Welp, good season boys. You kind of made the playoffs.
Anybody who thinks they’ll be back at it in 30 days, hasn’t really been paying attention to our planet’s pandemic. Unless we know something over here that isn’t known elsewhere, this thing is gonna keep the Leafs from finally winning the Stanley Cup.
Everybody got TP?
1st Period
The Oilers had a handful of decent attempts before Scheifele almost lifted a backhander over Smith’s pad, however, he was in just a little too tight.
On an Edmonton powerplay, Chaisson found Draisatl in the slot for a one-timer that just missed the net. A bit of a lucky one for the Jets, and it wouldn’t be the only time in this game.
It was the Oilers turn to get lucky next, when Smith flubbed a puck that Connor quickly threw out in front, only to have it allude Laine’s wheelhouse for an opportunity on the open net.
It appeared as though each team had prepared a tentative game plan. Thankfully, the final two periods would contradict it terrifically.
2nd Period
Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the league this year, and it has nothing to do with puck handling. That was on display to start the second when his puck-playing foible ended up with Ennis in front of the net. Oops!
I guess it gives him one thing to work on this summer.
Fortunately for the Jets, Ehlers responded with a sweet stretch pass that allowed Roslovic a chance coming in from the blue line. Sadly, Captain Jack would crank it just wide. Not long after, Perreault almost finished off a pretty play on the doorstep, but Old Man Mike was there to make the save.
During a delayed Oilers’ penalty, Ehlers executed an excellent pass to Wheeler in the slot. His shot got partially blocked, and as a result, snuck in short-side while Smith slid on by.
Next, Pionk tried his best Ehlers impression by leaving an identical drop-pass for Lowry to laser wide.
Hellebuyck was all over his crease in this contest, including a couple sweet saves of Sheahan in the second. The initial shot had some velocity, causing a rebound in close that Helle looked way too calm and cool collecting.
Not like the next one, that had him stretching out across the crease and barely stopping the puck with the base of his skate blade. The save was made even better by Pionk picking the rebound out the air and whacking it off the Jets’ goal-line. Super dupes!
As the teams went back and forth, Connor just missed another shot short-side after cutting crisply into the slot. Any theories as to why the Jets couldn’t hit the net in this one early?
You don’t see Mike Smith misplay a puck very often, but by deflecting it into the no-play zone, Connor converged on it and found Laine for his 28th tally into the vacated space still available to him.
Double damn to the space the Jets left Nugent-Hopkins off the face-off with seconds left in the period. Good thing DeMelo did eventually race out to block the multi-monikered Oiler after he wrongly decided to walk in for a better angle.
3rd Period
And then who else to clinch it but Kyle Connor coming in on the breakaway and threading it five-hole.
The Jets’ lead was challenged more than once before the final buzzer with Yamamoto maybe getting the closest. It may have even been a goal if not for Poolman sliding out on his knees to make a fairly stunning save for Helle. That was followed up by ol’ Kovlikul laying down and taking away a lethal looking opportunity for 97. Nice.
Kind of weird to see as it’s generally Hellebuyck bailing everybody else out, but watching Copp pull a puck off the goal-line behind him, it was so obvious that the boys had his back on the night.
Still, Helle put his stamp on the game with a crazy save off the Oiler’s Deutsche Dynamo cutting into the slot and creaming one.
Connor would miss a long-shot on the Oilers empty net and force the Jets to keep killing time. On his second chance though, he wouldn’t miss, ensuring the victory with another attempt from distance.
The Wrap
What do you want me to say? I miss hockey already.
But that doesn’t matter worth a hill of beans until we’ve somehow mitigated this marauding menace of a virus.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger • 
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