JNGD.R3G2 Flight Plan: Jets Look To Give Vegas Their “First Ever” 0-2 Deficit
5 years ago
The Jets will look to hold serve at home in game two Monday night against the Golden Knights, but should expect a better effort from Vegas. The game tonight should go a long way in letting us know just what kind of series we should expect going forward.
Vegas Golden Knights
@
Winnipeg Jets
Western Conference Finals – Game One
Jets lead the series 1-0
May 14, 2018 – Puck drop: 6:00 PM CST
Bell MTS Place – Winnipeg, MB
TV: CBC, NBCSN, TVAS – Radio: TSN 1290
The Rundown…
What did the Jets do right in game one?
They treated game one of this series much like they did game seven of the previous series. They forchecked like demons to start the game off, blitzed the opposing goal early on and were rewarded with some goals to get the lead, then they went ahead and shut things down from about the midway point of the game onward. It wasn’t maybe the most ideal way to close things out as it did allow Vegas to get a little momentum and self confidence back into their game, but it should be noted that the Jets didn’t allow a single high danger scoring chance in the final period either.
What did the Knights do wrong in game one?
The arrived late to the game and Marc Andre-Fleury couldn’t completely bail them out and keep the opposition off the scoreboard like he had against Los Angeles and San Jose. The Knights all season have been known for using their speed to create turnovers and then counter-attack defenses that are usually not prepared, but Winnipeg was prepared and Vegas couldn’t adjust.
How do the Knights win game two?
Time for a better effort and also time to get back to Knights hockey which isn’t all that much different from Jets hockey (which may in be the problem as Vegas might not be deep enough to go sixty minutes with that style of game if the Jets have all four lines going) in that they have to use their speed to create turnovers while taking care of the puck themselves. They also need a lot more traffic in front of Hellebuyck.
How do the Jets win game two?
More of the same as game one, but know that they are going to get a better effort from Vegas from opening puck drop. Ideally they get the first goal or two again, but maybe don’t fall quite into the defensive shell they slipped into in game one. Not to say that it wasn’t a very good defensive shell, but after the first period of game one, the overall scoring chances for in that first game were tabbed at 13-3 in favor of Vegas. Not an ideal way to hold down leads.
What Others Are Saying…
The folks over at Knights On Ice know this wasn’t a good first impression…
Everything needs to be looked at. Everything needs to be addressed. From top to bottom, this wasn’t a good game, and the Knights will need to improve upon it quickly for Game 2 on Monday. Hopefully they won’t allow three goals in eight minutes again.
In the moment, it felt like the Golden Knights were being run out of the building by a far superior team. Winnipeg was quicker, stronger, faster, and crisper, while Vegas was stuck in the mud, panicky, and making countless poor decisions. That is what it felt like, yet that’s not what was actually happening on the ice.
And if you truly want to know what life is like and has been like as a Vegas Golden Knights fan all season, Amanda summed it up in a very well written tweet:
Winnipeg Jets Lines
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 KYLE CONNOR Rating: 77.2#18 LW |  MARK SCHEIFELE Rating: 82.2#7 C |  BLAKE WHEELER Rating: 82.2#4 RW |
 NIKOLAJ EHLERS Rating: 75.8#29 LW |  PAUL STASTNY Rating: 77.4#32 C |  PATRIK LAINE Rating: 82.9#3 RW |
 MATHIEU PERREAULT Rating: 74.7#48 LW |  BRYAN LITTLE Rating: 72.7#78 C |  JOEL ARMIA Rating: 72.1#74 RW |
 BRANDON TANEV Rating: 70.3#112 LW |  ADAM LOWRY Rating: 72.7#79 C |  ANDREW COPP Rating: 71.2#88 RW |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 JOSH MORRISSEY Rating: 73.8#33 LD |  JACOB TROUBA Rating: 78.5#14 RD |
 TOBIAS ENSTROM Rating: 71.5#90 LD |  DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN Rating: 81.2#4 RD |
 BEN CHIAROT Rating: 71.2#99 LD |  TYLER MYERS Rating: 75.4#26 RD |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 CONNOR HELLEBUYCK Rating: 76.2#9 G1 |  STEVE MASON Rating: 71.8#38 G2 |
Vegas Golden Knights Lines
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT Rating: 82.2#6 LW |  WILLIAM KARLSSON Rating: 80.6#12 C |  REILLY SMITH Rating: 78.4#8 RW |
 DAVID PERRON Rating: 74.2#41 LW |  ERIK HAULA Rating: 75.1#45 C |  JAMES NEAL Rating: 74.7#35 RW |
 OSCAR LINDBERG Rating: 70.5#107 LW |  CODY EAKIN Rating: 70.7#142 C |  ALEX TUCH Rating: 74.1#42 RW |
 RYAN CARPENTER Rating: 71.8#78 LW |  PIERRE-ÉDOUARD BELLEMARE Rating: 69.6#163 C |  TOMAS NOSEK Rating: 69.0#132 RW |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 NATE SCHMIDT Rating: 76.6#15 LD |  BRAYDEN MCNABB Rating: 73.1#41 RD |
 SHEA THEODORE Rating: 76.1#20 LD |  DERYK ENGELLAND Rating: 72.4#55 RD |
 LUCA SBISA Rating: 70.6#115 LD |  COLIN MILLER Rating: 75.8#22 RD |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 MARC-ANDRE FLEURY Rating: 80.0#3 G1 |  MALCOLM SUBBAN Rating: 62.5#81 G2 |
Gameday Prediction
Vegas will be better tonight, but so should Winnipeg be as well. The Jets were flying in the first period of game one but then let off the throttle a bit in the second and third. If Vegas does come with a better effort, the Jets will play a full 60 minutes. They are too good to do otherwise. Jets win 5-3.
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