Peter Tessier: Hellebuyck bounce back give Jets 3-1 series lead Jets take 3-1 series lead after 2-0 win and controversial missed crosschecking call.

Jets did three things particularly well tonight.

1) Keeping the front of their own net clean.

2) A fantastic job of forechecking !

3) As Peter mentioned....gap control.

Add them all together along with Helle and the improved speed in their game and this was a team tonight that was not going to be beat. Credit to Maurice as well for an extremely well executed game plan.

Might lose Morrissey for a game even though Staal was naturally crouching down a bit as he transitioned from a glide to a power stride. Could go either way at Player Safety.

I think the Wild made a small mistake in letting the media know that Parise was out for an extended period. Why say anything at all. Its just a bit less work for the Jets when they do isolation videos and plan player matchups in their game plan, etc. For all we know Perreault and Enstrom might be gone for the season, same with Myers. However Maurice is smart in sticking with the line that they are a " game-time decision" or " really close" . Keep them guessing !

Shout out to Poolman for coming in and having as solid a game as we could have hoped for!!!! No one can argue that Myers was missed out there.

The Morrissey cross check was brutal and being at the game I can tell ya the Wild fans were livid. Mind you they basically wanted a penalty called on the Jets on pretty much every play after that

The Morrissey cross check was brutal and being at the game I can tell ya the Wild fans were livid. Mind you they basically wanted a penalty called on the Jets on pretty much every play after that
- Finnisher29

I started to get that sense as the game moved on. I get it- huuuuuge missed call and they wanted something.

Basically though it’s ugly but Staal got up and finished the game. It’s a penalty and i’d be surprised if there was more coming.

Great bounce back by Helle. He has established this track record of bouncing back which is positive growth in his game and mindset.

You have to wonder about Trouba, just not in the groove yet or playing through some nagging issues like the ankle issue but he served up a couple of nice turnovers, one in the first period to the Wild player in the slot when he had ample time to make a play or skate a little further to get it out and I think there was another in the third. He had two bad giveaways, one served on a silver platter.

Poolman and Chariot had a few adventures as well but what can you expect when Poolman who now has 25 NHL games and plays 1 in 4 Jet games? Tough to get into the groove. They got the job done, and I am a supporter of Poolman, but it is tough to get into a groove going in and out of the lineup. But, nice to be able to slot in another Dman like him with Myers down. That is called Depth. I hope Poolman has a regular roster spot next year.

Morrisey, woops! Missed call by stripes, it looked pretty bad but we also know Morrisey is not that type of dirty player so I accept it was accidental. However, missed call by the stripes. Not sure it cost them the game as Boudreau states but definitely missed call.

The Jets have 4 Minnesota born players. Buff, Hendricks, Wheeler, and Poolman. I keep thinking Poolman is a No Dak, but he is East Grand Forks, which is Minnesota. In all, Jets have 11 US players.

Poolman

Great bounce back by Helle. He has established this track record of bouncing back which is positive growth in his game and mindset.

You have to wonder about Trouba, just not in the groove yet or playing through some nagging issues like the ankle issue but he served up a couple of nice turnovers, one in the first period to the Wild player in the slot when he had ample time to make a play or skate a little further to get it out and I think there was another in the third. He had two bad giveaways, one served on a silver platter.

Poolman and Chariot had a few adventures as well but what can you expect when Poolman who now has 25 NHL games and plays 1 in 4 Jet games? Tough to get into the groove. They got the job done, and I am a supporter of Poolman, but it is tough to get into a groove going in and out of the lineup. But, nice to be able to slot in another Dman like him with Myers down. That is called Depth. I hope Poolman has a regular roster spot next year.

Morrisey, woops! Missed call by stripes, it looked pretty bad but we also know Morrisey is not that type of dirty player so I accept it was accidental. However, missed call by the stripes. Not sure it cost them the game as Boudreau states but definitely missed call.

The Jets have 4 Minnesota born players. Buff, Hendricks, Wheeler, and Poolman. I keep thinking Poolman is a No Dak, but he is East Grand Forks, which is Minnesota. In all, Jets have 11 US players.
- CharlieDog

No doubt Poolman played well last night. We all knew he was capable so I don't think its any real surprise. He and Niku will be in the lineup next year as replacements for Enstrom and for injured players.

Trouba's play has become a little worrisome. He may still be recovering from an ankle injury but his mistakes are from the head and have nothing to do with his ankle. He has made mistakes and bad passes in at least three of the four games . Any one of those could have led to goals and changed the results of the game. The first thing you teach a defenceman is to not trust your peripheral vision when making a pass cross-ice from the corner. Always take that second look because the opposing center is always prowling and looking to take that pass away. Its basic hockey. When in doubt use the boards to advance. I'm sure Maurice has had this discussion in the video room yet it keeps happening. Hopefully Trouba gets smarter about his options as we move forward. We all know he can play much better than he has.

Personally I think Trouba is expendable and Morrissey presents a brighter future and at a significant discount to what Kurt Overcharge wants.

