For a game hyped up as a potential game of the year heading into it, it more than delivered, as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night in a playoff-style game. There was plenty to take away from the top two teams in the NHL facing off inside Canada Life Centre.
The Winnipeg Jets step up in a “heavyweight battle”
There have been a few measuring stick games for the Jets this season. Their win earlier in the season against Washington, 5-4 in overtime, is a game that comes to mind, along with their 4-1 win over Dallas just over a week ago.
Tonight’s game, classified as a “heavyweight battle,” by Scott Arniel, was another statement win for this year’s Winnipeg Jets.
This was as close to a playoff game as you could find in game 72 of the regular season, and the Jets stepped up and played a tight-checking game en route to the victory.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
“Even though one team’s from the East, one’s from the West, it was like we play each other eight times a year,” Arniel said. “There was a lot of trash talking going on, there were some big hits, there was a lot happening. Both teams recognized that they wanna be number one. It was a great game. Punch, counterpunch going on all night.”
Without Gabriel Vilardi, who is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, the rest of the Jets’ lineup stepped up and put forward a very strong performance against one of the league’s best.
The Capitals were 9-1-0 in their last 10 games coming into this one, and with the Jets having lost on Sunday to the Buffalo Sabres, this was a huge bounce-back.
“This was a big challenge for us, and I believe they felt the same way in the other room,” Nikolaj Ehlers said after the game. “And we played really well, I thought. When we got the pucks deep and worked down there, we got some zone time and kept them out of our zone. So, that’s something that we want to keep doing against the rest of the teams that we’ve got coming up here because that’s going to help us in the playoffs.”
Nikolaj Ehlers dazzles in overtime
Nikolaj Ehlers has scored a handful of highlight-reel goals this season, and his overtime winner last night added to that list, potentially right at the top of it.
At the end of a 1:28 shift to begin overtime, Ehlers dashed behind the Caps as they made a line change, and fired a shot over the glove hand of Logan Thompson, and the roof blew off of Canada Life Centre.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Ehlers on the winner, and having the energy to stay out there after a long shift: “I was just kind of following my guy and reloading, I guess, in a way. And then I saw them change, and I thought, ‘Why not?’
Let’s not lose sight of Dylan Samberg’s pass, either, as he banked it perfectly to Ehlers who didn’t miss a stride when picking up that puck.
“Perfect pass. At first, I was thinking, ‘What are you doing putting that on the wall?’ Ehlers said about Samberg’s pass. “But when you put it that perfectly on the wall and off the wall, yeah, it couldn’t have worked out better.”
Cole Perfetti impresses in a “heavy” game
He finished with only one assist in the win, but to me, Cole Perfetti was an impact player in last night’s win. I asked Arniel about Perfetti’s play, specifically, in a playoff, heavyweight style of matchup, and his answer looked ahead to the playoffs coming up.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
“Again… he’s not the biggest body. He had a great hit there in the third period there, at centre ice. He had the puck a lot. I liked the way he held onto it. A couple times he drove, he came out of the corners, took it to the front of the net. Those are great things. Those are all the things we’ve talked about, him kind of evolving as a player and that’s the stuff in playoffs that you have to do. You have to go into those greasy areas and I thought he’s been really good at that.”
Perfetti has been one of Winnipeg’s most efficient contributors this season, but he has elevated his game since the Four Nations Face-Off break. Since the break, he’s third on the Jets in points per 60 (2.07), ahead of Kyle Connor (1.89), Gabriel Vilardi (1.65), and just behind Mark Scheifele (2.1) and Nikolaj Ehlers (2.18).
It hasn’t just been the production from Perfetti that has been elevated, it’s the work in the corners battling for pucks, getting into the middle of the ice, breaking up plays defensively, and creating more offence off of the rush that has truly been impressive, and a step from where he was earlier in the season.
The 23-year-old winger now has 15 goals, 30 assists, and 45 points in 72 games this year, and will undoubtedly be counted on as a key contributor for this team in the playoffs.
Winnipeg clinches a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
With earning the single point heading into overtime, the Winnipeg Jets officially punched their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This marks the third straight year that the Jets will be competing in the postseason.
The crowd rose to their feet as the Jets played a “clinched” video heading into overtime, an emotional dilemma, I’d imagine, with overtime and a very crucial point still at play.
Photo Credit: Connor Hrabchak
“You have to be appreciative of what we’ve done,” Arniel said. “At the start of the year, our first goal — we have a few goals — was eliminate eight teams. And we did that after 60 minutes (tonight). You have to applaud our players for doing that. Would’ve liked to have done it against Buffalo but at the same time… to win the game and get that extra point, it’s sort of the cream on the top.”
Up next
The Jets’ record sits at 49-19-4, with 102 points, and 10 games still to play. The next of which comes Friday night inside Canada Life Centre, against former Winnipeg Jet Brenden Dillon and the New Jersey Devils.
Stay tuned to Illegalcurve.com for the latest Jets and Moose news you’ll need for the upcoming week (and beyond) of hockey.
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