Ah, the easiest of the entries, simply watching a game with some drinks, and writing down my thoughts as they occur. No more explanation is necessary to introduce my “Game of the Night” series of entries. I have selected the Winnipeg Jets’ first venture into the hockey Mecca that is Toronto for a very clear reason: it is tonight’s only game. A very brief background will mention that the Jets (1-3-0, 2 pts.) are coming fresh off their first ever win over the Penguins in Winnipeg, and convincing it was. Toronto (3-0-1, 7 pts.) is off to a flying start, but is trying not to replicate what happened after they opened last season just as well.
Lineups:
Winnipeg:
Burmistrov-Antropov-Wellwood
Wheeler-Little-Ladd
Scheifele-Kane-MacLean
Glass-Slater-Thorburn
Byfuglien-Enstrom
Bogosian-Stuart
Oduya-Meech
Pavelec (Starting)
Mason (Bench)
Toronto:
Kessel-Bozak-Lupul
MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin
Frattin-Lombardi-Armstrong
Brown-Steckel-Dupuis
Phaneuf-Gunnarsson
Liles-Gardiner
Komisarek-Schenn
Reimer (Starting)
Gustavsson (Bench)
1st Period
Currently Drinking: Sam Adams Octoberfest
20:00 – I will assume that the opening faceoff went off without a hitch. Sure enough, GameCenter glitched right as the game started. I blame Zombie Steve Jobs. Why? Because it is too soon. How do you defeat Zombie Steve Jobs? There’s an app for that.
18:46 – The Jets are owning play right from the opening faceoff, not unlike their play against Pittsburgh in which Kyle Wellwood struck 8 seconds in, so I guess by that standard, it is actually a disappointing start?
17:54 – Colby Armstrong limps to the bench. That is not good considering the Leafs are already without off-season pickup Tim Connolly.
17:27 – The line of Kane-Scheifele-MacLean is an average age of 20. Too bad Chris Chelios didn’t move to Winnipeg with the Thrashers. This line could use someone to read them bedtime stories on the road (credit to Jordan Wahba for this joke).
16:40 – The MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin line needs to get going. The Leafs lack secondary scoring. As I am typing this sentence, Ray Ferraro brings up the very same point on TSN’s broadcast. I should have that job.
16:00 – How did Joffrey Lupul miss that? It must have something to do with his name being a palindrome.
14:22 – Finally, there is another stoppage in play. This is a good time to comment on the Jets’ sweaters. I love them. Not to take anything away from Toronto’s classic blue and white, but I’m glad these two teams have avoided vertical striping. The Reebok Edge jersey is still ugly. Also, the Jets’ sweaters are a nice tribute to the Royal Canadian Air Force both in design and colors. This is very classy, but I also can’t help but think of South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
14:13 – We have our first penalty of the night. Bryan Little of the Jets sits in the cubicle of shame for…throwing the stick? That’s a rare one. TSN missed this call so I didn’t actually see what happened (I only found out by checking the box score on TSN during the first intermission that this was, in fact, the call).
13:40 – Like a few other teams in this young season, Toronto’s power play has yet to get going. It stands at 9.5% and is 0 for the last 14. The early indications of this one aren’t much better. Also Carl Gunnarsson is mentioned. His name is involved in trade rumors. That situation could become interesting for teams looking to add a talented young defenseman.
12:11- That Toronto power play needs work, to say the least. At least Bruins fans can take solace that they have a division rival with a worse power play than they have. Also, this is the first commercial break. Unfortunately on GameCenter, I can’t see commercials anymore. This is depressing considering I am watching the TSN Toronto feed, and Canadian commercials are always fun to watch, to say the least. TSN play-by-play man Chris Cuthbert mentions that all of Canada’s second favorite team is the Jets. I’ve always found it curious to see that Canadian fans will cheer for Canadian teams, regardless of rivalry. All of Canada (including Edmonton and Calgary fans) were behind Vancouver’s run to the cup finals last year. You never see this in American sports. Could you imagine Sox fans cheering for the Yankees to win just because it represents the AL East? It just doesn’t happen (…and yes, I know that this is a particularly bad time to use that example).
