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One team has two recent Stanley Cups, a spot in the upcoming Winter Classic, and five of the top six vote-getters in the NHL All Star fan balloting.
The other? They play in a small city in Southern Manitoba.
But the other one won last night—and in convincing fashion. The Winnipeg Jets came out and caught the Blackhawks flat-footed in the first period, jumping out to a 3-0 lead, before starting goalie Corey Crawford was pulled for backup Antti Raanta.
My guess is the Hawks had a bit of an emotional letdown following an inspired effort in shutting out Toronto—that on the heels of the untimely passing of assistant trainer Clint Reif.
But you also have to give credit where it’s due. Missing most of their top 4 on defense, with Dustin Byfuglien pressed back into a defense role, the Jets just outplayed the Hawks most of the night. The Hawks dominated on faceoffs and outshot Winnipeg, but were beaten to pucks, couldn’t complete passes and just looked very off. And the Jets made much of that happen. Kudos to their players, coach Paul Maurice, and their system, which, evidenced by their record, works.
You need games like this every once in a while. As a reminder that although you’re one of the elite teams in the league, you can’t just show up, throw your sticks out on the ice and expect to win. That’s not to say the Hawks didn’t give the best effort they had. To say so would disrespect the Jets (who provided further proof that the Central Division just might be the league’s best).
But humility is a good thing, and hard to maintain when you run through the league the way the Hawks have the last several weeks.
So the Hawks get a few days off to rest and relax with families before taking on the Avalanche Saturday in Colorado, a home game Monday against Nashville and then the New Year’s Day game in D.C.
I’ll be back Friday. Happy Holidays everyone, be safe.
JJ