The Winnipeg Jets battled their way through an impressive 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, Dec 16, which put them in first place in the Central Division.
Many players contributed to the win, which was their second win over the Avalanche in the past two weeks. There is plenty to takeaway from the convincing win which kicked off a four-game homestand with three Eastern Conference opponents coming to town before the holiday break.
Gabriel Vilardi Has Been Incredible for Winnipeg’s Top Line
Gabriel Vilardi has been a driving force of offence on the Jets’ top line, just a handful of games removed from missing six weeks with an MCL sprain. He’s now up to four goals and five assists in 11 games, as he has been able to slowly build chemistry with his linemates and that has resulted in a recent offensive explosion.
Rick Bowness spoke to Vilardi’s play after the game, stating: “He’s got great hands and he’s got great patience with the puck. He sees the ice really well and he’s a big strong guy that’s hard to play against, but it’s his patience and his skill level that is really, really underrated.”
Vilardi has eight points in the eight games he has played since returning from injury, and with Kyle Connor out for the next 6-8 weeks, he will have to be a key contributor offensively. Nikolaj Ehlers is turning the corner as of late, Mark Scheifele looks as motivated as ever, and Vilardi is beginning to build chemistry with them offensively.
Related: 3 Jets Who Need to Step Up in Kyle Connor’s Injury Absence
Money Puck’s tracking backs up the eye test for this group, as they are currently holding an 82.6 percent expected goals percentage (xG%), and a 75 percent Corsi %. Those are by far the best numbers for a forward line on the Jets, and it rivals some of the top lines across the NHL in those categories.
Kevin Cheveldayoff’s Best Trades Highlighted In This Win
If Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had a highlight reel, it would be a replay of this win. From the return of his most recent trade which sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings, tonight Vilardi scored twice and Alex Iafallo snapped his 18-game goal drought. Vladislav Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter each scored, and were each acquired at last year’s trade deadline for draft picks, and later extended their contracts with the club.
Bowness spoke to that in the post-game, saying: “The depth of the team is fantastic… the five-on-five game is really good because of the depth, because of the moves Chevy had made.” Cheveldayoff has gotten positive value in each of these trades, and it’s showing every night as the Jets fight for the top of the Central Division.
Winnipeg was recently able to extend Niederreiter to a three-year extension worth $4 million per season. The former fifth-overall selection of the 2010 NHL draft has scored 20 or more goals in five career seasons, and was on pace to do so in four other seasons before injuries found him just short of that mark. He is a model of consistency, and his acquisition and extension was one of Cheveldayoff’s best moves.
Winnipeg Jets’ Lockdown Defensive Style Continues
The last time the Jets gave up more than three goals in a game was back on November 2nd, in a 5-2 road loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. That is now 19 straight games in which they have allowed three or fewer goals. They have undoubtedly established themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, with one of the better goaltenders backing them up if something goes wrong.
Connor Hellebucyk has been a key factor in achieving that, as he is playing some of the best hockey of his career, as his save percentage (SV%) is now up to .917% and his goals-against average is 2.41. He is back in the top 10 of the Goals Saved Above Expected metric, where he has routinely been over the entirety of his career.
In this game specifically, the Avalanche struggled to generate a stretch of high-quality chances. They clearly missed Cale Makar, who was ruled out with a lower-body injury prior to puck drop. Regardless, Winnipeg’s defensive structure seems to be the most consistent it has been in a long time.
With the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins on deck, the Jets will look to continue their defensive dominance while their forward core makes up for the loss of Connor. It is their final three games before the holiday break, where they have a chance to be atop the Central Division at the end of it.