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The Winnipeg Jets entered the Bell Centre tonight with four members of their opening day roster still on the mend, but it was the one they got back that made all the difference. Andrew Copp, showing no rust after missing the last 8 games with an upper body injury, went ahead and played the hero against a team with injury troubles of their own.
The Canadiens put up a fight in a fairly even affair despite being without some of their top offensive weapons in Brendan Gallagher, Jonathon Drouin, and former Jet, Joel Armia. They did however, have newly signed Atlanta Thrasher’s #1 overall draft pick (in 2001!) Ilya Kovalchuk in the fold, and believe it or not, he didn’t look too bad out there. Playing 19:25, and registering an apple, 4 shots, 6 hits, while finishing a +2 certainly quelled any doubts of his ability to play in the league. The question now is, can he keep it up?
The Jets added a newbie of their own to the roster today in a move that, no doubt, made a lot of people on Twitter happy. I wasn’t all that impressed with his game, but after battling back from a couple injuries this year, and playing just 13:21, I’m still eager to see what he can bring.
1st Period
Within the first minute of this game, both teams had already registered a dangerous scoring chance and I thought, “ooh boy, we’re in for a good one…. And we were, just not right away, as the first period didn’t give us much more action. Kotkaniemi and Mete had the best chances for Montreal from inside the circle on opposite sides, but Hellebuyck was sharp and took everything he could see away.
My favourite moment was Pionk swinging his stick at a waist high puck and batting it back into the Canadiens zone. I bet he played ball in the summers. For the Jets it was Copp almost feeding Scheifele for a tap in that had the most potential, but we would go to the break with goose eggs.
2nd Period
Things would liven up in the second when Morrissey, receiving a bank pass off the boards from Ehlers, got a shot off quickly just as Wheeler was skating by with a perfectly timed screen. He can’t save what he can’t see. A good strategy, most of the time…
J-MO!!
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 7, 2020
🚨: Josh Morrissey
ðŸŽ: @NikolajEhlers24 #GoJetsGo | #WPGvsMTL pic.twitter.com/f7JsDyB9N6
WHAT A GOAL!
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 7, 2020
🚨: @NikolajEhlers24
ðŸŽ: @BiggieFunke #GoJetsGo | #WPGvsMTL pic.twitter.com/2tv4IS4kIx
Going back the other way Copp took a great feed in alone and slid one five-hole on Price. Unfortunately, his skate got just enough of the puck and it slid harmlessly into the corner. Just wasn’t his time I suppose. Shortly after, ex-Jet Ben Chiarot let a laser go from the top of the circle and snuck it in short side. Maybe Hellebuyck wants that one back, but it was still a rocket.
Un nouveau sommet de buts en carrière pour Ben Chiarot. 😌
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 7, 2020
New career high in goals for Ben Chiarot.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/rbWuSN0W9Z
Carey Price is pretty good still. pic.twitter.com/zeshbz1ScR
— JetsNation (@NHLJetsNation) January 7, 2020
3rd Period
The 3rd started out a little rough for Scheifele, when he applied that “most of the time good strategy… of standing in front of the net. This time however, it ended with a Laine rocket to the mid-section. Did that sound a little R-rated? He took a puck in the gut. Better?
I can’t say I’m a fan of Hellebuyck playing the puck. We saw him give one up the other day and almost do it again in this game. It’s just, in this game, he was half way up the circle right against the boards when he flubbed it. Spooky stuff. What I am a fan of, is Neal Pionk hip checking dudes that try to cut in on him. Take a seat Jesperi.
The Jets would get a little more black and blue when Ehlers bravely impeded a Chiarot shot from close quarters and had to crawl off the ice. Of course, the crazy Dane would stay in the game. He wouldn’t challenge Weber to a fight though, probably only because Maurice told him not to.
Continuing to pressure, Tatar rushed in for a solid chance and got a good chunk of Hellebuyck on the way. Kovalchuk, following up on the play, crashed the net and ended up in the goal. Too bad for his team, he doesn’t count. The Canadiens continued to pressure, but it was Andrew Copp who would steal the show, and the puck, going in all alone and just eek one through the stalwart Carey Price. Heroics!
I know @cmcdavid97 had a goal of the year level score tonight .. but shout out for AnnArbor’s @Copp94 with a big goal for @NHLJets on his return to the lineup tonight. @Skyline_Eagles pride! https://t.co/e27Wz2x3uw
— MikeTirico (@miketirico) January 7, 2020
Pas mal cool de marquer deux fois contre son ancienne équipe.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 7, 2020
Pretty nice to score against your former team twice.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/RES7lco5hG
Next up, it’s revenge time against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that came into our barn, played half a game and won by 3. Having just been schooled by McDavid, let’s hope they don’t tighten anything up on Thursday. Ahh, who am I kidding? These Leafs are fancy boys with their pencil moustaches and designer frames. It’ll be another skate-a-thon. Game starts at 6:30 PM Central.