to play spoiler and deal a huge blow to the Leafs’ already-dwindling playoff chances. It’s also another edition of the Patrik Laine vs Auston Matthews Hunger Games Calder show, so may the odds be ever yadda yadda yadda.
On paper, the Leafs and Jets have fairly similar lineups. Each has an unreasonable amount of young talent, particularly at forward, and are led by terrifyingly talented teenagers in Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews — tied for 28 goals apiece.
But the Leafs have turned the corner this year, and the Jets haven’t. The Leafs are on pace for 92 points, the Jets just 81. The Leafs have a 51.8 expected goals percentage, the Jets just 49.8. This despite a roster that — again, on paper — should be better than the Leafs, with veteran stars like Mark Scheifele, Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler.
The biggest differences between the two teams? Two jump to mind:
- Goaltending, where the Leafs have been adequately represented by newcomer Frederik Andersen and the Jets have been, as always, a dumpster fire.
- And coaching, where the Leafs have the NHL’s consensus best coach and the Jets have… Paul Maurice.
- (Hint: if you were running the Jets and trying to make the playoffs next year? You could probably start with those two things)
So, yeah — 6:30 CT. Jets vs Leafs.
JETS
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Nikolaj Ehlers |  Bryan Little |  Blake Wheeler |
 Mathieu Perreault |  Mark Scheifele |  Patrik Laine |
 Shawn Matthias |  Adam Lowry |  Joel Armia |
 Chris Thorburn |  Nicolas Petan |  Drew Stafford |
 Ben Chiarot |  Dustin Byfuglien |
 Josh Morrissey |  Jacob Trouba |
 Mark Stuart |  Paul Postma |
 Connor Hellebuyck |  Michael Hutchinson |
- Still no Andrew Copp, still no Tobias Enstrom.
- And after receiving a two-game suspension, no Jacob Trouba, either! (I know that dailyfaceoff lineup suggests otherwise. Presumably that will get updated at some point).
- That blueline group is going to be excruciating to watch.
- I’m happy to see Perreault getting into a groove with Scheifele and Laine lately, but it might be nice to give Nic Petan some linemates at some point too, no? He’s been good, but there’s only so much that can be done between Thorburn and Stafford.
LEAFS
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Leo Komarov |  Nazem Kadri |  Josh Leivo |
 James van Riemsdyk |  Tyler Bozak |  Connor Brown |
 Zach Hyman |  Auston Matthews |  William Nylander |
 Matt Martin |  Ben Smith |  Nikita Soshnikov |
 Morgan Rielly |  Nikita Zaitsev |
 Jake Gardiner |  Connor Carrick |
 Matt Hunwick |  Roman Polak |
 Frederik Andersen |  Curtis McElhinney |
- You know what the Leafs did when their backup goalie played badly this year? They went out and got someone else to do it. And he’s been good. Huh.
- I love that the Leafs pretend Nylander/Matthews/Hyman are their third line.
Enjoy!
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