The @Winnipeg Jets continue to struggle through January as the start of their road trip in Chicago went as poorly as their effort on Friday against Tampa. Winnipeg dropped a 5-2 loss to the @Chicago Blackhawks.

Also tonight was the first night of the “Jets Mom’s Trip”…

Going into the game, there was no way the Jets could disappoint their moms.. Was there?

The Jets come out timid and somewhat sloppy in their own end with multiple turnovers and having issues getting the puck out of their own end and into the Chicago side of the ice.

It doesn’t take the Blackhawks long to get on the board first, 2:51 in fact as the jets survive an odd-man rush against but still find a way to get beat by a Hawks forward behind the Jets defense.

The game does settle into a rather familiar pattern of the Jets having issues in their own end of the ice, getting one rush into the opposing zone, maybe getting one shot and then back to their own end for the other team to control the puck for a length of time again.

The Hawks get a second goal thanks to some puck cycle work and a seeing-eye shot.

The first period ends with shots even 8-8, but as usual Chicago is getting the puck to the net while the Jets settle for shots from distance.

The Jets get back into the game thanks in large part to a @Drake Caggiula who took six minutes worth of penalties in the second period which the Jets didn’t score on, but at least used to start tilting the ice in their favor.

Winnipeg out-shot the Hawks 20-14 in the second and while Hawks goalie @Robin Lehner was oustanding, it also felt like the Jets just couldn’t properly finish scoring plays or complete needed passes.

Funny enough, near the end of the period the Jets do get on the board with a broken play off of a somewhat whiffed @Nikolaj Ehlers shot that @Mark Scheifele finished off.

Moms update after two periods? Happy and cautiously optimistic…

Winnipeg tries to mount a bit of a comeback, but the Hawks are all too happy to shut things down through the neutral zone and keep the Jets to the perimeter of the offensive zone.

Matters aren’t helped when the Hawks make it 3-1 off of a rush play that the Jets have issues defending.

Mark Scheifele takes a penalty midway through the third period which makes any thoughts of a comeback even slimmer, and while they do kill off that Blackhawks power play chance, the Hawks do get a 4-1 goal shortly after on a historic point…

A lone bright spot in the period for the Jets comes with @Connor Hellebuyck pulled for the extra attacker and the Jets able to overwhelm the Hawks defense resulting in a @Patrik Laine goal with a couple of minutes left.

But it was too little, too late. Hawks add an empty net goal anyway and move up into a tie with the Jets in the standings.

Same old story for this team… Can’t complete passes, can’t find their way cleanly out of their own end of the ice and rarely into the opposing end of the ice, and they couldn’t finish plays.

But at least they still have the love of their moms..

Did you know Mathieu Perreault had six shots in this game? It might have been the quietest six shot game a player will have all season. Not that there is much to pick from tonight.

 

The Jets are off to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes on Tuesday night. Puck drop will be at 6 PM CST with the game on TSN 3 and TSN 1290.