Winnipeg Jets Let Sloppy Play Spoil Chance Vs Rangers
The Winnipeg Jets had a fast start against a depleted Rangers team. Actually, they had two fast starts. In the end, though, King Henrik could not be dethroned. The Jets dropped this one 3-1 to New York.
Right out of the gate (what else is new), the Winnipeg Jets scored a goal. It took all of 24 seconds before Tyler Myers ripped a long shot from the wing past Henrik Lundqvist. This would be a brutal game, I thought. After a review, however, it was determined the Jets were offsides, and the goal was disallowed.
Nikolaj Ehlers was not very happy with this decision, apparently. He waited a whole 42 ticks before ripping another shot past Lundqvist, this one from the same area on the ice. That goal would stand. It didn’t look like Lundqvist was long for this game. A blowout against a weakened Rangers squad was underway.
Unfortunately, Winnipeg may have thought the same thing. Unfortunately for them, The King had other ideas. This was a ridiculous performance from Henrik Lundqvist. He made Connor Hellebuyck look ordinary, and he was quite good himself. Lundqvist stopped 37 of 38 shots, including 7 of 7 while shorthanded. Hellebuyck went 25 of 27. It just wasn’t enough. It happens.
Winnipeg came into this game a perfect 6-0 on Sundays this season, with FOUR SHUTOUTS from Hellebuyck. They had only allowed two goals on Sundays, and scored 26. I’m not certain that’s predictive, but it is incredible.
Early on, the Rangers looked overmatched, outworked and outright slow. New York is known as a fast team, but the Winnipeg Jets are blazing.
Mats Zuccarello scored with a little over a minute remaining in the first to tie the game. Hellebuyck got a piece but it slid past him over the goal line. Immediately following, David Desharnais got in alone in front of the net but couldn’t convert. Winnipeg has a tendency to have let downs after allowing goals, and this was one of those times. Playing like that is going to get you in trouble against anyone, not just good teams.
Momentum had shifted from Winnipeg to New York with that goal, even though New York only had seven shot attempts in the first. The Winnipeg Jets took two penalties early on in the second. Being shorthanded is a good way to stymie your offense, and it was. Both penalties were killed, but the Rangers were alive.
New York attempted 35 shots in the second. Not great, Winnipeg. Tobias Enstrom exited in the second and had to be carried into the locker room. He was leveled by Cody McLeod, who immediately was challenged by Matt Hendricks after exiting the penalty box. Pretty solid fight, would watch again. Hendricks was leaking pretty good at the end of it, but you love to see him willing to protect his guy, especially against someone like McLeod. Enstrom would later return.
In the second, New York was blocking shots like John Tortorella was coaching.
Tied into the third, you would most likely assume things went well for Winnipeg if you saw they outshot the Rangers 16-4. New York tends to outplay their stats in that department thanks to unreal goaltending. JT Miller opened the third by taking back to back tripping penalties. Momentum seemed to be with the Jets.
An interesting moment unfolded when there was a race for the puck between Dustin Byfuglien and Michael Grabner. Grabner made it look like I was on the ice, abusing him toward the puck. Byfuglien then used his body to box him out. Guess you have to use the strengths you were given.
Zuccarello broke in later in the period and beat Hellebuyck, but not the post to keep the game knotted at one. The next five or so minutes were just a contest to see who could ice the puck better. The NHL becomes an episode of Cake Wars, here. With a little over three minutes left, Jimmy Vesey (just back from a concussion) deflected a shot from Brady Skjei past Hellebuyck, and the Rangers had the lead.
With 82 ticks left, Dustin Byfuglien rips a shot from the blue line that was redirected by Mark Scheifele over the shoulder of Lundqvist to tie the game. Henrik immediately raised his glove, and the referee was waiving it off. Sad, yes, but the puck was clearly at head level for Scheifele.
Michael Grabner would add his seventh empty net goal of the year to seal it against Winnipeg. Seven empty netters out of 23 goals seems excessive.
White Out’s Three Stars
- Henrik Lundqvist – Who else? Dude was unreal. Good game to watch if you don’t often see him play. He’s on the back nine of his career, but still as good as ever.
- Nikolaj Ehlers – He did his best all over the ice. Scored against the team that gave him his first career goal.
- Mats Zuccarello – Scored the Rangers first goal and had a breakaway and some good moments. He’s a gritty player and good scorer. If the Rangers are looking to move him, he’s real interesting.
Winnipeg will be back at it on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.