Winnipeg Jets assert dominance with 6-1 rout over Columbus Blue Jackets: 3 takeaways
There are some challenges for the Blue Jackets this season when all it takes to understand what they’re up against is a glance across the ice.
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One of them arrived Sunday at Nationwide Arena, where the Winnipeg Jets routed the Blue Jackets 6-1 before an announced crowd of 16,193 that showed up for a St. Patrick’s Day domination. The Jets are bigger, stronger, older, have a decided edge in goaltending with Connor Hellebuyck and were a terrible matchup for the upstart Blue Jackets in the two-game season series ― sweeping both games by an 11-1 margin.
"I think Winnipeg makes other teams look bad in so many ways," Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. "They're heavy. They're strong. They have skills. And then you face Hellebuyck on top of that. So, I think we faced a pretty good hockey team, but as far as we are concerned ... the few things that we need to do in order to be successful are we need to compete and skate. And if we just take a deep breath against a team like Winnipeg, you're going to see (what you saw)."
How did the Blue Jackets plan to stay competitive?
“I don’t want to be sarcastic here, but I can’t feed our guys in 24 hours so that they gain 20 pounds, right?” Vincent said. “It’s a great question, because ... the best answer will be in two or three years or next year, in the future. For today, our best chance (was) to compete as hard as we can. That’s the only way we can do it.”
It worked in the first period, but the Jets (43-19-5) broke the game open with a four-goal second.
Kyle Connor gave the Jets a 1-0 lead 1:26 into the game, and Winnipeg then scored the next four goals by Nikolai Ehlers, Tyler Toffoli, Logan Stanley and Vladislav Namestnikov in the second. Toffoli added a second goal late in the third to complete Winnipeg's scoring.
Brendan Gaunce scored to give Blue Jackets fans something to cheer 39 seconds into the third, cutting it to 5-1, but the Jets re-established control to finish it off. Hellebuyck made 30 saves to earn the goaltending win for Winnipeg, while Elvis Merzlikins allowed six goals on 27 shots for the Blue Jackets (23-34-11) ― who split a home back-to-back that started with a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
"The first period wasn't bad, we had some jump, and then in the second period we just gave it to them by self-inflicting and not competing," Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said. "They outworked us, we just let it happen and that's what happens against that team. They're going to take advantage of you."
Here are three takeaways:
Playoff bound Winnipeg Jets give upstart Columbus Blue Jackets another harsh lesson
There’s a reason the Jets outscored the Blue Jackets by a 10-goal margin in their two-game series.
There’s also a reason the Jets won their 43rd game to pull into a tie with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars atop the Central Division. Winnipeg is built to contend with the NHL’s elite teams and the Jets have two goalies — Hellebuyck and backup Laurent Brossoit — enjoying life playing behind one of the league’s most stifling defenses.
The Jets are a team Vincent envisions the Blue Jackets becoming down the road, but the difference between the two is currently a gaping chasm. Columbus isn’t in the same weight class as Winnipeg, which the Jets proved in both games.
“They are really good (getting open),” Merzlikins said. “This is why they are a playoff team. They find those empty pockets, and when they get the chance, they just punish you. That was a tough one.”
Columbus Blue Jackets struggling to recover from latest injury glut
The Blue Jackets won’t make excuses, but they’re starting to show the effects of losing seven NHL roster players since forward Kent Johnson tore his left shoulder Feb. 29 in New York.
Five went down with injuries plus two more, Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke, were dealt prior to the March 8 trade deadline. That’s almost half the active lineup replaced by players from AHL Cleveland. Most of the replacements have some NHL experience, but it’s a major challenge in talent and chemistry.
The Blue Jackets’ top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Jenner and Alexander Nylander plus hot goalie Daniil Tarasov helped push them past the Sharks in a rough game Saturday, but there was no getting past Winnipeg.
“In that second period, we just didn’t push the pace like we usually do,” Vincent said. “And when you face a team like the Jets, it’s a recipe for disaster.”
Columbus Blue Jackets to use tough stretch run for assessment
There’s no easy way to lay it out.
In their final 14 games, the Blue Jackets will face 12 teams that are either solidly holding a playoff spot or intensely fighting for one down the stretch. That doesn’t include two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are five points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and generally own the Blue Jackets whenever they meet.
The Jackets also start their first of two remaining trips with a game Tuesday in Detroit before playing at the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Arizona Coyotes and Penguins. They’re also down seven players due to injuries and Patrik Laine getting help via the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
It’s not a fun way to conclude a season that has produced signs of progress in the Jackets’ rebuild, but it does provide a good measuring stick for players now getting an NHL opportunity. The loss to Winnipeg was too.
“We’re in a process of evaluating right now with our younger players,” Vincent said. “We have five guys from (AHL) Cleveland. This game (against Winnipeg) will be a good evaluation. We’re going to take a close look at individuals more than the group, per se, and see what they can bring to this organization moving forward.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Winnipeg Jets roar past Columbus Blue Jackets: 3 takeaways
