I mean, we all knew this was coming, right? It’s clearly the only way this one could’ve gone after that back to back.
But first, the Highlights!
Game Notes
- Your TOI leader was Adam Larsson, who played 27:17 tonight.
- I knew we were in for an interesting kind of game when Joey made one of the wackiest saves of the year in the dying moments of the 1st period; pushing a puck out from behind him to deny Gabe Vilardi his first goal of the year, and then denying Scheifele on a diving save. The Jets just could not get anything going thanks to how locked in the Kraken’s defensive effort was; they made the slot a no-fly zone for a team that already struggled getting to the net-front, and the few times they ever did it got blocked or whiffed. All the Kraken really had to do was trust that Joey had the shots that were coming in from the low danger areas, and get a good offensive shift…and they got just that doing the thing they’ve gotten so good at over the course of this young season; actually hounding the net when the puck heads there. From then on, it was just Winnipeg flailing for any kind of chance, and Seattle not budging an inch. Such a gigantic performance for a team missing so many bodies; the youth took this moment and Jaden Schwartz rewarded their effort with a game to remember.
- Winterton, Catton, Wright, and Nyman were prolific play-drivers in their limited minutes. Were they sheltered in their starts? Absolutely. But positive results in every minute played adds up over time. Good stuff from them.
- Winterton wants his first NHL goal sooooooo bad. This poor kid keeps having like one or two shifts where you think he’s finally gonna cash in and it never comes. The minute he does get it, he’s probably put in the work to get a hat trick.
- Gigantic work from the PK tonight. Sure, there were some boneheaded decisions made here and there that meant they were out there waaay more than I was comfortable with, especially with a power play of this caliber, but they got that dragon good and slayed throughout the night; even if one of those power plays was a 4-on-4 for most of it. Excellent work all around. Also one of the first nights in a minute the Kraken went without a power play goal. Oh well, they can make up for lost time against Edmonton on Saturday!
- That said, Connor Hellebuyck sure is something else, man. Maybe if Team USA just forgets to tell him they’re playing in a game that matters and surprise him with the gold medal they’ll win in a walk at Milan.
- Helluva bounce-back performance by Joey Daccord after his less-than-stellar outing against Philly, turning away all 32 shots from the Jets and earning his first shutout of the year. I feel like, especially looking at what was going on around the league tonight, we oughta give extra credit for doing that in a league where scoring’s going up. Like you gotta be good to shut anybody out these days. More plaudits are coming in the compliment section but man he earned his first star in battle.
- Also I fully attribute him accidentally sweeping the puck to Mark Scheifele as the moment the Jets knew they were never going to score. Like in the heat of the moment after an incredibly lucky bounce he gave the puck to your best player in a decent spot and he saved it anyway. Just to make it clear it wasn’t happening. Joey’s psychological warfare game is unmatched.
- TWO EMPTY NETTERS. TWO. IN YEARS PAST WE’D BE LUCKY IF SEATTLE WAS EVEN THE ONE TO SCORE ON ONE. I TOLD YOU WINNIPEG GAMES WERE THE WEIRD ONES!!!!
- Mason Marchment is such a charming little goof. These are the kind of antics he should be getting into when he wants to get into the head of the other team, not running the goalie. That’s just good ol’ harmless fun.
Let’s Give A Hand To…
- Jaden Schwartz! Who got the Game Winner and then the Game-Sealer by going directly to the net. I really loved his game tonight and he deserved maybe a 2nd star for his efforts. So what, Connor Hellebuyck had a .962? He gets that by waking up in the morning. He was 2/3rds of all scoring plays in an NHL game. Give him that second star.
- Shane Wright! Who got the assist on Schwartz’s goal! Exploratory shots like that; looking for the rebound and trusting that your linemates are already on the way to the net, require a level of play recognition that sometimes comes with pure talent and sometimes just with age, and it seems that this young man’s thinking is still just as sharp as his scouting report says it was. His Assist tonight was his 4th point in 5 games!
- The Penalty Kill! I really can’t overstate how much of a momentum shifter the Jets power play has been over this young season. Shutting that down early and often was huge.
- Joey Daccord! With his first shutout of the year and for breaking the spirits of the Jets, even if it was just on accident. first star well earned.
The Chartz, Via NaturalStatTrick.com
The Kraken finally come home after a long trip out to the East, and host the Edmonton Oilers at CPA. That game is on Saturday, and is at 7pm PST.
We’ll see you there! And, as always…
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.