GDT47, MapleLeafs @ JETS, Sat Jan27/24 6pm SN [TOR 4-2]

[Ric O.]

Jets back at home and Leafs haven't played a game in Canada outside of Quebec that hasn't felt like home in forever (judging once again from recent Leafs games I saw on TV from Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary.) 

And yet the Leafs Stanley Cup drought is 57 years and counting, so I wonder, how important is home crowd support anyway?

I digress...I'm sure the Jets will be happy to be home after a so-so 1-1-1 three game road trip, where they scored a total of 3 goals.

They only allowed in 6 goals including an empty-netter and a late OT goal, so Jets were certainly in every game.

Hopefully the offence will be buoyed at least a little bit by Gabe Vilardi, if he plays.  This doesn't give a lot of confidence that he will be coming back at 100%, as according to IC, he will play "unless he has a setback".  He must be close enough to 100% if they let him play.  Power play could sure use a boost, if they even get a PP tonight.

It's also great news that Josh Morrissey is likely to play after the scary shot he took somewhere between the belly button and upper thigh region that knocked him out of most of last game.

Life is tough at the the top...a little mediocre 2-2-1 stretch and suddenly you go from #1 to #3 in the division (when sorting by points), and 4th in the conference.  3 games in hand on both the Avs and Stars, but need to win them.  Come on Jets, send half the fans home happy tonight!  (I guess that's guaranteed, isn't it?)

From Illegal Curve:

Jets projected lines & D pairs:

Connor - Namestnikov - Vilardi
Perfetti - Toninato - Ehlers
Niederreiter - Lowry - Appleton
Barron - Kupari - Iafallo

Morrissey - DeMelo
Dillon - Pionk
Samberg - Schmidt

Hellebuyck
Brossoit

Go JETS GO!

[Tim]

Sitting here at Double Hook sports bar in Quepos Costa Rica waiting for the game to start 3 Jet fans and one Leaf.... Can't kick here out she is my sister-in-law.

[sgtbarnes]

And of course the Leafs are dressing their goon Reeves tonight.

Keep your head up boys. He'll be running guys.

[lenny]

RR here to cause trouble for the Jets. Who will fisticuff him?

[Tracker]

Jan 27, 2024 18:00:42 GMT -6 Tim said:

Sitting here at Double Hook sports bar in Quepos Costa Rica waiting for the game to start 3 Jet fans and one Leaf.... Can't kick her out- she is my sister-in-law.

PFFT...don't let a trivial detail like that stop you.

[darlyn]

Dillon? But probably Lows... maybe RR will blow a knee and be out of the game....lol


(not that I want to see someone get hurt but...)

[Ric O.]

Jan 27, 2024 18:00:42 GMT -6 Tim said:

Sitting here at Double Hook sports bar in Quepos Costa Rica waiting for the game to start 3 Jet fans and one Leaf.... Can't kick here out she is my sister-in-law.

Leafs fan aside, sounds like a perfect setting for a Jets game to me!

[Ric O.]

SAMBERG! Good start!  Nice screen by Namestnikov.  More of that please!

[darlyn]

SAMMY!!!!!

[bigoljetairliner]

Leafs are forechecking well early on...but Samberg gets us the early lead.

[lenny]

Sam!

[Tracker]

Leafs beating the Jets to the puck pretty consistently so far. That has to change fast and soon.
JETS SCORE!!!!

[darlyn]

HELLE!! Good save

[Ric O.]

Ack, nice turnover by Vilardi and play to Perfetti but he flubbed it.  edit, credit to Perfetti for the original forced turnover, pass to Vilardi to Perfetti, flubbed, lol.

[Ric O.]

Liking the tempo of this game so far...