For all of the talk about this slide being a normal part of the marathon season, the Winnipeg Jets seemed determined to end this three-game losing skid.
Even after giving up the first goal, the Jets rarely strayed from their structure and after Mark Scheifele provided the equalizer on the power play after a brilliant play by Gabriel Vilardi, this game never seemed to be in doubt.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Jets had scored three unanswered and cruised to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks before 14,189 fans at Canada Life Centre Saturday. The Blackhawks are currently 31st in the NHL and very much in the early stages of a rebuild.
“Yeah, three is more than we would have liked,” said Jets forward Morgan Barron. “I know we talked with the coaches there (on Friday) and they talked to us about how every team goes through this and every team goes through a skid of three games. Obviously, you want to cut it off when you can.”
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck finished with 20 saves as he won his 11th game of the season, improving his goals-against average to 2.49 and his save percentage to .912.
Winnipeg’s Morgan Barron celebrates his goal against Chicago goaltender Arvid Soderblom during second-period action Saturday.
Let’s take a closer look at the finer details of this matinee:
THE GWG: Barron provided a gift to himself on his 25th birthday, accepting a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers, driving in and beating Arvid Soderblom through the five-hole for what proved to be the game-winning goal.
It was his fourth goal of the campaign and it came at even strength, an area the Jets had been looking for improvement in after being held to one goal during the previous three games.
“I felt like we generated a little bit more,” said Barron. “We talked a lot about using our D and trying to get them involved a little bit more. Obviously, it’s harder to score with a three-man attack than a five-man attack, so (there was) a lot of emphasis on trying to get them involved. I think we did that at times.
“I just felt like I had a little space in the neutral zone to build up some speed. (Ehlers) made a beautiful pass. It was a hard enough pass to keep me onside and it obviously got through the defenceman. I felt as though the goalie was challenging me, so usually when they are a little bit out of the net I try to find some space five-hole.”
THE (SEASON) DEBUT: Jets defenceman Declan Chisholm checked in for his first NHL game since the 2020-21 season, inserted on the third pairing with Dylan Samberg. Chisholm finished with 17 shifts for 12:58 of ice time and he chipped in his first NHL point on Perfetti’s insurance goal.
That marker was scored by Perfetti (first round, 2020), assisted by Samberg (second round, 2017) and Chisholm (fifth round, 2018), completing the draft and development triumvirate.
“It felt great. I was super excited to get in. I woke up just full of energy and everything and obviously the nerves and everything set in. And then they kind of went away after the first couple shifts and I just felt like I was playing my game,” said Chisholm, who was then asked about picking up the point.
“Just a huge accomplishment. I’m just so happy. It was a nice shot by (Samberg). I’m glad he could help me out by getting that point. And a tip by (Perfetti), too. And two of my buddies, too, that I’ve played with on the Moose starting here when I came to Winnipeg. So it’s pretty cool.”
Chisholm’s skating ability was on display throughout the contest and he did to earn himself another look.
“I thought he was very confident and poised with the puck and that’s what we wanted him to do,” said Bowness. “He skates well, we know that, but he was confident with the puck and he moved it. The plays that he made were the right play, he didn’t make the wrong play in terms of passing it to the wrong guy. Sometimes when you’re under pressure you give your problem to somebody else but you’re passing it to the wrong guy, he was passing it to the right guy.”
Jets forward Cole Perfetti (91) snipes on Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom while Chicago’s Connor Murphy (5) defends during the third period.
THE CAREER HIGH: Jets forward Cole Perfetti continues to impress and he set a career-high with his ninth goal in just his 23rd game this season, a nifty redirection with 10:06 to go in the third period.
Perfetti is up to 19 points in 23 games and has collected at least a point in 13 of the past 15 games.
“He’s just on an upward trajectory,” said Chisholm. “He’s a first-round pick, a high pick, he’s going to be a hell of a player for this organization and you can see it from his hockey IQ and his sense of where everyone is on the ice. He’s always finding guys that are open. He caught me off guard a couple times at the blue line. I mean, he’s throwing it behind his back and finding me and he’s just a hell of a player so he’s got a bright future for sure.”
Perfetti slid back to centre on the second line with Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi and looked comfortable there.
“Yeah, that’s where we are,” said Bowness. “He’s trying to take the next step. The more he plays, the more experience he gains. You hope he just keeps getting better and better. He’s got that ability to see the ice and know where to be and know where to put his stick and know where people are. You can’t teach some of the stuff that he does.”
Chicago rookie Connor Bedard (left) and teammates Philipp Kurashev celebrate Bedard’s 11th goal of the season.
THE BEDARD SHOW: The Blackhawks phenom opened the scoring at 4:39 of the first period, finding a loose puck that caromed off the skate of a Jets defender and one-timing the puck past Connor Hellebuyck for his 11th marker of the season. The goal snapped a four-game drought and was another example of his wicked release.
Bedard finished the game with three shots on goal and five shot attempts, though his most impressive play was a backhand saucer pass to Philipp Kurashev during the second period.
“You can see that he has the confidence that a kid like that needs to come into the league and be effective,” said Barron. “He held onto the puck and made a lot of good plays. Every night it seems like there is a really great player coming in, and he’s just another one of those. I’m sure he will have a great and successful career.”
Bowness has seen plenty of young players come in and make an impact and was also impressed by his first live viewing of Bedard.
“Oh wow. He’s lived up to the billing,” said Bowness. “His hockey IQ is off the charts and his poise and his confidence to use the IQ, to use the skills. Like he made some phenomenal plays, he’s worth the price of admission. He’s a fun kid to watch play.”
Jets head coach Rick Bowness disputes a call with a referee during the first period Saturday afternoon.
EXTRA, EXTRA: With Chisholm entering the lineup, defenceman Nate Schmidt was a healthy scratch along with Logan Stanley. For Schmidt, it was the third time this season that he’s been a healthy scratch.
Vladislav Namestnikov was also scratched with a lower-body injury. He’s officially day-to-day, though he’s not expected to suit up on Monday as the Jets close out a four-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes.
X: WiebesWorld
Ken Wiebe
Sports reporter
Raised in the booming metropolis of Altona, Man., Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were more adept at typing than scoring, he shifted his attention to cover his favourite sport as a writer.
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