Columbus Blue Jackets at Winnipeg Jets: Players to Watch, Keys to Victory and Prediction
The Columbus Blue Jackets head to Winnipeg to face off against the Jets for the first time this season. The CBJ are entering the great north with three straight wins.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are going to Winnipeg for their first and final visit of the season. This will be just the Jackets’ fifth time visiting Winnipeg since the Jets returned from Atlanta. The teams have split their previous four WPG meetings.
With so few meetings, these two teams are not going to have that familiar feel, so this matchup will quite different from a divisional game. Nonetheless, the Jets and Jackets are two franchises on the rise that will face off in an exciting dual of youth and skill.
Players to Watch
The Columbus Blue Jackets escaped Minnesota with an overtime victory, and two players stood out. Alexander Wennberg flew around the ice and scored the game-winner off a deflection from an Artemi Panarin shot. Panarin was phenomenal as well as he continues to dazzle as a Blue Jacket.
While Wennberg and Panarin stood out positively, Sergei Bobrovsky noticeably struggled against the Wild. Even though the team was able to overcome the poor performance from the netminder, Bobrovsky needs to bounce back and be normal Bob again.
For the Winnipeg Jets, the young offensive talent should be on display. Patrik Laine is a true sniper, who is fun to watch with the puck on his stick. Along with Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers has been lights out for the Jets. After not recording a point in the first two games of the season, Ehlers has five goals and two assists in the last three games. He’s just 21 years old and is currently leading the Jets in points.
Along with the young firepower, Marko Dano is a former Jackets prospect that has dropped down to the fourth line for the Jets. Dano was looking like a bright prospect for the Jackets before getting traded to Chicago and then Winnipeg. Along with Dano, former CBJ goaltender Steve Mason will be starting in net for the Jets to cap off the Jackets reunion in Winnipeg.
Keys to Victory
Play a Complete Game
The Columbus Blue Jackets got away with one in Minnesota. They were sloppy for 60% of the game on the road, but they did leave with two points. The Blue Jackets need to start off fast and not take their foot off the gas at all.
Be Disciplined
Like mentioned before, the Winnipeg Jets are a team that is loaded with snipers, so the Blue Jackets need to stay out of the box. Winnipeg has an abysmal power play percentage, but the Jackets cannot wake the sleeping giants in Laine and Ehlers.
Improved Power Play
Columbus added Artemi Panarin to the fold, and many thought this addition would improve the power play, but this has not happened. The Blue Jackets have actually struggled immensely, so the Columbus Blue Jackets need to get this rolling.
The CBJ have too many good offensive players to be struggling on the power play. The Jackets need to be able to get set up, and then they should be able to get into more of a groove to get the man-advantage rolling. Columbus also needs to shoot the puck more when on the advantage, which leads to more chances.
Prediction
The Jackets are going for their fourth straight win, and I believe that they will get it. They’re deeper than they have ever been on the defensive end, so they should be able to be physical on the Jets’ snipers to shut them down.
Columbus should also be able to score against the Jets. Winnipeg has proven they are vulnerable to give up a lot of goals. The Jets have given up five or more goals in two of their first five games. The Jackets have the firepower in Panarin and company to light the lamp in Winnipeg. My prediction is…
Final. 2. 107. 5. 113
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