Follow Pete on Twitter
HERE
The Winnipeg Jets have never opened up a season at home with a notch in the win column. They have also only had two chances and both of those games were the first of the season. That being said there is some excitement and trepidation about what will happen with the Jets tonight as they host the LA Kings.
The only meeting between the two teams since the Jets returned to Winnipeg was on Dec 29 2011 in a 1-0 Jets win with Evander Kane scoring the OT goal. Since then the Kings have won the Stanley Cup and are a threat in the Western Conference to contend again. The Jets on the other hand are still a bit of mystery and are looking to present a consistent identifiable brand of hockey.
The Kings represent a different kind of challenge tonight at the MTS Centre as they are a mature balanced team with great goaltending forward depth and an excellent defense core. If the Jets are to change their fortunes for this coming season these games are the kind they have to win.
The Kings played in Minneapolis last night beating the Wild 3-2 in a shoot out win. It’s these games, where teams play the night before against the Jets closest division rival, that the Jets have to seize the moment and use the incredible home-ice advantage the MTS Centre gives them.
To do so though requires actions on the ice and although the team earned the ‘w’ in Edmonton it was not through a display of disciplined, focused hockey. A repeat effort against this Sutter coached Kings team could leave the Winnipeg faithful rather flat-hearted on a Friday night.
5 keys to the game for the Jets.
1. Passive defensive zone coverage cannot continue. The Jets are not a puck-attacking team when they are in their own zone Whether by design or not it’s a dangerous and somewhat ineffective strategy against teams who can move the puck and are prepared to battle in front of the net. By pressuring the puck carrier and forcing the play the Jets could make life easier and create transition opportunities on forced turnovers.
2. No softies. This is not another Pavelec rant as he did enough to help his team win last game but he also let in a couple he could and should have stopped. If he can close that gap through less scrambling in front and holding his position Pavelec will do more to help himself than trying to be ‘Pavlectric’ all the time.
3. The bottom six needs to show up again and provide some role depth against the opposition. Frolik, Jokinen and Tangrdi made a better impact then when Wright was with the two veterans. While Frolik earned his current reputation playing a traditional third-line role he has some scoring skill and that was on display in Edmonton as he potted two markers. Tangradi also has that ability and perhaps with his size and vision he can help make this line an equal scoring threat as it is in a traditional shutdown role. As for the fourth line- they have to get out and make some noise either by bashing bodies or by bashing bodies. With a Slater, Peluso, Wright or Thorburn set is there anything else that should be happening? No, but if they are not hitting anyone then nothing positive ever happens and that effects the team as Noel becomes reluctant to role 4 lines with consistency.
4. LLW- no that is not an abbreviation for “Looks Like Wright” rather it’s the initials of the top line who was rather absent in the first game aside from Bryan Little. Most people forget that little is a former 30 goal scorer and knows his way around the net. Wheeler and Ladd usually get all the fanfare for this line but in the opening game it was Little who was the strongest of the three. If the two wingers can raise their play it makes this line just deep enough for the opposition to be concerned about match-ups and if the Jets want consistency and success it starts at the top.
5. Rookies. Trouba and Scheifele are going to be important in any Jets success this season and with two goals between them on Tuesday they showed what an impact they can be. Now everyone knows and surely the grizzled Kings, in particular Dustin Brown, will be looking to make life a little bit tougher on the two than Edmonton did. If Scheifele and Trouba can contribute in either scoring, transition or defensive play they help the rest of the team shoulder less of a load which provides a bigger opportunity for team success. To put it in the simplest terms the Jets are not a team with the depth to allow for passengers and no rookie should ever look like one. Trouba and Scheifele proved they don’t have to be passengers but they’ve got to prove that for 82 games.
Facing a team like LA is always a benchmark for any franchise that is looking to move into the top sixteen in the league echelon. For the Jets everything seems to boil down to identity and consistency. It’s not just the rookies who have to learn consistency it’s the entire roster including the coaches. Tonight is another step in that direction but we’ll have to see just how many decide to take it.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
Join the Discussion:
»