Jets' offensive resurgence faces ultimate test against red-hot Lightning. Can they maintain momentum or will Tampa Bay's power shut them down?
The Winnipeg Jets are heading into the toughest and most revealing stretch of their season. Their upcoming road trip has them facing some of the league’s best teams, and with points urgently needed, every game takes on added importance.
Thursday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning could be pivotal, essentially casting a vote on the team’s direction, determining whether they continue as buyers and push for a fourth consecutive playoff appearance or focus on preparing for next season.
The Jets earned a surprising win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, although they nearly gave up a 4-1 lead. Avoiding that kind of collapse against a powerhouse like the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning will require a complete and disciplined effort.
Winnipeg’s offense, once among the league’s worst due to limited production from depth players, has begun showing signs of life, although inconsistently. When it clicks, however, they can compete with almost any team, recalling last season’s President’s Trophy winners. Thursday’s game is more than just another contest. It could very well shape the trajectory of the Jets’ season.
Lineup Storylines
Since the start of the new year, Winnipeg’s offense has completely transformed, becoming more productive than ever this season. They are averaging 3.21 goals per game, a number that was even higher during their early hot streak but has since slowed, placing them closer to the middle of the league. During this span, several players have stepped up. Jonathan Toews and Cole Perfetti have brought new life to the offense, making the second line much more dangerous.
The top line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabe Vilardi remains lethal, combining for 17 goals over the last 14 games. The second unit, now featuring Toews, Perfetti, and Alex Iafallo, has recorded nine goals in the same stretch. While that is not a staggering number, it is a marked improvement over their slow start to the season.
Depth forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson have each added three goals, but the bottom-six still needs a breakout, as some players have managed only one or two goals over this stretch. This has been a persistent problem for the team all season and continues to demand attention. If Winnipeg can produce a strong offensive effort, they will be competitive in this game, but if they cannot, the Lightning are likely to break through.
Tampa Bay has once again established itself as a top-tier contender, holding a 33-14-4 record, tied with the Minnesota Wild for the second-best record in the NHL. The Lightning have lost just two of their last 17 games entering Thursday and have the league’s hottest offense, averaging 4.06 goals per game, along with the NHL’s best defense, allowing only 2.29 goals per game during this hot streak.
It will be a tough challenge for the Jets, who will need to replicate the defensive dominance they showed over the past two seasons when they were among the league’s best. Shutting down elite offensive threats like superstar winger Nikita Kucherov, who has 38 points in his last 17 games, will be crucial.
Forwards Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel, as well as defensemen Darren Raddysh and Ryan McDonagh, are all averaging more than a point per game in the same stretch, and that doesn't even mention names like Anthony Cirelli and Gage Goncalves, who truly help make Tampa’s attack extremely dangerous.
Winnipeg faces an uphill climb but if they can put together a complete performance similar to what they have shown in parts of recent games, they have a chance to pull off a shocking upset.
Goalie Matchup
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck (13-14-6 record, 2.70 GAA, .902 SV% | VS TBL: 9-3-1 record, 3.73 GAA, .886 SV% in 14 games)
Tampa Bay: Andrei Vasilevskiy (22-7-3 record, 2.13 GAA, .916 SV% | VS WPG: 5-7-1 record, 3.17 GAA, .891 SV% in 13 games)
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.