When a team enters a playoff series, the first game is used to set the tone.
The Jets and Oilers combined for 50 hits in the first 20 minutes of play.
Fifty! That’s 31 for Winnipeg, 19 for Edmonton.
So what do hits achieve?
For Winnipeg, hits on the Oilers defencemen, especially early in the game, tell the Oilers that this is going to be a long series.
Edmonton’s defence — minus Darnell Nurse — aren’t as hard as other blue lines. The Jets want to run them early so they think about being hit every time they touch the puck.
Let’s be clear. No one likes to get hit.
The one thing about hits, though, is that when you are hitting a lot, it means you don’t own the puck.
You want to possess the puck, which means you have to hit at a time when you don’t take yourself out of the play. Especially against Connor McDavid, who needs a millimetre to make his mark.
The Jets set a physical tone to the series from the very beginning, but I question if it’s sustainable throughout the series.
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