Jets' modest win streak plowed under by visiting Blue Jackets

Get the latest from Paul Friesen straight to your inbox

Published Dec 08, 2024  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  4 minute read

Columbus Blue Jackets' Kent Johnson (91) scores one of his two third-period goals on Jets' goaltender Eric Comrie in Winnipeg, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024.

A 15-1 mark to start the year, a 5-8 record since. Will the real Winnipeg Jets please stand up?

Article content

Article content

Article content

Perhaps that was them trying to catch a nap in the third period against Columbus on Sunday.

All even at a goal apiece, two of the Jets’ high-end players committed turnovers that tilted the ice the Blue Jackets way, a 4-1 defeat the result.

“Third period, made two mistakes,” is how head coach Scott Arniel summed up how it got away from his team. “Turnover in our end, turnover in the neutral zone. They turned around and put them right back in our net.”

Kyle Connor was the culprit on the first one, Mark Scheifele on the second, as any prospect of a Jets win streak was nipped in the bud, at two.

Let’s nip one potential Jets excuse in the bud, too: fatigue.

Yeah, they were playing a fifth game in eight days.

Well, guess what? So, too, was Columbus. All of them on the road.

Article content

Article content

To their credit, Connor and Co. weren’t leaning on that crutch, either, not even after playing on back-to-back days (they won in Chicago on Saturday).

“There’s no excuses,” Connor said, saying he felt just fine. “I mean, this (was) obviously a long road trip that everybody goes through at some point. Everybody in there felt great. We had that game tied at home going to the third. We want that one.”

Instead, they gave it away.

Columbus had lost three straight coming in, but got those two third-period goals from Kent Johnson, the first coming 7:15 into the third period, the second minutes later on a two-on-one, Johnson one-timing a pass from former Jet Sean Monahan.

Sean Kuraly’s empty-netter sent most of the 13,886 fans scurrying back out into the snow, some of them no doubt wondering where that front-running team of the first month and a half has gone.

Article content

The Jets are still among the NHL’s front-runners, their hot start seeing to that.

A record of 20-9 is nothing to sneeze at, something anyone would have taken going into the season,

But in the what-have-you-done-lately department, they’re fading fast.

Tired legs would just be a tired excuse.

“We’re never going to use that one,” Arniel said. “I can show you everybody else’s schedule. They’re doing the same thing. It’s three in four nights, that’s all the more reason to simplify what you’re doing, making sure that… it doesn’t turn into offence for the opposition.”

Over-passing on three of their four power plays – there’s another running theme, as the Jets had been one-for-their-last-17 with the extra man — Arniel’s squad cashed in on its fourth, Connor pulling the trigger in the second period, breaking a scoreless tie.

Article content

They gave that one back two minutes later, young Brad Lambert getting careless with his stick and Dmitri Voronkov making him pay on the Blue Jackets power play.

The teams took the 1-1 tie into the third.

You know the rest.

“It felt like we gave them those two,” defenceman Dylan DeMelo said. “Sure, they went and got it, but we equally gave it to them. We weren’t in our structure and we didn’t do what we needed to do in certain roles. That is really what it came down to.”

As for why it’s been happening so much lately: “Not sure,” DeMelo said. “We have time to figure it out. There is still lots of games left, lots of season left. We are still in a pretty darn good spot. That’s the encouraging part, we still have lots to learn. We will continue to build our brand here.”

Article content

They’ll at least be able to build it at home for a while, with games every other day this week, beginning with Boston on Tuesday.

The breakdowns ruined another fine night by backup goalie Eric Comrie, who stopped 24 of 27 shots and gave his team a chance.

“Again,” Arniel said. “In every game he’s played. And that’s the hard part. We’re not getting the run support for him. He’s been really good for us. He certainly isn’t any of the problem, that’s for sure.”

Special-teams breakdown On paper, special teams heavily favoured the Jets.

On the ice, it didn’t quite work out that way.

Despite two Winnipeg power plays in the first period to one for Columbus, the shot count favoured the Blue Jackets, 12-6.

Comrie had to be sharp in goal or the Jets would have had to come from behind.

It took two more Columbus penalties in the second for the NHL’s No. 3 power play – up against the No. 29 penalty kill – to break out, Connor rifling it home from the faceoff dot, short side, on Elvis Merzlikins.

The league’s 26th ranked power play answered right back, Voronkov with an open-net redirect.

Through 40 minutes, shots were 19-14 for the visitors, their power play hitting on one of two chances, the Jets’ on one of four.

[email protected] X: @friesensunmedia

Article content