The Jets pasted the Flames last night and it probably felt very good for the players and of course the fans in the building. They Jets were the better team but what's interesting is that according to a tweet I saw the two goals the Flames scored where their first 5 vs 5 goals this preseason. However after the visitors tied it up it was all Jets.
This was not the strongest roster the Flames could have fielded and with Eddie Lack in net it was hardly a notable backstopped to help hold down the fort either. That being said Laine did what he should and basically what every one has been waiting for score and set up scoring.
He was involved in every Jets goal last night and if you are against secondary assists you would feel proud that two of his three assists were primary ones as well. Like in previous games the focus beforehand, especially after recent cuts, was on two player trying to secure jobs at the NHL level; Kyle Connor and Nic Petan.
Both are looking to unseat some one and be regular fixtures on the team and last night, even by Maurice's own words beforehand, was critical game. So how did they do?
By the numbers for Petan it's a bit hot and cold. There are either players he works well with or situations that are favourable to him vs the other times where he seems to not generate much.
He played on the wing but did have some time at centre too and in that role he helped create the goal that put the Jets up 4-2. That being said he certainly benefitted from playing with Trouba where with the four minutes of ice time he had a 85% Corsi rating with the young defenseman.
Petan was also used in the offensive zone exclusively based on zone starts which is a telling level of where the coaches see him best used.
For Kyle Connor the picture is a bit more positive in terms of driving play. Unlike Petan Connor seemed to positive results with more team mates. That's a good thing and emphasizes what Maurice said yesterday about Connor's game being far more developed than simply scoring goals. Connor also had the advantage of playing 8 minutes with one of the top RWs in the league in Blake Wheeler. To compound that advantage he played another 9 minutes with Mark Scheifele thus clearly had favourable time and line mates compared to Petan.
Needless to say his Corsi numbers were excellent with almost any one he played with last night. The more revealing information may be that Connor did have the same significant drop as Petan when he wasn't with the stronger players. Connor did do much better when away from Byfuglien which might speak more to the idea that Buff is a type of player that is difficult for a younger developing player to play with.
What's interesting here is that Tucker Poolman is certainly making a quiet impact with the team. His numbers when looking at driving play are very good and although he struggled with the trio of Laine, Ehlers and Petan that might be more indicative of the forwards and their developing defensive game than Poolman himself. What is clear is that his play, while somewhat sheltered with zone starts, is very good given his experience. He reads the play well and helps hold possession in the offensive zone, that is a big plus and given his age and possible role he could be a likely heir to Enstrom.
While it's easy to get caught up in a five point effort from a top player the nuances last night really involved other players and what the coaches are looking for. Given the play of Petan and Connor it's likely some tough conversations are going on amongst the brain trust within the Jets. The bigger one might be around Poolman though. As a 7th defender would he get the playing time he needs to continue development or does having him log huge minutes in the AHL present a better option?
The Jets play two more pre-season games before the final roster for opening night against the Leafs is set. Watching who is still staying around could be very telling about where the coaches feel certain players are likely to be and it wouldn't be surprising if Poolman is the lone guy standing form the three discussed today.