Trouba is playing lime an athlete dealing with a concussion, that’s what I see. Is it possible that Foligno hit him just enough in game 3 to hurt him?
His giveaways and alertness is absolutely brutal!!
Something wrong here

Helly was very good last night and made some really big saves. The Jets did a great job in the 3rd of suffocating the wild and shutting them down, but Helly was the difference. Buff was great again, best hockey he's played since Chicago.

I agree with CharlieDog, Trouba must be hurt or worried about another concussion. He's off and he's not hitting anyone anymore. He's pinning guys along the boards, but avoiding any contact with speed - maybe he was warned that a 2nd concussion could keep him out long-term.

The Morrissey cross-check should have been called, tough break for Minny. They have gotten away with some iffy plays as well though, so in the end it evens out. It was unintentional, he's a clean player. I have done the same thing, you go to hit the guys shoulder to move him out and he dips his shoulder down or lifts his arm up and then your stick rides up.

Jets need to wrap this up on Friday, so they can get some much needed rest. I wouldn't play Myers or Toby on Friday (if that's even a consideration), unless they are 100%.

Go Jets Go!

No doubt I hate the Wild and nothing would make happier then seeing the Jets demolish them.
But I hate to say I think your take on this hit is a bit of Homerish wishful thinking. Doesn't matter if you remorseful for your actions and wish it hadn't happened , fact is it was a Cross Check to the head and it shouldn't be & won't be swept under the rug.
Besides the Wild are done and the Jets will still put them away in game 5, even without Morrissey.

Trouba is playing lime an athlete dealing with a concussion, that’s what I see. Is it possible that Foligno hit him just enough in game 3 to hurt him?
His giveaways and alertness is absolutely brutal!!
Something wrong here
- jjonah

I absolutely agree, saw your comment right after I posted. It did look like the Foligno hit got a piece of him, but he didn't react like it did.

Trouba is playing lime an athlete dealing with a concussion, that’s what I see. Is it possible that Foligno hit him just enough in game 3 to hurt him?
His giveaways and alertness is absolutely brutal!!
Something wrong here
- jjonah

This might be part of the issue. Foligno did catch him enough that could have rattled him again. So I agree this is possible.

I also agree with JN's post of hockey basics and Dman know not to make that pass cross ice pass into the slot. I also agree that going forward, Morrisey might be the place to stick some money and term in a contract at a discounted rate and get a nice trade value for Trouba.

Kurt Overcharge eventually screws his own clients / players by getting them a few more bucks but on a different team. Case in point, look at Frolik. Calgary overpaid for Frolik imop, but he is happy, his wife is happy she doesn't have to live in Wpg but he is on a crappy team. It shouldn't be crappy, but it is, and Calgary overpaid for him.

No doubt I hate the Wild and nothing would make happier then seeing the Jets demolish them.
But I hate to say I think your take on this hit is a bit of Homerish wishful thinking. Doesn't matter if you remorseful for your actions and wish it hadn't happened , fact is it was a Cross Check to the head and it shouldn't be & won't be swept under the rug.
Besides the Wild are done and the Jets will still put them away in game 5, even without Morrissey.
- ice-crazy

What's 'homerish' about it? In the end, it's a dirty play whether it was intentional or accidental. I would expect that he gets a fine or maybe a 1 game suspension (his track record helps him against a suspension).

Morrissey will likely get a game for the crosscheck, Doughty hit is the recent playoff comparable. He failed to avoid contact with the head/neck when making his check/boxing out, Doughty also missed his intended point of contact. This was not a result of heated play leading to retribution, also it was not a hockey play.

It was different from Kadri suspension - Kadri has history, was raging and retaliated by targeted a player's head while he was vulnerable. Only 3 games for that, I would be really surprised if Morrissey gets two games.

It really is not comparable with the Foligno contact with Myers but I see it as a comparable with the missed call on Foligno's hit on Trouba in early game three. Both were hard plays, primary contact was with head. It was surprising he avoided a suspension on that.

Even Boudreau who was rightfully angry (more about him in another reply) never said he thought it was a dirty hit. He saw it more as an egregious missed call at a critical time in the game - all true.

No doubt I hate the Wild and nothing would make happier then seeing the Jets demolish them.
But I hate to say I think your take on this hit is a bit of Homerish wishful thinking. Doesn't matter if you remorseful for your actions and wish it hadn't happened , fact is it was a Cross Check to the head and it shouldn't be & won't be swept under the rug.
Besides the Wild are done and the Jets will still put them away in game 5, even without Morrissey.
- ice-crazy

Yep it is but that’s based on a few things...not all head shots are the same and the league treats them differently. Foligno tried to decapitate Trouba and hit his head with no call. And Chiarot was headbutted but a Wild player after the whistle.

So here’s the challenge- if it’s zero tolerance then deal with all of them. If it’s not then accept the league will have differing opinions on them and we ha e to accept that.

Missed penalty for sure but if you follow Boudreau’s logic because they missed it is not reason for a suspension.

