GDT #27: Blues vs Jets | 7:00 pm CT | BSMW, 101 ESPN
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 4:03 am
TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES It was a night of firsts at UBS Arena on Tuesday night as the Blues delivered an impressive offensive showing to beat the Islanders.
Colton Parayko notched his first goal of the season, Josh Leivo scored his first goal as a Blue and Will Bitten earned the first point of his NHL career - all contributing to the Blues' first seven-goal performance of the season.
"It's really nice to win - it's a feeling we haven't had in a while," said Ryan O'Reilly, who scored a diving goal to help snap the four-game losing streak. "We made it a little too exciting at the end there, but the big thing is we won the game - there were a lot of good things we did tonight."
Ending the road trip on a high note, the Blues return to Enterprise Center for a three-game homestand. Facing all Central Division foes, they begin with the first-place Winnipeg Jets and continue with bouts against Colorado and Nashville. Handing the Blues their first shutout loss in more than a full season earlier this year, the Jets will be a strong test of the offensive momentum that Tuesday's 7-4 win may provide.
With Torey Krug and Pavel Buchnevich missing Tuesday's tilt, it remains to be seen if the Blues will be at full strength against their division rivals.
They'll host the Jets with a record of 12-14-0, worth 24 points and sixth place in the Central Division.
JETS The Winnipeg Jets have been impressive since last seeing the Blues on Oct. 24, winning five of their last six games to overtake Dallas for first place in the Central Division. Since Thanksgiving, the Jets are the No. 1 team in the Western Conference in points and wins while leading the entire NHL in goals.
Winnipeg is coming off a pair of wins against Anaheim and Florida, wrapping up a four-game homestand on Tuesday night. Mark Scheifele led the way with two power-play goals and Connor Hellebuyck made 39 saves to log his 13th win of the season.
Hellebuyck's 13 wins in goal share No. 2 in the League and his three shutouts share the lead with Detroit's Ville Husso. The 2019-20 Vezina Trophy winner as the League's best goalie, Hellebuyck is currently at career-best figures for goals-against average (2.26) and save percentage (.932).
New Head Coach Rick Bowness seems to have a good handle on his new roster so far, coming to Winnipeg this summer after three seasons in Dallas.
Winnipeg heads to St. Louis with a record of 16-7-1, worth 33 points and a razor-thin edge for first place in the Central Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Jets came out on top earlier this year. The season series continues on Jan. 30 in Winnipeg and March 19 in St. Louis. The Blues have scored a power-play goal in five straight home games against the Jets, going 5-for-15 on the power play in that time.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Robert Thomas, working on a four-game point streak ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Jets. Thomas has points in nine of his last 10 games and leads the Blues with 18 assists and 23 points this season.
JETS Josh Morrissey, off to a strong start and leading the Jets with 27 points this year. His 22 assists rank No. 3 in the NHL among defensemen, only four shy of his career high for a season.
BLUE NOTES
The Blues will face Central Division opponents in five of their last 11 games in the 2022 calendar year, with their next eight all coming against Western Conference teams above them in the standings... The Blues are 8-1-0 this season when a defenseman scores a goal, and their five game-winning goals by defensemen share the most in the NHL.
Kyle Connor will try to stay hot and add to his career success against St. Louis on Thursday when the Winnipeg Jets visit the Blues.
Connor has five goals and six assists in his last seven games.
"I think for me, the thought process is skating first, just get my feet moving," he said. "I think that's one of my greatest assets. My speed and create a lot of chaos off of that. Draw a lot of defenders to me, and more of a focus on getting the puck to the net. And I'll see the play if it's there."
Connor also has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 17 career games against the Blues. He earned an assist in Winnipeg's previous game against them, a 4-0 victory at home on Oct. 24.
The Jets have won five of six games heading into this game at Enterprise Center. They are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers and former Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice on Tuesday.
"I'm not going to lie, that was a good win in my books," Jets center Mark Scheifele said. "I'm pretty happy with that one."
Winnipeg struggled last season under Maurice, who was replaced by Dave Lowry on an interim basis after 29 games. The Jets have soared to the Central Division lead this season under new coach Rick Bowness.
"At the end of the day, we've moved on," Scheifele said. "We're a different team this year than we were last year.
"I think it's been awesome for me, it's been awesome for a lot of us. You see the rejuvenated faces in this room. (Bowness) has been on us each and every day, whether it's a good game or a bad game, he's always looking to help us. We're being pushed and we're being challenged to reach our full potential. That does a lot for our team."
The Blues earned a 7-4 road victory over the New York Islanders Tuesday to snap a four-game losing streak. They broke out to a 5-1 lead and held on for the win.
"It's really nice to win," Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly said. "It's something we haven't had in a while. Made it a little too exciting at the end there. But the big thing is we won a game. There's a lot of good things we did tonight. A few bad bounces in just a few minutes that gave them some life and spark. But at the end of the day it's a big win, and there's something to build off."
The Blues won despite missing winger Pavel Buchnevich (lower-body injury) and defenseman Torey Krug (upper-body injury). Buchnevich has eight goals and six assists in his last 10 games.
After winning seven straight games last month, the Blues lost six of seven games before beating the Islanders.
Once again they are searching for a turning point to their season.
"When you're a player and things aren't going well, you tend to lose your confidence," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "It's frustrating. You want to win. You want to do well. And sometimes it doesn't go your way. You may play a good game, like we did with the New York Rangers. And you end up losing the game.
"Sometimes you start to think, 'Well, what next? What else can happen?' But you just gotta keep battling. You gotta work your way out of things. That's the only way."