Binny vs The Jets Round 2 Tonight In Winnipeg
What a great night on Wednesday. The first time you have to strap back into playoff hockey after your team being absent the season before is definitely a ride. Every shift is so important and heartbreak seems to be on the verge of plaguing you every time the other team comes into the zone. That’s why it was such a thrill when Tyler Bozak converted the Big Rig’s pass with just over 2 minutes left. Everything was all good when it had been anything but that for the 50 minutes beforehand.
The team is buzzing right now. They are on the precipice of a huge opportunity. Winning Game 1 on the road is huge in the sense that they now have a chance to go up 2 games on the road! Imagine coming back home to Enterprise with that kind of stranglehold? I would have GLADLY accepted a split on the road before the series, but now that there is a chance to deal the Jets TOUGH hand, it seems much more urgent to win tonight and not squander it.
O’Reilly’s quote might could be seen as a random positive thought after a big win, but to be honest I think its more a sign of how serious this team is about going deep into these playoffs. There’s a sense that they don’t fear anybody in the West and I think that’s a fair assessment. The Jets are as good as anyone that they could face and if they beat this team, there’s no telling.
The Blues won Game 1 without Tarasenko really finding his groove. If he can get hot it will absolutely change the dynamic of this series. When he was on in the Blackhawks series in 2016, it was a game altering force. Every time he had the puck on his stick in the offensive zone everyone held their breath. If the Blues can get him back to that point, it could mean the series.
No matter what happens tonight, the Blues CAN’T LET LAINE GET GOING AGAIN. He has been frustrated and a headcase all year after scoring a trillion goals for the first half of the season and then falling off a cliff and forgetting how to tie his skates. He plays like a man possessed after he scores and if the Blues can shake him up physically and not let him get going, it could turn their offense into a one dimensional beast that relies on the Scheifele line only.
The Jets have provided bulletin board material but I don’t think it is necessary at this point.
At the end of the day, any city with this type of audio coming from inside its city limits is a place that needs to have its NHL team moved back to Atlanta.