I think Boudreau unitentionally undermined his team by saying that game 4 came down to one play - the non call on Morrissey. It is never one play that decides a game, there are dozens of opportunities for each team that contribute. If the message he gives to his team is the same delivered to the media - that this one play decided the game then - then he is selling out leadership on his team and reducing their chance to rebound from adversity. He may get away with that in the long regular season but in the playoffs the past is past and needs to be put away by the next shift. He failed his team.

I think Boudreau unitentionally undermined his team by saying that game 4 came down to one play - the non call on Morrissey. It is never one play that decides a game, there are dozens of opportunities for each team that contribute. If the message he gives to his team is the same delivered to the media - that this one play decided the game then - then he is selling out leadership on his team and reducing their chance to rebound from adversity. He may get away with that in the long regular season but in the playoffs the past is past and needs to be put away by the next shift. He failed his team.
- 2.0

They lost because Helle was good and their team did not play good enough. Not on a missed call.

I think Boudreau unitentionally undermined his team by saying that game 4 came down to one play - the non call on Morrissey. It is never one play that decides a game, there are dozens of opportunities for each team that contribute. If the message he gives to his team is the same delivered to the media - that this one play decided the game then - then he is selling out leadership on his team and reducing their chance to rebound from adversity. He may get away with that in the long regular season but in the playoffs the past is past and needs to be put away by the next shift. He failed his team.
- 2.0

I agree with you 2.0 to a point. There is no doubt Bourdreau is exercising the same gamesmanship that Maurice has been doing. Ying to Maurice's Yang. Paul Maurice is a smart and experienced coach and knew full well that an event like this may happen where a Jets player is on the wrong end of a dangerous mishap. He was probably thinking it would be Buff but turned out it was Morrissey. So he played up the Trouba and Myers incidents to the max. He'll likely mention the Chariot headbutt as well. By doing so he probably will see Morrissey get a game max if any. I don't think either Maurice in Game 3 or Boudreau in Game 4 are using these excuses to explain to the team why they lost. They are both way to professional to deliver that message to the team. Its a gamesmanship through a media play ....that it.

That all being said....there is no doubt thought that avoiding a likely 2 minute minor or a possible 5 minute major and going 5 on 3 was a major break for the Jets. I highly highly doubt though that the refs were going to give a game misconduct for the cross-check. Player safety will see this as carelessness on Morrissey's part but not intent to injure. One game at most. As I said before , the left shoulder naturally comes down when pushing off the right leg when beginning a stride and it was just unfortunate timing for Morrissey. A second earlier it would have been middle to top of the forearm.

Edit: ...and enough of Ek and his ridiculous headline. I have zero respect for Ek. He spends the whole season and even the playoffs pumping the latest trade rumour because he knows it generates responses no matter how stupid the rumour is. He's the epitome of sensationalist headlines. Morrissey 15 games. Total BS designed to ignite responses. Personally, I ignore Ek's columns 99% of the time and so should any serious hockey fan.

I started to get that sense as the game moved on. I get it- huuuuuge missed call and they wanted something.

Basically though it’s ugly but Staal got up and finished the game. It’s a penalty and i’d be surprised if there was more coming.
- Peter.Tessier

Cross check to the head should be at least a game. Take the goggles off...

They lost because Helle was good and their team did not play good enough. Not on a missed call.
- sparky1957

I agree with that! Hell was insane!

Intentional or not - Morrissey's cross check was brutal ... last night, watching with 3 other hockey dads and two youngsters who just finished up their junior careers - all 6 of us thought he would get a game at least - compliments of Parros' moustache

Boudreau saying it cost them the game - IMHO - says to me he sees his team being knocked out in short order

You guys think Troubs is playing hurt ? ... what about Wheels ? ... is it just me or did he look slow as sh_t for a good portion of the game ? ... and what about Ehlers ? ... he's not hurt - he's just looking like he doesn't know what the f_ck is going on

I am continually impressed with Laine's 200 ft game ... Helle's glove stop could go down and the stop of the series

Friday night, boys, Friday night ... let's close er down and go have a rest

Did we just hear Morriessey's phone hearing with Player Safety is this aft ? ... perhaps a decision will be rendered just in time for the nightly Toronto Sports Network update ?

I completely missed the headbutt on Chairot for some reason. I saw goon Foligno running players and catching Trouba's head, and later conveniently taking out Myers by hitting him in the back of the knee.

You touch anyone's back of their knee and they go down like a sac of potato's. Accidental?? My @$$ it was accidental. Foligno was running around doing his best to provide the goon gamesmanship and he delivered twice on Trouba and Myers with questionable hits and "no calls".

So now, it was another missed call with Morrisey's crosscheck. Missed call but, waaaa If he gets a game, so be it. Plug Toby or Niku in for Friday and let's finish the job.

Did we just hear Morriessey's phone hearing with Player Safety is this aft ? ... perhaps a decision will be rendered just in time for the nightly Toronto Sports Network update ?
- CorydonKeith

Yep, hearing this afternoon courtesy of Bruce Boudreau.