The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Wednesday, in a game where Jets fans emotion's were up and down constantly.

The Jets started the game off great, with a near-perfect first period. To get the scoring started, the Jets second powerplay unit hit the ice and Sam Gagner beat Alexander Georgiev for his second goal as a Jet. With assists from Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti, many were impressed that such a mix-match of players on the second unit could get it done. Following that goal, Neal Pionk scores his first of the season, and of the game, off a one-timer from a great pass by Mason Appleton.

In the second period, Mikko Rantanen didn't waste any time getting the Av's on the board, but just a few minutes later Blake Wheeler would find a near-impossible seam to get Perfetti the puck for his first goal of the season. That line has been working well. Rantanen would score another, as well as a goal by Nichushkin to end the second period tied at three.

Jumping ahead to overtime, Neal Pionk had the game winner after carrying possession all the way from his own end, and beating Georgiev clean with a slap shot upon entering the zone.

I didn't want to spend too much time talking about the game, as many of you watched the game of the highlights, but here are 3 takeaways from the game that are worth noting:

Perfetti-Dubois-Wheeler working well together

I was a bit skeptical about separating Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois, but this trio has been really fun to watch. The chemistry Perfetti has already began to establish is impressive, and I think that he will be able to develop perfectly fine with those two.

We are seeing much of the same from Dubois as we did last year. He has been consistent with what he does. I was a bit concerned about how the season would start for PLD, as we seem to be moved past the trade speculation for now, but I worry that everybody will be over-critical of him if he has one bad night. I don't have any update on whether PLD does indeed want to leave, or if there are any plans, but I will say that he will have to play himself into a role with leverage if he wants to dictate the next moves. But who knows? He could play out this year and be more than happy to sign long term. Time will tell.

Blake Wheeler has looked really good for the most part. With only 16:27 TOI, he had opportunities to show his offensive capabilities, while not being constantly exposed defensively. Deployment is key for Wheeler, and therefore that line. Overall, there is nothing to complain about with Wheeler. He played at a level that can certainly be expected all season, and with lower ice time, I could see a happy ending to the season after a very questionable start, with Wheeler being stripped of the captaincy.

Overtime...tactics?

The Jets started overtime with an incredibly strange lineup. Lowry, Appleton and Pionk hit the ice, and everybody was curious as to why, but I can see some of the thought process, and it kind of makes sense.

Many will say that defense in overtime should be done by just holding onto the puck and not letting the other team get it. That's fine, when it works, but when you are up against Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar, good luck getting possession and keeping it. The Jets sent out these two forwards, who ended up playing some really nice defensive structure in overtime, leading to a the puck squeaking out along the boards for Pionk to pick up. Pionk, who we will talk more about in a minute, skates all the way down the ice and fires it home. It actually worked really well for a system, though I will still be nervous and question it each time I see it happen, should it become a regular tactic.

Pionk taking another step?

In my opinion, Neal Pionk was far-and-away the Jets best defenseman last night. After a mediocre start to the year, Pionk took over last night, and aside from scoring two goals, he was great at getting the puck up the ice on transition, as well as being an asset on the offensive pressure. Advanced stats don't really back up these claims, as Morrissey-Pionk had a Fenwick% of only 27.3%, but htey had the most ice time, and clearly had the toughest matchups. I was quite pleased with Pionk all game.

Let me know your thoughts on the game, and what the Jets need to do to keep this momentum going forward. They take on the Golden Knights tonight, I may have a pre-game piece up before the game, but I am unsure yet. Take care, everyone!

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