We'll start with that player because he's the cause of some of the heartbreak that Jets fans are currently suffering. Matthew Tkachuk is a pain in the rear as a lot of NHL players know, but he's very good at what he does out on the ice. Whether he's in the face of Connor Hellebuyck all night, chirping at Jets players as he skates on the ice, or throwing hits that annoy as much as they hurt, Tkachuk's role for the Calgary Flames is one that has been well-defined thus far by these trademarks.
Make no mistake that Tkachuk was going to be a factor, but he can't live rent-free in the heads of the Jets. If there's one thing I'd to negate him, it's assigning a player like Nick Shore or Mason Appleton to shadow Tkachuk everywhere he goes. In his hotel room? One of them are there. At the rink? One of Shore or Appleton is sitting beside him. Grabbing breakfast? Shore or Appleton are serving. Would it work? I can't say for certain, but I'd tell Shore and Appleton to force Tkachuk to worry about them rather than letting him run roughshod over the Jets like he did for a while tonight.
Speaking of which, I know Paul Maurice was angry in his post-game comments about the hit that Tkachuk put on Mark Scheifele, and he has a good reason for it other than the injury to Scheifele. The puck had long left Scheifele's stick and Tkachuk finished his check - textbook interference? - when his skate caught the back of Scheifele's leg. I'm not saying that Tkachuk had any intention of seeing Scheifele get hurt and Tkachuk's post-game comments indicated that.
What I do agree with is that the hit, as Maurice stated, was an "absolutely filthy, disgusting hit" because that type of hit was supposed to have been taken out of the game with the officials calling interference closer. Had Scheifele moved the puck moments prior to Tkachuk laying he hit, I'd have no problem and chalk this injury up as the same unfortunate accident that happened to Erik Karlsson when Matt Cooke's skate cut into Karlsson skate. The difference, though, is that Karlsson and Cooke were battling for the puck while Scheifele's dump-in was a full second prior to Tkachuk hunting him down and laying the hit. Yes, the injury is unfortunate, but finishing one's check as Tkachuk did wasn't necessary when Scheifele turned back to the neutral zone. That's why I think it was an "absolutely filthy, disgusting hit".
Later in the game, the loss of Patrik Laine to a wrist injury following Laine getting bumped by Giordano into the end boards should also warrant major concern as we're now talking about two of the Jets' elite players possibly not being available for Game Two or longer. The Giordano hit was clean and it appeared that Laine may have braced himself a little awkwardly as he fell into the boards, but losing two of the best players who dent twine on the Jets' roster will affect ice times, opportunities, the power-play, and likely the very chances that the Jets thought they had to beat the Flames.
If Scheifele and Laine are indeed out for Game Two, players like Jack Roslovic and Jansen Harkins need to embrace these opportunities to play the hero role for at least one night. We'll see what changes Paul Maurice makes in the face of some of the worst news to hit Jets fans since Dustin Byfuglien decided he was done with the Jets.
If there are two numbers that stand out from tonight, 0-for-7 and 33-18 are those numbers. The first number represents the seven man-advantages the Jets had against the Flames that showed little creativity. Those seven opportunities could have made a significant difference in how this game was played had the Jets converted on one or two of them, but they didn't.
To make matters worse, those seven opportunities didn't really do much to help the second number either as the Jets managed just 18 shots on Cam Talbot who rarely seemed tested on this night. If the Jets are going to win this series, they need to pepper the Flames with shots and use their speed to play north-south. As Edmonton showed, this Flames defence breaks down quickly when forced to chase players, so the Jets need to find ways to skate up the ice quickly and make plays prior to slowing up or circling the net.
Overall, this was not a good night for the Winnipeg Jets. There's hope that Monday's game will be a complete turnaround in all facets of the Jets' game, but it's a big ask without Scheifele and Laine possibly not being in the lineup. I guess we'll find out what kind of resolve, character, depth, and resiliency the Jets have when the look to make this best-of-five series into a best-of-three on Monday afternoon.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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