Jets’ Dubois Showed in Game 1 Why They Need Him Long-Term

For those of you who stayed up late on Tuesday (April 18) to watch the Winnipeg Jets have their way with the Vegas Golden Knights to take a 1-0 series lead in the first-round best-of-seven, you should have noticed that Pierre-Luc Dubois was a force that they couldn’t handle. The game was a 60-minute resumé of why the Jets need to sign him to a long-term contract in the off-season. Dubois was a nightmare that the Golden Knights couldn’t contain. He was the Jets’ best player in a game where the entire team played well, which exemplified the need for him to be around for many more years.

Three facets of Dubois’ game make him an invaluable asset. The ability to score and create offensive chances is something few players do in combination. Physically, he is a people mover and uses his strength to enhance his play. Emotionally, he is an antagonist who gets under the opposition’s skin and throws them off their game.

Dubois Showed His Offensive Presence in Game 1

Dubois is a prototypical power forward. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he is a large human who likes playing in the dirty areas, skates well and can move the puck effectively. In Vegas, he turned the game in the Jets’ favour early in the second period. He set up Kyle Connor for the first goal a minute and a half into the period on a rush where all three Vegas defenders had their eyes on him, leaving plenty of space for Connor to bury a one-timer past Laurent Brossoit.

Just over a minute later, his speed carried him on a partial break as he ripped a shot over the shoulder of the Vegas netminder, making the score 2-0 and effectively taking the crowd out of the game.

“That’s Dubie at his finest, right? He’s so strong at that, long reach, he gets around guys, you don’t think he has you beat and then he’s got an extra step on you.”

– Kyle Connor , (from “How Morgan Barron’s return after 75 stitches inspired Jets to Game 1 win over Vegas”, The Athletic, 19/04/23)

In the same article, Ates added, “It was only the first in a long series of dominant plays from Winnipeg’s No. 1 centre.” With Mark Scheifele moving to the wing on a line with Dubois and Connor, it is clear that he is now the team’s go-to player up the middle.

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