The Winnipeg Jets battled back from being down two, but ultimately it wasn’t enough as they fell to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime. Justin Barron, who was facing off against his brother Morgan, came out on top after he roofed the game-winner over Connor Hellebuyck.
It was the Jets’ second extra-time loss to the Canadiens this season, losing in Montreal on Oct. 28 in a shootout. With plenty to talk about, let’s dive into some takeaways from the contest.
Stay Hot, Gabe Vilardi
Thanks to his second-period tally, Gabe Vilardi recorded his seventh point in his last three games and is now up to 10 points in 12 games. He has been absolutely electric since returning from injury and has found success with linemates Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. Further to that, he’s helped fill the gap left by Kyle Connor’s absence.
He has now equaled the total goals scored by his trade counterpart, Pierre-Luc Dubois. It’s hard to compare the two, but it’s clear in limited time that the Jets are feeling the greater benefits of the offseason blockbuster.
At 5v5, he now leads the Jets in expected goals percentage (xG) at 62.2%, goals percentage (GF%) at 81.3%, and sits second in shot attempts (Corsi) at 56%. Whether it’s the underlying numbers with his dominant xG and Corsi, or the GF% that shows just how much the Jets outscore opponents when he’s on the ice, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t been the most important player offensively since his return.
Special Teams Continue to Struggle
Despite the successful start to December, the Jets’ power play remains an unsolved puzzle. With two more unsuccessful attempts against the Canadiens, their power play has fallen to 9.1% in the last eight games, and 16.7% on the season.
It feels as if each game provides an opportunity for the Jets to make their mark with the man advantage, but they fail to do so. With the penalty killing sitting near the bottom of the league, they can’t afford to stumble this much on the power play.
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The bigger question, however, is why this problem has persisted for so long without any clear tactical changes. Clearly, something needs to be adjusted as the number continues to fall. To assert themselves as a clear contender, improving a clear deficiency is far overdue.
Whether it’s personnel or tactics, the Jets are running out of runway to change things up before it begins to truly hurt them. They’ve found their way to an 18-9-3 record on the season with a struggling power play, just imagine the success they will have if they work through these problems.
Find Ways to Beat the Teams Behind You
With the Jets falling to the Canadiens, who entered the game at 13-13-4, that marked the second time in a week they dropped a contest to a team several standings points below them. While they’re not hovering around the bottom like the San Jose Sharks, who defeated the Jets on Dec. 12, they’re still not a team that should sweep a season series.
The Jets now have a chance to put this behind them as they prepare to take on the Detroit Red Wings, a team that has struggled mightily over the past several weeks. A win against the Red Wings is key to asserting the Jets as that “better” team that takes care of business against those below them.
Losses happen of course, but two contested losses against the Canadiens and Jake Allen, who hadn’t won in seven starts entering the matchup, is unacceptable. Conveniently, his last win was in that Oct. 28 shootout win over the Jets.
It also begs the question of how the Jets can come to play outstanding hockey against division rivals like the Colorado Avalanche, but drop these contests right after. Regardless, they can put this behind them later this week with a win.
The Jets and Red Wings face off on Dec. 20 at Canada Life Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 pm CT.
xG, Corsi, and GF% courtesy of Moneypuck.