The Winnipeg Jets beat the Blues in a wild 5-4 overtime victory. Although the Jets didn’t play their best, they were able to mount a comeback in the third period. Despite winning the game, there are plenty of concerns for Winnipeg as they were badly out-shot in the first period. The poor play resulted in new line combinations for the start of the third period.

While the comeback feels good, the Jets have plenty to work on as they wrap up their homestand on Wednesday.

First Period

Oh dear. That was all kinds of bad. The Jets got off to a rocky start by getting scored on in the first minute of the game. It was a bad play by Chiarot as he didn’t anticipate O’Reilly coming through the neutral zone at top speed. O’Reilly beat Chiarot to the puck and made a nice move to beat Hellebuyck blocker side. The Jets continued to get out-shot for the rest of the period as they fell behind 2-0 before Scheifele banked one in on the power play. It was a rough first period where the Jets struggled to get any sustained offense.

Second Period

The second period started slightly better than the first as the Jets started to move their feet and get a few chances. Unfortunately they squandered their power play chances with terrible turnovers and missed opportunities. This hurt even more after allowing the Blues to notch one on their advantage shortly after. The Blues got another man advantage later in the period as Brandon Tanev received a game misconduct penalty for this…

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We don't have to like it, but a five minute major is a fair call here. ROR's back is clearly turned. Tanev's hit was needless at this point and he knows it.

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1:34 AM · Oct 23, 2018

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It’s a clear hit from behind, although not too malicious. O’Reilly began to turn and it looks like Tanev thought he would keep turning and hit him from the side. Instead, O’Reilly stops turning and takes the hit straight from the back. It was a nasty looking play that deserved a penalty, but the game misconduct could be debated.

Third Period

That was wild! The third began with a Jets defensemen taking over the game… Morriss.. er Trou.. Byfugli… Chiarot!?! Chiarot scored a floater from the point before making a great move from the line to create a rebound that Scheifele slammed home. While the Jets were elated with the tie game, they allowed Perron to score just over a minute later. The Blues held the lead for the rest of the third, until Hellebuyck was pulled and Bryan Little scored the tying goal in the dying minutes. It was a weird play as Allen lost the puck in the air after it went off a stick near the point. The puck bounced of his pad and Little was able to capitalize.

OVERTIME

The Jets love their long shifts in overtime and it almost bit them as Wheeler, Scheifele, and Byfuglien were out there for over a minute straight. The teams traded chances until Jacob Trouba was left all alone in the slot and potted the game winner into the back of the net. It capped off a great comeback as the Jets came from a two goal deficit in the third period.

Talking Points

Wheeler has come under fire as of late as his play has been unusually sub-par to start the year. It seems that his hands aren’t up to speed. His legs are moving well and he looks fast, but he is just unable to make his usual plays.
Hellebuyck got scored on early and looked shaky in the first period. He didn’t appear to have great control over the puck and looked a bit lost in the crease. Luckily, he turned it around as the game went on and made some nice saves late in the game.
Laine had lots of trouble holding onto the puck as he continually turned it over on the power play. Laine certainly hasn’t been his best to start the year although he looked better in the third when paired with Scheifele and Wheeler.
One of the biggest talking points is the Tanev hit on O’Reilly. It was definitely a hit from behind but the penalty likely would have only been two minutes if O’Reilly was wearing a visor and didn’t get cut. It’s an interesting aspect that potentially changed the nature of the penalty.
Ben Chiarot had a great third period. He scored early and then made a great play towards the net to generate a rebound. Shortly after that he made a nice move at the line to keep the puck in. It’s amazing what confidence can do to someone’s game.
Magic Bullet Maurice was on full display in the third period. Laine moved up to the top line and Connor moved down with Ehlers, and Little. The short term effects were positive as Wheeler and Scheifele each looked much better with Laine on the wing.