11:36 – The Jets get their first power play. Luke Schenn gets caught too far up-ice and hooks Evander Kane. Let’s see if it’s better than Toronto’s. Winnipeg still doesn’t have a power play goal this season, so both Toronto AND Boston fans can take solace.
10:58 – The power play looks good so far, nice tip by Andrew Ladd, just over the bar. Bryan Little almost hits the short side post.
10:11 – Goal. Tobias Enstrom nets Winnipeg’s first ever PP goal. Toronto fans cheer for this (see above for difference between American and Canadian sports fans). The whole play was created by a great power play setup, notably the screen. Like I said in the previous comment, that PP looked good.
9:00 – Lupul and Kessel are both robbed in succession by Ondrej Pavelec. He had a great game against Pittsburgh, and seems to have picked up where he left off. Lupul is getting good chances tonight, and Kessel already has 6 goals this year. Shutting them down will greatly help Winnipeg’s chances tonight.
8:22 – Lupul hits the post, or not? They say it went in the net. The replay shows that it hit the lens of the in-goal camera. That’s a rare sight, and I am loving this replay. Also notice what I said in the previous comment about shutting down Lupul and Kessel. They failed. Oh well, tie game, 1-1. Apparently the lens of the camera shattered on the ice and requires cleanup, giving me a chance to type more. TSN’s Cuthbert and color commentator Ray Ferraro mourn the death of their camera and show the replay to at least get their money’s worth. It’s a pretty cool sight, particularly in HD.
8:09 – Apparently, Lupul has 9 goals in 11 games against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, so his strong game is apparently no disturbance to the crystal ball.
6:35 – Should Mark Scheifele be returned to his junior team (Barrie Colts)? He had a very Strong preseason, but now that the games count, he only has 2 shots and no goals thus far. He has 9 games total to make his case to the Winnipeg brass.
5:22 – Kessel almost sets up another goal as Dion Phaneuf sneaks in from blue line, but is stopped by a great save from Pavelec.
4:50 – Johnny Oduya is the only remnant of the Kovalchuk trade currently on the roster (Patrice Cormier is still in the system, but not on the roster). Trying to picture Ilya in a Jets sweater is not working, but could you imagine him in that market?
0:00 – The end of that period saw both teams tighten up defensively, I guess they got tired of playing baseball. Regardless, the score is 1-1 at intermission.
2nd Period
Currently drinking: Cavit Pinot Grigio
20:00 – TSN showed the corpse of their dead goal-cam. Apparently due to a safety plate on the lens, it is “only a $400 loss.” If only I had $400 to blow on fun gadgets.
19:07 – There are more than a few empty seats at ice level for a Toronto home game, especially considering it’s the first ever visit for the Jets. I’ll assume people are still finding their seats, and that Toronto fans aren’t being hypocrites when they sardonically comment on certain American teams’ attendance J.
18:22 – The Leafs are offside. It sums up how this period has opened. Both teams seem to be just slightly off, “slightly” being the key word.
17:33 – My last comment is now nullified. The eastern bloc has struck. Nikolai Antropov drags the line PERFECT, gets the pass from Alexander Burmistrov, and gives it back to the youngster to set up the goal. That was impressive. 2-1 Jets.
17:00 – That is a NICE hit by Evander Kane. I like to see that he doesn’t shy away from contact as a young skilled player.
16:47 – Evander Kane gets upended illegally by Mike Komisarek, but that doesn’t prevent a Mark Scheifele breakaway. He is still unable to find his first goal, but Komisarek is in the box, giving the Jets another power play. It is 1 for 1 tonight.
14:47 – This is an average power play, not a great one. No goal is scored. Little had the best chance but the puck hopped over his stick, preventing him from getting the shot off.
13:12 – The Ladd-Wheeler-Little line is buzzing, and has drawn another penalty against Komisarek. There is a humorous shot of Tanner Glass and Dustin Byfuglien interacting with fans in the pre-game warm-ups. Apparently Glass attempted to flip a puck to a Jets fan, and Byfuglien stuffed him. The Jets fan gave Byfuglien some grief, and Byfuglien stuck around to give him some grief back. I love to see that.
