If you looked at the stat sheet you would see two goalies who both posted .970 or higher save percentages last night but you would also see that both of them faced over 30 shots too. You would see a 1-1 game that went into OT and then the shoot out before a winner was declared.
What you wouldn't see in the stats is the magnitude of what the Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec did in terms of keeping his team in the game and helping him win it. The old adage of 'in a tight game your goalie needs to be your best player' was true last night at the MTS centre.
Forget the harsh criticism Pavelec has taken many times here and around the media and internet- he deserves a bit of redemption after what might have been the worst allowed goal of all time last week in St. Louis.
The maligned goalie played solid in the first period but when the Blues took a 1-0 lead some, including this writer, were already to throw in the towel on the way he let in that goal.
Later in that same period Dennis Beak, the voice of the Jets, made the point that Trouba hit post instead of net in a very similar play. No, the difference was the Blues goalie Brian Elliot was not on his knees and falling forward to allow an empty net. That goal however would be the only one Pavelec would allow as he battled in his own, unique athletic way to stymie the Blues for the rest of the game and OT. Even in the shootout he only allowed Oshie to score while stopping Tarasenko and Steen.
Was it a masterpiece by Pavelec? No
Was some luck involved? Yes
Did he do what he had to do? Yes
With Pavelec I'll take two out of three positive responses as him being more positive in play and results than negative is why there is so much controversy around him.
The game would not have made it to OT without the nifty work of Drew Stafford, a player who is finding some game in Winnipeg and earning fans respect. The Blues had been shutting down the Jets zone entries all night with some stifling coverage and on one of the few times there was room Stafford slid the puck by Elliot on a slick back hand shot. Interestingly Scheifele had got through to and was open for the rebound had it appeared and like the Jets, one mistake cost the Blues.
While not a clean two points, it matters little as the Jets are being threatened by the Blues. They do hold onto their 8th in the west position one point back of Minnesota and 2 up on LA who have a game in hand. Come Saturday there will be a lot of Canucks fans in Winnipeg as they play the Kings that afternoon in LA before the Jets host the Capitals.
Say what you want about points, wins, clean or otherwise the only question Jets fans will be asking from now until Saturday is who starts in net? Probably Pavelec but you never know.