Canadiens: Three Keys to Victory vs Winnipeg Jets

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The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets will face off for the sixth time this season at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg. The Jets have won 3 of the 5 meetings between the two clubs thus far, with Montreal taking the most recent matchup 4-2 on Tuesday night.

The North division standings have tightened up as of late. The Jets currently sit second in the division with 36 points, while the Canadiens are in fourth place with a total of 33 points. A win for the Canadiens on Thursday night would help distance themselves from the Calgary Flames, who are hot on Montreal’s tail with 31 points.

Expect Carey Price to get the nod in goal. The 33-year-old has been red hot, posting a 4-1-1 record over his last six games with a .951 save percentage during that stretch. Montreal’s all-world goaltender was under the microscope in the month of February but has seemingly regained his form in early March.

With two goals on Tuesday night, Montreal’s Tyler Toffoli is in a tie for second with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in goals with 17.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme made a few tweaks to the defensive pairs on Tuesday in the absence of Ben Chiarot. Joel Edmundson lined up with Shea Weber, while Brett Kulak skated with Jeff Petry. Both pairs played very well, so there shouldn’t be any changes tonight.

The forward group also saw some changes. Jesperi Kotkaniami was elevated to the top line with Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson, while Nick Suzuki was deployed with Brendan Gallagher and Tyler Toffoli. Both lines contributed on the score sheet and showed chemistry, so they should remain the intact for tonight’s game.

Here are the three keys to victory versus Winnipeg.

CALGARY, AB – MARCH 11: Corey Perry #94 (R) of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates with his teammates after scoring against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 11, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

Create Turnovers

It can be said that Winnipeg does not possess a strong defensive core. The Jets are loaded with talent up front, but lack stability and experience on the back end.

Josh Morrisey and Neal Pionk are regarded as Winnipeg’s top two defensemen, but are known mostly for their offensive output rather than their defensive abilities. Beyond those two, the Jets lack depth on the blue line.

This was evident in Tuesday’s game, as the Habs’ speed and relentless forecheck was too much for the Jets’ defensemen to handle.

Winnipeg’s defensemen will turn the puck over if they are under enough pressure. Three of the four Canadiens’ goals last game came from Jets’ turnovers in their own zone.

If Montreal can maintain a heavy forecheck, they will force Winnipeg to make mistakes. Mistakes often equal high-danger scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances often equal goals.

CALGARY, AB – MARCH 11: Alexander Romanov #27 of the Montreal Canadiens in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 11, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

Play with confidence

If you need an example of what a little bit of confidence can do to a player, take a look at Brett Kulak.

When Kulak was paired with Jeff Petry in the 2019 playoffs, he was playing very well. He was breaking out of the defensive zone using his speed, jumping into the rush, and making sound defensive plays all over the ice. Being paired with Petry again on Tuesday, Kulak was dynamic.

He jumped into the rush for an extra passing option numerous times and was visibly less timid to step up and make a play. Kulak and Petry led the Canadiens in CF percentage on Tuesday night.

The same can be said for Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The young centerman has gained a ton of confidence since the dismissal of Claude Julien and is running the power play from the half wall. He has collected five points in his last six games and continues to gain the trust of his coach.

When the Canadiens play with confidence, they take over hockey games and their full skillset is on display. Playing with confidence against a highly offensive Jets lineup will be crucial for the Habs to come away with two points.

VANCOUVER, BC – MARCH 08: Jeff Petry #26 of the Montreal Canadiens skates with the puck during NHL hockey action against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on March 8, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Create layers on the rush

I have mentioned multiple times so far this season that the Canadiens are at their best when they are creating chances off the rush.

What makes the transitional rush so effective is its ability to breakdown defensive coverage. The Canadiens possess a speedy lineup and can create an abundance of rush chances when they are playing well, but what makes their rush so dangerous is the activation of their blue line. When Montreal’s defensemen are activated into the play it creates an extra passing option for the puck carrier. It also creates layers of attack. The more layers, the harder it is for the opposition’s defensemen to cover all the passing options.

With defensemen jumping into the play, it can create chances going the other way if things go wrong. However, the Habs’ defenders seem to pick their chances wisely and are not often left out of position.

Next. Habs 3 Stars in 4-2 win over Jets. dark

Look for Petry and Kulak to activate offensively when they get the chance against the Jets.

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