All of a sudden, the Nashville Predators are really starting to heat up. Just as abruptly, the Winnipeg Jets seem to be falling apart.
Those trends continued in an apparent way on Friday, as the Predators shook off a 1-0 deficit and throttled the Jets 5-1.
Ryan Johansen (two goals, one assist), Mike Fisher (three assists) and Colin Wilson (two goals) were the biggest contributors, although Blake Wheeler believes that Winnipeg’s wounds were also somewhat self-inflicted.
“It was a tough night for us,” Wheeler said. “We spent a little bit too much time in the box. Discipline was a problem. It wasn’t what we were looking for.”
The most glaring moment of discipline being a problem came when Brandon Tanev received a five-minute major for boarding:
The Predators went 3-for-5 on the power play, giving credence to Wheeler’s take.
Two very different directions
Still, it always seems like it’s something for the Jets lately. Maybe most surprisingly, this seemingly high-powered team isn’t really finding the net.
During this ongoing five-game losing streak, the Jets scored two goals once and a single tally in their four other defeats.
Contrast that to the Predators, who are currently on a three-game winning streak and improved to 8-2-2 in November. They’ve scored five goals on five different occasions during this month, justifying much of that pre-season hype a few weeks later than some expected.
The two teams meet again on Sunday, so Winnipeg gets a chance to reverse course. For better or worse.