WINNIPEG – The day has finally arrived.
Honestly, it’s a day that Winnipeg Jets fans have been waiting for since it looked like a statistical certainty that the team would make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That anticipation grew when it became a reality earlier this month, when the Jets clinched their spot in the postseason.
Toss in a Game 1 victory in Vegas, giving the Jets home ice advantage in their first round series with the Golden Knights, with snow flurries flying all over the province for the last three days, and it’s safe to say the whiteout is in full effect.
And it might even reach a new level when the puck drops today at 3 pm CT at Canada Life Centre.
“It’s incredible. The experience, the atmosphere is like nothing else I’ve ever played in,” said Josh Morrissey on Friday. “It’s an electric atmosphere and it’s a ton of fun to play in. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do that and I know the fans are ready – and so are we. We couldn’t be more excited.”
Morrissey, of course, has experienced it before. He was there in 2018 for the run to the Western Conference Final, through the emotions of the series win over Minnesota, an incredible Game 3 comeback against Nashville in the second round, and a thrilling Game 1 win over Vegas in the next series.
Video: TRAVEL | Josh Morrissey
He was there in 2019 against St. Louis, and under the category of absence makes the heart grow fonder, he was also there in 2021 when Kyle Connor‘s triple overtime winner eliminated the Edmonton Oilers – with no fans in the building.
Pierre-Luc Dubois was there in 2021 as well. He can only imagine what the ovation would’ve been like, and it was impossible to keep the grin off the forward’s face when he was asked about what to expect in Game 3.
He wants the Jets to get off to a strong start – like they’ve had in each of the first two games of this series with Vegas – to get that crowd going even more.
“To have that energy on our side is going to be really fun. I’m really excited,” said Dubois. “A lot of us have never experienced the whiteout. COVID and then last year not making the playoffs. To get a good start, it’s a cliche but it’s a cliche for a reason.”
The Jets had the start they were looking for in Game 2, outshooting Vegas 17-8 in the opening period, and even had the game tied 2-2 after 40. But the three goals the Golden Knights scored in the third put the game away.
“I think it’s just some mistakes,” said Dubois. “When you make one, you want it to stop at one. You don’t want it to get further than that. One mistake led to another led to a goal, so on and so forth. We didn’t play horribly. It’s some easy mistakes that we can fix.”
Video: TRAVEL | Rick Bowness
Usually, those would be fixed in practice, but the Jets didn’t skate on Friday instead opting for a travel day to aid in rest and recovery. The video session ahead of today’s Game 3 will be focused on three areas, according to head coach Rick Bowness.
“We lost body position too much on our forecheck. We were on the wrong side, which allowed them to play a lot faster than we they did the game before,” he said. “Puck battles behind nets, we lost, that we didn’t lose. So those are the things. And we didn’t drive the net like we did in the first game. There was times that we did. There was too many times that we could have and we didn’t.”
With the afternoon puck drop, the Jets won’t hold a morning skate, but Bowness will meet the media around noon CT, so that’s where any line-up updates could be announced.
That includes any sort of information on Nikolaj Ehlers, who hasn’t played yet in the series.
“We’ll see how he feels today and tomorrow when he shows up at the rink,” Bowness said on Friday before the flight. “Really until we get a clearance from the medical staff, he’s not playing. Hopefully they will clear him tomorrow and he’s recovered enough that we’re able to put him back in the lineup.”
Video: TRAVEL | Pierre-Luc Dubois
Dubois is a fan of afternoon games, though usually teams have a practice the day before in lieu of a morning skate. With both teams crossing from the Pacific Time Zone into Central on Friday, the start that Dubois spoke of earlier becomes even more important.
“It’s a tough turnaround but it’s tough for both teams,” he said. “In a way, it’s going to be challenging, maybe, physically, but it is for both teams. So at least that’s fair.”
That’s where the crowd comes in. The fans in the building, and even those outside at the street parties can give the players that extra boost on their way to the rink, in warm-up, and even during a battle in the corner.
Vegas has been a tough road team all season, owning the third best road record in the NHL (26-7-8), but Winnipeg’s home record is the third best in the West.
“Coming in here we expected a long series and we’re excited to have home ice advantage coming home,” said Morrissey. “Certainly our fans bring us a ton of energy, confidence, and we’ve tried to make it a tough place to play all year. I think all those things, having that extra game at home is huge. We’re excited to have playoff hockey back in Winnipeg here.”
