Minnesota gets the Calls and the Win (Jets Wild)

Jets Wild

Minnesota gets the Calls and the Win

By Wesley Peters

Jan 4, 2020 • 7:02 pm

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After a game in which the Jets put 48 shots on the opposing goalie and lost, it appeared they would return to their usual strategy of being outshot while scoring more. Didn’t quite work out. A game well played for the Minnesota Wild but, they aren’t winning that game without a number of very favorable calls and non-calls.

1st Period

The Wild started quickly in this one, and you could tell that the 6-0 drubbing they received last time these two teams met was still firmly ingrained in their skulls. Just a 1:12 into the game, a beautiful play beginning with Kunin cruising into the Jets zone and dishing to Eriksson, who found Foligno cross ice with the tap in. Nothing Hellebuyck could do on that one. The defense maybe, but hey, nice play Minne.

Pionk would take an interference call, and then immediately upon exiting the penalty box, be sent back in, because apparently both skates must touch the ice before the puck is played. I wonder what that rule attempts to mitigate. Ah well, might as well get used to it… On the ensuing penalty kill, Tucker Poolman did a fantastic job standing the Wild up at the blue line twice and making a crucial block. He sure seems more at home in the kinds of games that aren’t played at a million miles an hour.

The period would end with Hellebuyck making a couple dynamite saves off chances in tight, which was great to see after getting the hook last game.

2nd Period

A little Ehlers embellishment would assist the Jets in getting onto the powerplay that would take seconds to produce the tying goal. And what a goal! Wheeler, hanging out on the half wall, scans around and then decides to make the almost impossible pass through a maze of bodies to Scheifele, who absolutely nails it short side. Thing of beauty, that one was. (Why am I writing like Yoda speaks?)

A weird sequence in which the Wild took a 4 minute penalty for highsticking Scheifele, would turn into a 4 on 4 after Laine interfered with the Wild defense, and then a 4 on 3 for Minnesota when Poolman hooked his man breaking in alone. The Jets would go back on the powerplay after killing those two penalties, but wouldn’t get it done before the period ended.

3rd Period

Going into the third still up a man, the Jets set up quickly, and with some fancy puck movement to get the puck to Connor behind the net, he proceeded to saucer one over to Wheeler walking in from the half wall for humdinger of a one-timer. Gotta love that powerplay right now.

OT

… so now that we’re used to it, with the Wild breaking out, Wheeler stick checks Zuccarello and because he cannot hold onto his stick, it’s a 4 on 3 for the Wild. So, here’s what I want to know, are stick checks legal only if a guy holds onto his stick? They sometimes call that a penalty, and sometimes they don’t. What’s the criteria? Really tough one to take after the three missed calls to end the third period. But I digress.

On the 4 on 3, a point shot would remain in front of Hellebuyck, and with Parise mucking it up, Staal would bury his team leading 16th of the year. Maurice would challenge for goalie interference, but who are we kidding? It’s bad business to send 17,954 ticket purchasing fans home with the taste of a loss in their mouths. I'd post the video, but even the Wild Twitter feed would prefer to just take the 2 points and forget about how it all went down. C'est la vie.

You have to admire the restraint that both Maurice and Wheeler showed in their post game interviews. Classy guys. Next up, the Jets have a chance to redeem themselves against a Canadiens team that defeated them fairly handily just prior to the Christmas break. I hear they’re bringing their new $700,000, Russian secret weapon along. Should be fun. Game starts at 6:00 pm Monday.

World Juniors Update

Similar fates in very different games befell the Jets prospects today in the World Juniors tournament. Beginning with Gustafsson and co. losing a heartbreaker to the Russians 5 - 4 in overtime. Gustafsson would add another assist to his totals on a faceoff win that Maple Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin wired home to give him a goal and three assists through six games. He’ll play Heinola and the Finns tomorrow for the bronze.

As for Heinola, tough day, the Finns were absolutely bombarded by the Canadians in a 5 – 0 shellacking. Being entertained by the Jets precluded me from seeing how he played in the game. Suffice to say, not as well as he hoped. Still, as a fan of the tournament, you couldn’t ask for better match-ups as Finland – Sweden and Canada – Russia are age old rivalries that only get better with time. Should be fun.

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