The Winnipeg Jets‘ special teams were memorable for all the wrong reasons in their 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Winnipeg generated three shots on goal while shorthanded but only one shot on its own power play. For a team that desperately needs to keep pace in the ever-competitive Central Division, what the Jets did on the man advantage was the last thing they needed.
Overall, the Jets went 0-for-3 on the power play against St. Louis. Cole Perfetti was the only one to get a shot on goal. Do the math, and the short-handed unit was three times more productive than the power play.
Cole Perfetti Saved The Winnipeg Jets’ Paltry Power-Play Unit
If there is any reassurance from Tuesday night, Cole Perfetti at least scored shortly after both teams returned to even strength after the Jets’ power play expired.
Perfetti’s goal came at 0:32 in the third period. Gabriel Vilardi made this one happen. He passed the puck through the slot and between two Blues players, where Perfetti waited in front of the net. Perfetti turned and backhanded the puck past goaltender Joel Hofer.
The goal knotted things up 1-1, but Philip Broberg answered at the 8:47 mark. Winnipeg couldn’t respond and lost 2-1 in a defensive thriller.
Jets’ Power Play Falters At The Wrong Time
The most frustrating aspect for the Jets? Their power play has been among the best in the NHL. Even following Tuesday night’s hapless performance on the man advantage, the Jets still boast a 26.09 power-play percentage. That’s over 5 percent above the NHL average of 20.90, and it ranks sixth in the league.
Unless the Jets start scoring more at even strength, they can’t afford to be this bad on the power play in their upcoming slate. Winnipeg has scored 24 goals in nine games, good for just 2.66 per contest. 18 have come at 5-on-5.
At 5-on-5, Winnipeg’s 8.4 shooting percentage, 48.9 Corsi For Percentage, 47.6 Scoring Chances For Percentage, and 44.7 High-Danger Chances For Percentage point to a below-average team with the puck.
The Jets have also converted 7.4 percent of their 63 high-danger chances. Both numbers are below the NHL average of 8.1 percent and 70.
Winnipeg has also allowed 10.3 percent of opposing high-danger chances to end up in the net. That is two percent worse than the league average of 8.3.
The Jets Need More Players To Step Up Offensively
Winnipeg can’t rely on the short-handed unit when it has a better night offensively than the power play to generate scoring chances. Therefore, the 5-on-5 play must dramatically improve in the coming games.
That will involve multiple players stepping up and putting up better performances when the Winnipeg Jets have the puck. Nine games into the season, the Jets are still primarily relying on Cole Perfetti, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Neal Pionk for points. Nobody else on the Jets has more than four points this season. It also shows how much they are missing Josh Morrissey.
The short-term aim? Develop a sense of urgency quickly. Their next matchup involves a trip to Dallas to face another division rival, the Stars.
Winnipeg Jets’ Power Play Outdone By Unlikely Source Against Blues