Jets Regain Home Ice Advantage in Best-of-7 Series but Expect Tough Challenge in Game 2 Against Golden Knights

The Jets, with a 5-1 win in Game 1, regained the home ice advantage in the best-of-7 series, but expect an even bigger challenge in Game 2. this series.

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They expect the Golden Knights to be better in all aspects of the game, but especially on the power play, which was shut out three times in Game 1, and on the forecheck, which was the bread and butter of their attack this season.

“We talked about it this morning. There were four games played yesterday, and three of the series are tied 1-1. Only one team leads 2-0, said Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness. We are well placed to put ourselves in excellent position. We cannot be satisfied with just one victory.

“We keep telling our players, and we’ve said it again today, that as the series goes on, the games will get harder and harder to win. Game 2 is more difficult to win than the first, the third will be more difficult to win than the second, and this will be even more true for the fourth. We know what we’re up against tonight. »

Both teams should use the same players as in Game 1.

Winnipeg striker Nikolaj Ehlers will again be the subject of a decision just before the meeting, but he did not take part in the optional morning training of his team. the attacker Morgan Barron should be in uniform despite needing 75 stitches to his face in Game 1.

Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said he didn’t expect any surprises with his Game 2 roster and would return to the lines he started with in Game 1 after reorganized its units for the last two periods of Game 1.

Here are three things to watch for in Game 2:

1. Forecheck Wanted

Vegas’ offense relies on a sustained forecheck that forces the opponent into turnovers and staying bogged down in their zone.

This facet of the game almost didn’t exist in Game 1, especially in the third period when the Golden Knights were limited to two shots.

“I think when we can establish our forecheck and spend time in offensive territory, that’s when we’re at our best,” said the Vegas defenseman. Nicolas Hague. Of course, that’s easier said than done, because they have great players too. »

For the Jets, quick puck circulation was key to neutralizing Vegas’ forecheck. Winnipeg’s forwards slowed down Vegas’ forwards, allowing their defensemen to trade the puck nicely.

“We have to keep moving the puck well,” said the Winnipeg defenseman Dylan Samberg. The puck will always go faster than the players. The faster we get the disc out of our zone, the better off we are. »

2. Increased Stone Intake

The Vegas Striker Mark Stone returned to action for Game 1, having been absent since January 12. He was used for 21:28 on his return but was often unable to make an impact on the game. He finished the night with a minus-3 differential.

Expectations will be higher for him for Game 2.

“Mark’s timing seemed to be off, and we expected that,” Cassidy said. He hadn’t played since January. He trained a little, but not at a very, very high level, and not for a long period of time. We’re going to have to work for Mark to pull through, because he just has to get his puck touches to make the players around him better. »

3. Modified trios

Vegas’ inability to generate offense, especially after trailing 2-0 three minutes into the second period, caused the Golden Knights to change their lines to create a spark.

This roster reorganization still worked well in the last 37 minutes of the game, but Cassidy decided to go back to his original combinations for Game 2. It remains to be seen how long these trios last will remain unchanged.

“There’s an element of loyalty to the players who got us this far, and I think I have to give them a chance to put things right on Thursday,” Cassidy said. We made changes because we were trailing and Winnipeg is a good team defensively, so we didn’t seem to have a lot of space on the ice. Maybe we’ll get that spark. And maybe we’ll turn it all upside down again. These are all things that we are going to have to take into consideration. »

Planned formation of the Jets
Kyle Connor — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Mark Scheifele
Nino Niederreiter — Vladislav Namestnikov — Blake Wheeler
Morgan Barron — Adam Lowry — Mason Appleton
David Gustafsson — Kevin Stenlund — Saku Maenalanen

Josh Morrissey — Dylan DeMelo
Brenden Dillon — Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg — Nate Schmidt

Connor Hellebuyck
David Rittich

Entrenched: Logan Stanley, Kyle Capobianco, Dominic Toninato, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Karson Kuhlman
Wounded: Cole Perfetti (upper body), Sam Win (lower body), Nikolaj Ehlers (upper body)

Planned formation of the Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel — Jonathan Marchessault
Reilly Smith — William Karlsson — Phil Kessel
Michael Amadio — Chandler Stephenson– Mark Stone
Brett Howden — Nicolas Roy — Keegan Biker

Alec Martinez — Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague — Zach Whitecloud

Laurent Brossoit
Jonathan Quick

Entrenched: Paul Cotter, Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, Teddy Blueger, Pavel Dorofeyev, Ben HuttonAdin HIll
Wounded: William Carrier (lower body), Logan Thompson (undisclosed)

In the notebook

Both teams held an optional morning practice on Thursday.