Jets Take Flight, Zoom Past Penguins, 5-2
You’re no doubt familiar with the old truism, you can’t win ‘em all. Especially in the NHL over the course of a grinding 82-game slate, in the midst of a four-game road swing to boot.
And so it was for our Penguins in Winnipeg yesterday afternoon. The Jets took advantage of our “PicNic” defensive pairing and a less-than-stellar performance between the pipes from Arturs Silovs to cruise to a 5-2 victory. In the process, leaving our league-best, eight-game point streak in the dust.
In deference to Connor Dewar and Owen Pickering’s Winnipeg roots, coach Dan Muse iced his fourth line and third defensive pair to begin the contest. The move, touching as it was, backfired spectacularly, as Gabriel Vilardi scored on a behind-the-net-bank-shot just 15 seconds into the game.
PicNic was victimized again at 2:43, when Pickering’s hard outlet pass thudded off the stick of Noel Acciari in the neutral zone. Cole Koepke pounced on the loose biscuit and moved it quickly to Parker Ford. The Jets’ rookie blew around Brunicke in turnstile fashion and flicked a backhand pass to Brad Lambert at the side of the net.