12:07 – There it is for Mark Scheifele! His first NHL goal at the age of 18. I was in the middle of commenting on Byfuglien’s shooting on this PP as that puck went in. It looked good. Sure enough as I type, Schiefele puts in the rebound of a Byfuglien shot. This strengthens his case to stay in the NHL. The Winnipeg PP is now 2 for 3. Maybe Komisarek will stay out of box now. 3-1 Jets.
10:48 – That was a good shift by the MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin line. Like I said, they need to get going. This is better late than never, and sure enough, Kessel follows up that shift with a GREAT chance that just missed.
10:00 – It is the halfway point of the game. Speaking of things halfway, I wish I was watching this game at a Canadian pub halfway in between both cities. I’d LOVE to be a fly on the wall and just listen to the drunken banter, eh?
8:52 – A TSN graphic shows that Armstrong is still not back. That can’t make Leaf fans happy.
7:38-Kessel just made a beautiful pass to set up David Steckel who just missed. It’s interesting to see Steckel-Brown-Kessel together, given the chemistry of Kessel-Bozak-Lupul. Maybe it was just a disrupted change?
6:40 – Ray Ferraro comments on the lack of anything from the Grabovski line. Shortly thereafter, a good rush into the zone by Grabovski draws a penalty from Oduya. Toronto gets a power play.
4:40 – That power play was absolutely awful. Toronto is now 0 for 2 in the game…and 0 for the last 16 overall. As Ray Ferraro mentioned on the broadcast, the main problem is the lack of patience in setting up a chance. The play is being forced too quickly, and never getting a chance to properly set up.
3:11 – 8 Toronto forwards don’t have a shot tonight. How about that secondary scoring? You need to shoot before thinking about scoring. I feel like a lot of the blame for that is going to fall on the MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin line, some of it unfairly.
2:39 – Since his goal, Scheifele is getting more ice time from Claude Noel…hopefully he can make something happen with it and stay in the NHL. 9 games is the point of no return. Ferraro is pro sending 18 year olds back to junior, emphasizing that it is not a step back, but more of a learning experience. I agree with that in most cases, but I think Scheifele can honestly go either way.
1:04 – The Grabovski line comes very close, maybe they can break through soon?
0:00 – End of the second period. That was a strong finish by the MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin and Kessel-Bozak-Lupul lines. Unfortunately for Toronto, the intermission will break their momentum, but oh well, that’s hockey. The Jets lead 3-1 after 2 periods.
3rd Period
Still Currently Drinking: Cavit Pinot Grigio
20:00 – Here we go. The 3rd period is underway.
18:52 – Both teams are off to a “sputtering start.” – Chris Cuthbert
17:34 – Kessel is on the ice with Lombardi and Frattin. The slow start for the period apparently results in an attempt to shuffle lines, and also compensate for Armstrong’s absence.
15:27- The line of Wheeler-Little-Ladd finally brings some game for the third period. A great chance is met with an equally great save by Reimer.
13:16 - Zach Bogosian picks up an interference penalty on Mike Brown. He protests to no avail. I’ve never understood this practice. Do people actually think that ref will actually change his mind after making the call? “Oh, I was just kidding. It’s not a penalty after all, now that this player has convinced me of his innocence.” Regardless, the Leafs are handed a chance to get back into this game, but they will have to resurrect their abysmal power play first.
12:42 – Early indications (aka Phil Kessel) are that this power play is much better, despite the confusion of David Steckel’s role. Is he on the ice, or not? As I finish this sentence. Lupul puts the Leafs within one. No surprise that this line is the one that comes through. Now if MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin could get it together, the Leafs might actually challenge for a playoff spot.
12:19 – Momentum is a funny thing. Matt Frattin drives into the zone and Kris Meech trips him, giving the Leafs another power play.
12:05 – Phil Kessel strikes. I eat my previous words. The Leafs “abysmal” power play is now 2 for 2 in the last 27 seconds alone. Again, is it any surprise that Kessel comes through? The game is tied, 3-3. Kessel now has 7 goals already this season.
11:25 – Now, the Jets wake up and decide to play the 3rd period. This game is getting interesting, looks like I made a good choice for game of the night, because there were so many to choose from.
