|
Ovie vs Laine & Jets Ot problems continue |
|
|
|
|
|
The Jets lost in OT (again) to the Capitals after an exciting game where Ovechkin scored his 600th goal and Laine kept his 12 game point streak going with his 41st.
That was the sub-story of the game and in this case the master (Ovechkin) got the better of the student (Laine) if you could even refer to the head-to-head battle like that. With his 600th goal of his career Ovechkin became the 4th player to do it in less that 1000 games. Considering the era that he's in- it's a remarkable achievement and it's been a pleasure to watch him do what he does as good if not better than anyone else.
Just want to add some more context to Laine and Ovechkin- below are two lists one with goals scored in first two seasons and the other as adjusted goals for era.
As for the game, well the Jets had another one of those efforts that seemed relatively complete but was not entirely good. Sure they won the possession battle but defensive gaffes strange reads and some dumb penalties cost them the game.
Aside from Ehlers with his great steal and goal to tie the game and the nifty shot from Laine to tie it again later the Jets had some weird ebb and flow. The defensive coverage was abhorrent at times in their own zone and on Ovechkin's second goal of the game one had to wonder what exactly the players were doing while Hellebuyck lay sprawled making save after save until he could save no more.
That being said let's fast-forward to overtime where the real discussion, as it relates to the Jets, about this game matters. Once again the Jets looked confused, unaware and basically disorganized in the 3-on-3 format. It didn't help when Bryan Little took another dumb to give the Capitals a 4-on-3 PP. Little took the first penalty of the game with a hooking call and this one was about the same level of effort, catching up and not moving the feet.
Again though, the team when not on the PK in OT was a disorganized mess. The player combinations were strange and the decisions by the players were just as strange.
Ron Lyman had some good points and he's not wrong.
Again he's got a strong point. Now consider that two of the best players in the entire game were Morrissey and Ehlers why did they barely get a look in OT? Ben Chiarot had 2 mins in OT, Stastny has :56, Ehlers :17, Laine :44, Byfuglien 3:03, Morrissey 1:06. No Perreault, Connor, or Roslovic at all and while some would suggest this was not their finest game they could have a role.
Paul Maurice is very conservative in his OT selections and that may speak to the Jets dismal 2-8 record in OT. He plays the guys he trusts and feels are having the right kind of game, but OT is a different game. In overtime possession is more important than ever. When you have it you can control it and with the long change a team can drain the opposition down by changing on the fly in the offensive zone. The Jets don't seem to set up to do this they always want to attack and then turn the puck over and fight to get it back.
The key example was of the few rushes they had in OT it was the last one where Wheeler elected to pass instead of shoot and his delay allowed the Capitals player to get back and deflect the puck. At that point anything can happen and in this case it was a good bounce and back up the ice the Capitals came with the quick pass to Kuznetsov for the break-away and goal. Byfuglien was caught in no-man's land not there to pinch and not there defend and at that point it was a matter of a few seconds before the Jets fate was sealed.
While OT is a gimmick and not part of what teams are really after imagine changing that record to .500 and the Jets have an extra 6 points. They would be tied with Nashville at 98 points the team they play tomorrow night. Funny how these things work.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
Join the Discussion:
»