Jets at Blues
The Winnipeg Jets play their 12th road game of the young season Monday at the St. Louis Blues, the final stop on a four-game swing through the Central Division that has completely wiped away the Jets’ solid start. Winnipeg is 0-3-0 on the road trip and has watched its defense get throttled for 18 goals in losses at Minnesota, Dallas and Nashville.
Giving up five goals to the Wild and a half-dozen to the Stars was not good, but Saturday’s 7-0 rout by the Nashville Predators featured four first-period goals, a goaltender change for the second time in three games and 84 penalty minutes. “We’re professionals and we don’t have time to feel down,” Winnipeg defenseman Mark Stuart told reporters after the game, the Jets’ fifth defeat in a row. The Blues have lost two in a row in regulation for the first time this season, squandering two Vladimir Tarasenko goals and a 2-1 lead midway through the second period of Saturday’s 4-2 home defeat to Chicago. “We were really playing well but made some critical errors,” St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock told the media. “If we expect to win, we’re going to have to make big plays at the right time.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE JETS (8-8-2): Coach Paul Maurice called timeout 5:58 into Saturday’s game with Winnipeg already down 2-0, but more breakdowns in the Jets defense – a disturbing trend on the road trip – and mounting frustration boiled over with five more goals and several misconducts. Michael Hutchinson lasted just over 12 minutes in goal, allowing three goals on seven shots, and Ondrej Pavelec surrendered four more goals after coming on in relief. The Jets finished 0-for-4 on the power play and have converted just one of their past 22 chances with a man advantage.
ABOUT THE BLUES (11-5-1): St. Louis’ mistakes set up every Chicago goal Saturday, from defensive breakdowns to ill-timed penalties, spoiling Tarasenko’s 14th multi-goal game of his career and two assists from center Jori Lehtera. Tarasenko resides among the league leaders with 10 goals in 16 games. Jake Allen stopped 23-of-26 shots, robbing Chicago’s Marko Dano with a sprawling glove save to keep the game tied late in the second period.
OVERTIME
1. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk recorded his 200th point Saturday, his first since returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for 10 games earlier this season.
2. The Jets have allowed 72 power-play opportunities, far and away the most in the NHL.
3. Tarasenko scored twice as the Blues won 4-2 at Winnipeg on Oct. 18 in the first matchup of the season between the Central Division rivals.