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Jets need game two 3rd Period for 60 minutes |
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It's really quite simple, what the Jets did in periods 1 and 2 for game 3 is not going to cut it. But what they did in period 3 was basically everything they need to do for 60 minutes to beat the Golden Knights.
The solution to solving the Golden Knights pervasive pestering and attack is to match it. To make them work as hard as they force their opposition to work. There is no possible solution that will materialize for the Jets unless Paul Maurice pulls a tactical rabbit out of helmet.
The Jets are just as dangerous a team as the Golden Knights, perhaps more so but not when they wait for the puck, allow the opposition time and don't communicate. Looking at you Hellebuyck, Chiarot and Tanev. The Jets are also self destructive when they try to be cute. Hi Scheifele, Ehlers and Laine. Take those aspects out of the Jets game, play with awareness and a level of speed to match the Golden Knights and 6 of the seven goals allowed probably don't happen.
It's no secret the mistakes are killing the Jets these past two games. In fact a ton of credit needs to go to the Golden Knights because they are doing what they do so well and forcing the Jets into situations they can capitalize on. Right now almost every mistake has the puck behind Hellebuyck. At some point he will make a save and at some point Fluery won't but if the Jets are not playing a better game in regards to speed and tenacity this won't matter.
The team playing with the superior effort, speed and aggressiveness is winning this series and deservedly so. It's frustrating because rarely do team take the Jets to task in this way but in the course of the regular season there were three teams that gave the Jets trouble consistently, one was Nashville, the other was Colorado, and the third was Vegas.
The Jets beat one, the best team in the league but now they must beat probably the next best team against them. It's harder now being down 2-1 but make this a 2-2 series after tonight and best of three at home seems pretty good, but only if they can play that third period from last game for sixty minutes.
That's a tall order because the pace of that period will kill most teams if they try to play it for six minutes and given the pace the Golden Knights have played all year and then the way they could never really get anything back in the third perhaps they are tiring? That's doubtful, they are far too efficient but every team has it's ups and downs and perhaps the Jets are now ready to rise up after being down for two games?
One can speculate on all of the variables here but one thing that is part and parcel with increasing the pace and tenacity is what the head coach does. He has to manage the right minutes, enforce a strategy to not get burned on changes and most importantly adjust his lines when they need adjusting not when time is running out.
I'm on the road and posting this without looking at updates so I have no idea about Ehlers. If he is out I'd like to see Roslovic move up with Stastny and Laine, the latter going to the off wing. Put Tanev back with Copp and Lowry and let Armia be the bigger body with Perreault and Little.
Other than that, just make sure you shelter Chiarot and Myers the best you can and hope Hellebuyck is ready to play lights out.
Simple right?
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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