WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets continue their best-of-seven First Round Western Conference Series with Game 2 on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets won Game 1 7-6 on Sunday night.
Sunday’s Game 1 win ended Winnipeg’s four-game home playoff losing streak. The last time the Jets won consecutive home playoff games was Game 3 and 4 of their first round series against the Edmonton Oilers in 2021.
Per NHL Stats, the Jets and Avalanche produced the second playoff game in NHL history where two teams combined for six or more goals in multiple periods. The other: Game 1 of the 1982 Division Semifinals (LAK vs. EDM; P1 & P2). The crowd at Canada Life Centre was electric and Nikolaj Ehlers wants to tap into that energy again.
"That's kind of what I said before game one, that's what you're looking to do, to get the crowd into the game and be that extra guy out there," said Ehlers.
"And I think they did a pretty good job of that. We're not looking to give them a show like we did last game. I don't think Colorado is either so it's gonna be a great game out there tonight."
To Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo, it's not about adjustments, it's about execution.
"That wasn’t our top game for sure. There were a lot of things we can do better," said DeMelo.
It’s not like we have to reinvent the wheel or change things. It’s just get back to what we do."
Rick Bowness and his coaching staff have been having a lot of conversations with their players over the past couple of days and the Jets head coach is loving the focus he is seeing from his group leading into Game 2.
"They (the players) were very honest with their assessment of our team game. And we had a good video session this morning. And I liked our mood in the practice and around the locker-room, talking to the guys," said Bowness.
"You don't want, like sometimes you win games and you walk away, 'Wow, that's great we won.' But you also have to be very honest with how you played. And our guys have been very honest about that."
