The Winnipeg Jets had their franchise-record winning streak, and franchise-record points streak both come to an end on Saturday night. Their first regulation loss since Dec. 12 came at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, who came away with a 2-0 victory on this night.
Having only given up two goals, the Jets remained on one of the most dominant and impressive defensive stretches in league history, yet on this night, it was the offence that struggled to put the pieces together.
In a hard-fought game, there were a handful of reasons why the Jets came up short. Here are a few takeaways from the Jets’ loss to the Flyers, in their third game of a four-game homestand and ninth game in 15 days.
Jets’ Offence Struggled Without Mark Scheifele & Kyle Connor
Rick Bowness was asked to provide an update on Kyle Connor in the post-game, and he stated: “He’s getting a lot closer. He’ll probably be in a regular jersey on Monday.” The Jets next game is Tuesday night against the New York Islanders, and Bowness said he was unsure whether he would be an option for that contest.
Mark Scheifele is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and the Jets are hoping to have him back in the lineup on Tuesday as well. His absence was especially evident, with Captain Adam Lowry sliding up to the top line, leaving Dominic Toninato centring the third line for the majority of the third period.
Not many teams across the NHL would thrive while missing two of their top offensive options, but if there was someone who was able to step up and generate offence in this game, it was Gabriel Vilardi. He had a handful of “Grade-A” chances in the crease and around the slot area, which were all denied as the entire Jets team was held off the scoresheet.
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Vilardi was asked about having a sense of pride with the 8-game winning streak that just came to a halt, and he stated: “Yeah, you win eight games in a row, that’s a sign of a good team, when you lose 1 out of 9. I mean we’re not happy here, I’m not happy, we feel we could’ve and should’ve won.”
Rasmus Kupari Returned to the Lineup After Two-Month Absence
Rasmus Kupari made his return to the lineup on Saturday evening, as he returned from a two-month absence due to a shoulder injury, one he stated was his AC joint. He played one game with the Manitoba Moose on a ‘conditioning stint’, before being recalled out of necessity due to Scheifele’s…
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