The Winnipeg Jets survived a scare against the Chicago Blackhawks on their way to a franchise-record eighth win in a row in front of a sold-out crowd at Canada Life Centre. Some late-game heroics helped the Jets come from behind after trailing for nearly two full periods, tying and going ahead with under four minutes remaining in the third period.
That said, it wasn’t all good for the Jets in the win. While the on-the-ice product was fairly unimpressive given the recent success, that took a back seat as the Jets’ leading scorer Mark Scheifele left the game with an injury. Despite the news, the result was there and showed how resilient this team can be.
With a dramatic win like this, there’s always a lot to talk about, even if it isn’t all good news, so here are a few takeaways from the come-from-behind win.
Losing Mark Scheifele
Early in the second period, Scheifele appeared to suffer a non-contact injury when backchecking. After skating hard into the Jets’ zone, he pulled up gingerly and left the bench. Shortly after, it was announced that he would remain out for the duration of the game.
It’s too soon to say how severe the injury is, as coach Rick Bowness clarified that Scheifele would be evaluated in the coming days. That said, it’s often a bad sign when a non-contact injury forces a player to leave a game, but until further evaluation happens, Jets fans are undoubtedly holding their breath.
Scheifele has been the Jets’ top scorer this season, tallying 14 goals and 41 points through 41 games. Needless to say, his loss would be a massive setback for this Jets team. Already missing Kyle Connor, the offence would need to dig deep to make up for that additional loss. They’ve managed to excel in Connor’s absence, but would the Scheifele loss be too much to overcome?
The Streaks Stay Alive
All of the Jets’ many “streaks” remained fully intact after the win over the Blackhawks despite seeming as if some of them would be ending. Trailing 1-0 with just over three minutes remaining, it felt as if the win streak was coming to an end, but that wasn’t the case.
With the win, the Jets have set a franchise record with eight consecutive wins, all while collecting points in 14 consecutive games, a mark that has already surpassed the franchise mark of nine. This game may not have been the prettiest win of their past eight, but it’s a win nonetheless and they all show up the same in the win column.
In addition to those, they also extended their incredible run of games allowing three goals or less. Now sitting at 31 games, the Jets sit just four games back of the expansion era record held by the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild, who stretched it to 35 games.
It’s a real testament to the defensive structure and goaltending of this team, as it never feels like an opponent can put up four goals in a game. Combine that with the fact that the Jets’ goaltending is the best in the league, posting a .923 team save percentage through 41 games.
Late Game Heroics
It’s hard to properly explain it, but this Jets’ team just has that “it” factor. It wasn’t a good game from the league leaders by any means, and most people can agree it’s a far cry from some of their other efforts over this last stretch. That said, they still found a way to scratch out those two points.
In years past, a game like this felt as if it was over once the Jets hit the third period trailing. Now, the sentiment from fans seems more hopeful that a better effort is on the way. It was another situation where they took over a game, making it seem as if a goal was inevitable.
There’s just something about this group that makes it seem as if no game is out of reach. They’ve often found themselves trailing at points over their incredible stretch, but every time, they’ve managed to pull themselves together and get back into the game. This was no exception, as Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers scored in the final four minutes to shock the Blackhawks and come away victorious.
Obviously, the Jets would have liked to win this game in a more convincing fashion, but this is a character win, and this team is bursting with character. Nothing really feels out of reach with how they’re playing, and the last four minutes of this game proved that to be true.
The Jets are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 13 as the Philadelphia Flyers make their only visit to Canada Life Centre this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
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