10:48 – The Antropov line is buzzing. As Antropov and Phaneuf jaw at each other, I realize this game has been very cordial, with very little trash talk and scrums. Maybe after the Leafs’ scoring outburst, that will change; the Jets certainly need to do something.
9:06 – Winnipeg now gets a power play to try and reclaim their lead. Kessel slashes Byfuglien’s stick, breaking it in half. Given his performance thus far in the game and season, it’s forgivable, even if Winnipeg takes the lead back. Let’s see.
7:48 – Steckel has a shorthanded chance. His pass across to the defenseman Liles JUST missed.
7:36 – Winnipeg takes advantage of Liles jumping up and gets a break the other way. Liles is bailed out by a great save from James Reimer.
7:06 – There was one shot on that power play, the aforementioned break. Other than that, it was a bad power play, and is now 2 for 4 on the night.
6:27 – Pavelec makes an amazing save on Kessel, set up by Lupul. It’s pretty clear what line is carrying Toronto tonight. Despite a 3-3 score, both goaltenders are playing very well, and can’t be blamed for any of the six goals.
3:58 – There is another play from Kessel to Lupul AGAIN, but Lupul fanned on the shot. At this point, the Jets should probably realize what these two are capable of and maybe be extra cautious with them, but this is much easier said than done.
2:46 – Schenn and/or Komisarek have not been on the ice in quite some time (Cuthbert claims Komisarek hasn’t seen the ice at all in the 3rd period. As I think back in my short term memory, I find nothing to refute that claim). Both have had a less than stellar game, combining for 3 penalties. Both have also watched the Jets score from a cozy seat in the penalty box. I’m guessing this has something to do with their new cozy seats on the bench down next to Gustavsson. Hopefully the other 4 defensemen can pick up the slack.
1:54 – The Leafs almost score, and if you’ve been following, I don’t even have to mention which line it was. It’s no longer Tyler Bozak, but Dave Steckel centering them. This could be an accident, as Steckel is used for his faceoff prowess late in games and maybe couldn’t get off the ice due to the way the play developed?
0:00 – We have overtime. I picked a great game to begin my “Game of the Night” series. Is it time for another drink? The answer is yes.
Overtime
Currently drinking: Sam Adams Octoberfest
5:00 – I am not a fan of the 4 on 4 (see my previous column), but here we go. This is the Jets first OT ever, while the Leafs lost to Colorado on Monday in overtime, to go 0-1 in OT this season.
4:42 – The Leafs just missed the net. This scoring chance by Phil Kessel is brought to you by the broken record appreciation club.
3:33 – Scheifele gets an OT shift with Wheeler. They come oh-so-close, but a Reimer snow angel stops it. This is good news if Scheifele wants to stay in the NHL.
2:51 – Grabovski is stopped by Pavelec, as he tries to get his line started this season. What better way than with an OT winner? It just isn’t going to be right now.
1:06 – Kane and Antropov combine to give Winnipeg it’s best chance of overtime, but it falls into the pads of Reimer.
0:00 – As much as I hate the 4 on 4 and shootout crap, that overtime was such quality hockey from everyone involved, I’ll accept it.
Shootout
Still currently drinking: Sam Adams Octoberfest
This is the first shootout for either team this year, and of course, the first in Jets’ history.
Toronto shot 1 – Phil Kessel is stopped by the shoulder of Pavelec. Fortunately for the Jets, Kessel is done for the night.
Winnipeg shot 1 – Kyle Wellwod tries to back Reimer up and beat him over the glove, but James Reimer isn’t fooled and makes the save look easy.
Toronto shot 2 – Joffrey Lupul succeeds at exactly what Wellwood failed to do.
Winnipeg shot 2 – Alex Burmistrov goes low stick side, Reimer doesn’t see it, but was positioned perfectly, and made the save.
Toronto shot 3- Matt Frattin takes the simple approach. He doesn’t do any fancy dekes, or any regular dekes. He just skates in and shoots it by Pavelec’s glove. Toronto wins the game 4-3.
Thank you for joining my first installation in the “Game of the Night” series. Until next time, Cheers, beers, sake, and hockey.
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