JETS STILL LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN

By: Andrew Benson
RP Show Intern

When are the Winnipeg Jets going to finally take off? Now three games into the regular season, the Jets are still looking for their first win, after a crazy overtime loss in Minnesota against the Wild on Tuesday night.

It was a big first period for both teams, as the scoreboard read 2-2 at the end of the opening frame, and by the end of regulation, it was 5-5 and headed to overtime. Jets colour analyst Jamie Thomas said the game was everything you want to see from the Jets, but they still need to find a way to win.

“It was such a good game,” said Thomas. “The emotions were there, the passions were there, and the central division rivalry was renewed. It had been 600 plus days since the Jets played the Wild and it really pointed out how bad the hockey was in the north division last year because there was nothing like that last season.”

Perhaps one of the biggest problems for the Jets so far, and one the team didn’t expect coming in, is the play of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck has let in 14 goals so far through 3 games. It is tough to win when you can’t keep the puck out of your own net.

Thomas said however, the responsibility doesn’t fall solely on Hellebuyck’s shoulders.

“There’s just little things that need to be ironed out,” said Thomas. “You have new penalty killers when you lose Nate Thompson, Trevor Lewis and Derek Forbort who wasn’t really appreciated as much as he should have been, because he was very good at killing plays along the wall. These are the bumps that come early in the season as you try to figure things out.”

Perhaps the biggest story coming out of the game came late in the third period when officials took a lengthy video replay to determine the Jets were offside on an empty net goal. The goal would have put the Jets up by two with 1:14 left to go in the game.

The call came on a coaches challenge by the Wild. Eventually, the refs found Kyle Connor who scored two goals and an assist to be offside, and took away what would have likely given the Jets their first win of the season. While the refs made the correct call, Thomas said the problem with the call was the time it took to get it right, on a player that wasn’t even in the play.

“I think it has its purposes but it is slowing down the game,” said Thomas. “That was a great hockey game but the delay to figure it out and get the call right took way too long. That’s the problem.”

On a crazy sequence of events in overtime, the Jets had a two on one opportunity to end the game but was blocked by Minnesota’s goaltender Cam Talbot.

Immediately after the save, the Wild grabbed the rebound and turned it into a three on one chance where Eriksson Ek put it into the back of the net to complete the hat trick and sent the Jets home.

Now the Jets head home to Winnipeg for their home opener on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks. All Jets fans will be hoping the hometown advantage will be enough to give the team their first win of the season.