The Winnipeg Jets, despite being without their leading scorer for three weeks, are currently engaged in a battle for the top spot in the Central Division while playing the finest hockey of the season.
Tuesday night, prior to embarking on a three-game road journey, the New England Jets will complete their season series at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Winnipeg is 10-1-2 in its last 13 games following a home-and-home stalemate with the Minnesota Wild; the club has climbed the standings around the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars despite missing dynamic left winger Kyle Connor for nine games.
At 7:32 of the third period on Sunday, Jets centre Dominic Toninato scored the game-winning goal to lead Minnesota past. Toninato returned home from Minnesota. Thus, his team triumphed over the Wild, 3-2.
Toninato, a native of Duluth and 29 years old, has contributed to one goal and two assists in all three of his appearances since being called up on emergency conditions on December 13 by the Anaheim Ducks following Connor’s injury.
The following day, his emergency conditions status was revoked, and he continued to be a member of the club.
The night before Thanksgiving, the Lightning rallied from a 2-0 deficit on home ice in Tampa, but ultimately fell in overtime due to Adam Lowry’s game-winning goal following a three-on-three theft by Jets centre Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning’s last contest of 2023 was peculiar and expensive.
The visiting Montreal Canadiens defeated the squad of head coach Jon Cooper 2-0, with the second goal being one of the most peculiar of the NHL this season.
As a result of a blast on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault, the Lightning initiated a line change under the assumption that play had ceased. Jonas Johansson, the opposing goaltender, glided into the corner.
Johnathan Kovacevic scored from 150 feet out after receiving the puck from Montembeault, which was delivered to a stunned host team that essentially turned its backs on the play.
Cooper stated that the spirited fourth line and the irate response of the spectators contributed to the comeback.
Cooper said after the 4-3 victory, he thought (Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry) scoring on them a few weeks ago was odd, however, this was unusual too. He mentioned that two things subsequently changed, to begin with, the crowd was phenomenal and they were forced to develop a foot on the bench. They are beyond adequate in their support of their team.
The subsequent events transpired with the involvement of Tyler Motte, Austin Watson, and Tanner Jeannot, who were essentially on a mission to demolish everything in their way. That significantly reduced the level of enthusiasm that was expressed by the audience. We subsequently underwent a complete transformation into a separate organisation. However, the club was implicated in three incidents of injury.a
Nick Paul sustained a sting in the leg subsequent to receiving a slap strike. In the second period, defenseman Erik Cernak was substituted by fellow blue-liner Haydn Fleury following a hard challenge from Josh Anderson, which also caused Cernak to lose his hand. Fleury was placed on long-term injured reserve on Monday, indicating that he will miss at least the January 26 game against Arizona. “The latter part of the year was challenging due to injuries,” Cooper remarked.