The Winnipeg Jets are going duck hunting in Anaheim
By Sam Melnyk
The Winnipeg Jets look to go Duck hunting. With the status of Dmitri Kulikov uncertain after receiving a hard hit in the Sharks game, Ben Chairot may draw into the lineup. Corey Perry, beware!
The Winnipeg Jets are sitting pretty, but the Ducks currently sit 2 points back of the second Wild Card spot and they really need to string together some wins if they want to make the playoffs.
This will be the second meeting of these teams this season ad the Ducks Honda Centre. In their first meeting, the Winnipeg Jets blew those Ducks out of the water with a score of 4-1. Nik Ehlers lead the way for the Winnipeg Jets scoring twice in the first 5 minutes of the game. Bryan Little also had a strong outing notching a goal and two assists. And, of course, Connor Hellebyuck was amazing stopping 30 of 31 shots.
However, the big news on the night came from Ben Chairot. Partway through the second period, Chairot and Perry were tussling and Chairot ended up butt-ending Perry. The illegal hit drew blood and required stitches and landed Chairot with the maximum allowable fine of $3763.44.
Normally such an incident wouldn’t be terribly noteworthy, however, one Winnipeg Jets fan decided to have some fun. Since Perry is such a disliked player, the Jets fan decided to create a fundraiser to help Ben Chairot raise money to pay the fine (the money actually went to charity). And just like that, a minor incident became the most memorable highlight of the game.
Recently for the Jets
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The Winnipeg Jets have been hot, or lucky depending on how you look at it. The last three games have all been decided by one goal, with two of those games requiring overtime. Still, they were all wins so you can’t complain too much.
Most recently the Winnipeg Jets squeaked out their first overtime win against the Sharks in a high scoring affair. In the game, the Jets gave up a 3 goal lead but still were able to come out with the win. Little and Armia both scored two goals
Recently for the Ducks
The Ducks have been treading water recently posting a 3-2-0 record in their last five games. Their most recent game against the Rangers was a 6-3 win where six different players scored. Then the game before that was a 6-2 loss to the Sharks. The losses to divisional rivals really aren’t helping their playoff chances.
The Numbers
Next: Dustin Byfuglien’s Impact Goes Beyond Stat Sheet
Prediction
The Ducks should be a hungry team, hoping to build some momentum after a strong showing against the Rangers. However, the Winnipeg Jets have Ben Chairot and have been playing strong despite the injuries.
Prediction: 3-1 for the Jets