So it finally came- the first option to eliminate a team in this series and given the way the Jets won 2 games in St. Louis it's likely no one thought the Jets would be facing elimination first. The fact that no home team has won a game in this series is perhaps the only hope Jets fans have left after the way the game was lost on Thursday night.

Sure the Jets played well enough to win the game and win it easy but squandering power play chances and an almost sure goal that somehow was pulled back from the goal line reinforced the difficulty with this series, for both teams.

There was no need to write a piece detailing the breakdown of the goal, Trouba made a bad decision and it was amplified by the forwards left trying to figure out what to do. The Jets blew it and they all need to know it, know why and how, and then learn from it. They have to do what they did before and win two games in a row but also win at home.

Nik Ehlers is questionable to play. The coach makes questionable decisions and no one in the fan base understands what could happen in any game. So rather than trying to guess what they Jets will do, rather than trying to predict the outcome of the games, it's time to put out what the Jets need to do to win.

1. Roll the lines and try and get the matchups when you can. With last change Maurice is going to have to manage what Berube gives him for opposition. However he can minimize opportunity by rolling his lines effectively ad evenly to ensure there is gas in the tank for all players.

2. Ensure the wingers don't cheat coming up the boards before the puck is out. This also requires the defence to play some head's up hockey and make passes earlier. Basically get the 5 other players to be more like Morrissey.

3. Shots with traffic. Lots of shots is good if they can get through but make sure players are getting to the net to get rebounds and deflections should they be there. Don't allow Binnington to see everything straight on. The Blues managed the comeback by driving the net and getting in front- that strategy can work both ways.

4. The extra pass in hopes of a better shot is not always the best play, don't force things and let the opportunity to score be the one you take and not hope for a better one.


Sounds easy right?

Since game 2 the Jets have been the better team with shot volume and expected goals but lack a bit on unblocked shots. All the more reason to shoot sooner and more frequently as the Blues are finding ways to stop shots from getting through. And while the Blues dominated shot volume last game the other metrics show the the Jets are doing more of the good things to win games than the Blues. Now they just need to do them for two more games and do a bit more to ensure that the Blues play chasing the game rather than driving it when they are behind.

Sounds easy right?

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