Jets, Blues renew rivalry to kick off season
Mark Scheifele is going to provide a matchup challenge for most guys he goes up against this season, so this is a welcome back of sorts for Ryan O’Reilly.
The Winnipeg Jets visit O’Reilly and the Blues on Thursday in St. Louis. O’Reilly, who previously starred in the Central Division with the Colorado Avalanche, was one of the big off-season acquisitions for the Blues, who are trying to get back to the playoffs.
Here are 5 Things to Watch For when Winnipeg and St. Louis face off:
Back to basics: The Jets expect to have enough firepower to put the puck in the net with regularity, but to get back to playing the way that made them successful, they ’ll need to be a bit more committed in the defensive zone. Although it’s important to remember it was the pre-season, the Jets allowed far too many breakaways and oddman rushes. Improved defensive commitment was one reason the Jets battled for the Presidents’ Trophy last season and they’ll need to be even better in the D -zone this season. Forward depth creates matchup challenges: The top-end talent for the Jets gets a lot of headlines and rightfully so, but it’s the depth players that are going to make the Jets even tougher to play against. Adam Lowry’s line with Brandon Tanev and Andrew Copp are looking to take on more responsibility, while the fourth unit starts with 29-goal scorer Nikolaj Ehlers and Jack Roslovic — that’s a lot of speed to contend with for third defence pairings.
Containing Tarasenko: Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko has a history of success against a lot of teams and the Jets are no exception. The Russian winger has nine goals, including two game-winners, and 17 points in 21 career games against the Jets. After dipping to 33 goals and 60 points in 70 games last season, Tarasenko is hoping to hit the 40-goal plateau.
Return to discipline: The Jets did a better job of limiting the stick fouls and avoidable minors last season, but would still like to spend less time in the penalty box. Limiting the trips to the sin bin is one of the best ways to help improve the team’s penalty-killing efficiency.
Fire away: Blues goalie Jake Allen is coming off a tough campaign (.906 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average) and he’s also coming back from an offseason injury, so he’ll be looking to find his form early. Allen looked solid in the pre-season and is looking to reclaim his stranglehold on the No. 1 job after Carter Hutton departed as a free agent. In nine career games against the Jets, Allen is 4-5 with a 3.08 goalsagainst average and .894 save percentage.