The Winnipeg Jets smothered the Boston Bruins on Friday night, defeating them by a score of 5-1. Winnipeg has now secured points in nine of their last 10 games, and have yet to give up more than three goals in a game since November 2nd against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The team has bought into Rick Bowness’ style and system, and it’s paying off in a big way, as they currently sit in first place in the NHL’s Central Division. There was plenty to take away from one of Winnipeg’s most impressive wins of the season.
Josh Morrissey is Following Up his Impressive 2022-23 Campaign
Josh Morrissey had an incredible 2022-23 season, being top five in Norris Trophy voting, and shattering the Jets franchise record for points by a defenceman with 76. Now this season, he’s got 29 points in 32 games and looks to be improving game-by-game.
Rick Bowness had high praise for Morrissey when he was asked in the post-game how he thought his #1 defender played: “Dominant. He can take over the game, both sides of the puck. He just loves to be challenged and he rises to it. He wants to be out there, like I’ve always said, ‘he wants the ball’… he wants to be out there in all those key situations, he wants to play against the best lines on the other team, and more times than not he answers the bell.”
This was arguably Morrissey’s best game of the season, as he scored a goal to open the scoring and was a huge factor in shutting down the Bruins’ best players. He’s been a model of consistency since the beginning of last season, and Bowness’ coaching staff has a huge impact on his success.
Morrissey is signed until 2028-29 at $6.25 million per season, which has quickly turned into one of the best contracts on the Jets. He is proving that last season was not an outlier and that he has truly developed into a bonafide #1 defenceman.
Gabriel Vilardi Stays Hot With 12 Points in His Last Five Games
Gabriel Vilardi has been one-third of one of the best lines across the entire NHL. Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Vilardi have been putting up video-game numbers over the four-game homestand, and that continued on Friday night.
Related: Jets’ Top Line of Ehlers, Scheifele, & Vilardi Dominating
Vilardi picked up another primary assist on Josh Morrissey’s opening goal, and later got his own goal, giving him 12 points in his last five games. For those keeping track of the blockbuster summer trade, Pierre-Luc Dubois has 12 points over 29 games this season for the Los Angeles Kings.
An underrated aspect of that trade is the money that was exchanged on each side. Dubois signed an eight-year, $8.5 million per season deal, while Vilardi signed a two-year deal worth $3.437 million per season.
The Jets have been able to get increased production out of Vilardi for more than half the price, and that’s without mentioning Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick, which was also included in the deal heading Winnipeg’s way.
Vilardi is scoring at an incredible pace right now, but for a Winnipeg Jets team missing Kyle Connor, someone needed to step up. He has led the way offensively with a handful of goals in the opponent’s crease as the top line continues its offensive tear.
Nino Niederreiter’s Contract Extension Looks Better By the Day
Nino Niederreiter was a huge factor in the Jets’ 5-1 win, scoring two goals, both of which came on a power play that was struggling mightily. They were one for their last 16 attempts coming into this game, but they were able to snap that mini-drought at a time when they needed it most.
His recent contract extension came in at three years, $4 million per season, which is already proving to be a steal for the Jets organization. The contract doesn’t kick in until next season, but they are almost sure to get surplus value for the entirety of the deal, especially with the way Niederreiter is playing.
When asked about the way the team is playing heading into the Holiday break, Niederreiter said: “We have played 200-foot hockey and I think the whole team is knowing that if they do it, the whole team is doing it too.” This level of buy-in from the players has been incredibly noticeable, and it has undoubtedly resulted in one of the best five-on-five teams in the NHL.
There is still work to do on the man-advantage, but it looks as though the second-unit may have provided a spark heading into the NHL’s holiday break.
The Winnipeg Jets have gone 8-1-1 in their last 10 games with wins against the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche twice, and Los Angeles Kings. They are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, and people are starting to take notice.