Jets outworked by Golden Knights: Sluggish effort leads to first outright loss in nine games

The Winnipeg Jets are feeling recharged as they get set to face the expansion Vegas Golden Knights for the first time on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena.

LAS VEGAS – All week long, the Winnipeg Jets talked about respecting their opponent and not taking the Vegas Golden Knights lightly.

This wasn’t your typical expansion team, that was a familiar refrain.

There was plenty of skill to go along with the tenacious work ethic the Golden Knights have shown throughout the first 16 games of their existence.

The Jets knew there would be some rust to shake off after three days off in Sin City, but starting strong had become a calling card of their own.

But the Golden Knights scored first, built a two-goal cushion and then pulled away in the second period in what became a 5-2 loss for the Jets.

The Jets, who dropped to 8-4-3 on the season, wrap up this three-game homestand against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.

“(The Golden Knights) were everything we expected them to be. Our preparation before the game showed that hockey team,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “Shower this one off. It was one of those nights that we didn’t really have many good players. We’ve liked the way we’ve played here lately and for most of the season really. We just have to get over this one and the great thing about it is we have an opportunity to go home from the road trip with four out of six points and flush this one down the toilet.”

It was the first outright loss for the Jets in nine games, so it’s important not to overreact to the result of one game.

Having said that, there’s no excuse for being as sluggish as the Jets were in this contest.

Passes weren’t as crisp as they needed to be and the decisions with the puck weren’t as sound as they’d been during a hot streak that saw them go 5-0-3.

“I don’t know if you can say we weren’t ready, as much as they’re a good team over there,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry, who scored his first goal of the season late in the first period. “We knew they were going to come out hard and they’re 7-1 at home now. It’s a credit to the way they play and the style they play. Obviously, it didn’t seem like we had our hands and that can be frustrating, but you need to find ways to get things done when things aren’t going your way. You can say it was the three days off, but they played a good game and for whatever reason, we didn’t. We’ll be ready (Saturday) and we’re looking at this as an opportunity to bounce back. If you win two of three on the road, that’s a pretty successful road trip.”

The Jets have made a habit of responding to the suspect efforts they’ve had following the 0-2 start to the season, so it will be interesting to see how this group plays after the latest lacklustre showing.

As well as the Jets have been playing of late, it’s not like they’ve been able to create much separation in the Central Division standings.

Simply put, they can’t afford to lay another egg against the Coyotes.

This isn’t to suggest the Jets didn’t think the Golden Knights would be ready to play but it’s one thing to see a fast team on video and another to see them live and in person.

The Golden Knights dogged style was on display early and often, starting with a strong forecheck by fourth-line forward William Carrier that led to the opening goal.

Carrier knocked Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov off the puck behind the net and eventually David Perron found Luca Sbisa for a one-timer at 6:41 of the first period.

Perron made it 2-0 at 15:08 on a perfect shot, but Lowry redirected a point shot by Kulikov 39 seconds later to cut into the deficit.

William Karlsson scored a pair of goals (one on a rebound and another on a shorthanded breakaway) and by the time the second period was in the books, the Jets were down by three goals – much to the chagrin of the thousands of Manitobans who made the trek.

The Jets top line has been tremendous this season, but it was not a banner night for any of Wheeler, Mark Scheifele or Kyle Connor, who combined to go minus-11.

It was also a tough game for Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who was caught out of position on the Golden Knights third goal and then was flat-footed when Karlsson blew past him for the shorthanded marker.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has been sensational this season, but gave up five goals on 21 shots and wasn’t as sharp as usual as he suffered his first regulation loss of the campaign.

“It’s going to happen, I’m not going to let this phase me,” said Hellebuyck. “But I’m going to use this as motivation. Now I can get back to work and realize how much harder I’m going to start working again. Not that I wasn’t working hard, but it’s a little more motivation that I need to get back on the wheel and get back at it.”

It was the second time during the past three starts Hellebuyck has given up five goals, so it wasn’t a big surprise Jets head coach Paul Maurice got out the hook and put in Steve Mason for the third period.

Part of that was to give Hellebuyck an opportunity to get a breather, but the other was that Hellebuyck had made six consecutive starts and since Mason was going to start against the Coyotes anyway – this gave him a chance to see some game action for the first time since Oct. 27, when he made 35 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“I didn’t think the puck was going for (Hellebuyck) early on, but didn’t want to pull him towards the end of the second period because I didn’t want to give the impression it was on him,” said Maurice, who didn’t have an update on the status of defenceman Josh Morrissey, who left the game in the third period after blocking a shot with what appeared to be a lower-body injury. “(Hellebuyck) was like everybody else tonight, just a bit off from where they’ve been.”

Speaking of goalies, Golden Knights fourth-stringer Maxime Lagace continues to show he belongs, making 27 saves, a ridiculous right-skate stop on Scheifele during the first period.

Jets sniper Patrik Laine scored for the fourth time in as many games, ripping a one-timer past Lagace at 13:57 of the second period.

As good as the Jets have been in the first period this season (outscoring opponents 25-12), they’ve struggled mightily in the second (giving up 20 and scoring only eight).

That’s one of the major issues the Jets need to try and clean up.

The Jets power play has been rolling of late, jumping to fourth in the NHL going into Friday’s game after converting six for the past nine opportunities, but they managed only one goal and gave up one while shorthanded.

That caused them to lose the special-teams battle, thanks to a power-play goal from James Neal, who received a gift when Kulikov’s clearing attempted ending right on the tape of Neal (who leads his team with nine goals).

On this night, the Jets didn’t deserve to win and their goalie was unable to bail them out.

How the Jets respond in front of their netminder on Saturday will determine whether they return home with a winning record on this swing or if they’ll be lamenting the points they left on the table.