Game 35: Jets 5 Sharks 3 post-game recap

Courtesy of the 5-3 win over the Sharks the Jets improved to 23-10-2 on the season and Winnipeg now sits in top spot in the Central Division (and first overall in the Western Conference).

For those who would like to take a deeper dive into the advanced stats here are the results from tonight’s game via Natural Stat Trick.

Game play:

1st:
– Nikolaj Ehlers speed drew an early power play but Patrik Laine got called soon thereafter for 4 on 4 hockey;
– Dustin Byfuglien opened the scoring as he stole the puck at the Jets blue line and scored on a breakaway;
– Shortly thereafter Evander Kane evened the game on a 2 on 1;
– Sharks took the lead nine seconds into a power play to give them a 2-1 lead;
– Nikolaj Ehlers tied it thanks to a friendly bounce to tie the game;
– Mason Appleton ended the period with his first ever NHL goal to make it 3-2.

2nd:
– It was mostly Sharks hockey in the middle frame but it looked like the Jets would emerge unscathed;
– With 5.3 seconds left the Jets were caught flat-footed and the home side burned them to tie the game 3-3;
– The home side outshot the Jets 19-9 and held a 29-21 edge after 40 minutes.

3rd:
– The Sharks again led in shots in the final frame but Connor Hellebuyck stood tall;
– Late in the frame 55 made a nice move followed by a nicer move by 26 who fed 27 who gave the Jets a 4-3 lead;
– Ehlers got hauled down with the net empty and was awarded an automatic goal (hat trick for him).
– Sharks again outshot the Jets 14-3 in that period and ended up with a 44-24 edge overall.

Notable:

– Nikolaj Ehlers scored his fourth career hat trick (second one this season);
– Blake Wheeler hit the 40 assist mark for the sixth time in his career;
– Mason Appleton scored his first ever NHL goal;
– Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves to pick up his 99th career victory.

Numbers:

– Nikolaj Ehlers 3G (13, 14 & 15)
– Blake Wheeler 3A (40, 41 & 42)
– Mark Scheifele 2A (26, 27)

Audio:

Mason Appleton

Nikolaj Ehlers

Coach Maurice:  What stands out to him after that game?  How did he feel the final 40 minutes was managed by both clubs?  On what Nikolaj Ehlers has done during this hot stretch.  Ever seen a hat trick like that before?  On Appleton getting his first NHL goal.  Status of Adam Lowry?  On Jack Roslovic’s game.  What does it mean for Petan to be able to contribute after being a healthy scratch for 10 games?

All audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Health Update:

Asked about Adam Lowry who missed the game coach Maurice indicated he is “day to day, we’re real hopeful he plays in Vancouver.”.

Up Next:

The Jets are off to British Columbia for the final game before the Christmas break as they get ready to face the Canucks on Saturday night.  Today they are scheduled to practice at UBC at 1 pm PT and we will have a Practice Report with all the latest news and audio.  However, you can get your day started with the morning papers at 7 am on illegalcurve.com.