Let’s Talk: Arizona Coyotes vs Winnipeg Jets

This game is already giving me tingles.

The Arizona Coyotes are going to open up their season against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, in Winnipeg. It’s the old Winnipeg Jets against the new Winnipeg Jets, at home in Winnipeg. Winnipeg.

I’ve been looking over my giant binder of game notes (because duh, of course I have one of those), and I’ve noticed a couple of things that we should all go into Thursday’s game sure that we know:

Dave Tippett literally knows everything on the planet, so let him do his thang.

I think that Arizona Coyotes fans are among some of the luckiest in the league. Apart from the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Los Angeles Kings, they’ve pretty much got the greatest coach out there. He’s not rushing his young guys, he’s hesitant to buy into the hype and kiss the feet of big-name players, and he’s got a good grip on his skaters.

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In comparison, one of my biggest criticisms of the newly reincarnated Winnipeg Jets has been the lack of control that head coach Claude Noel had over his players. I would say that I’ve seen better things out of Paul Maurice, who replaced Noel in late January of last year, but I really have no definitive proof that things will be different under him.

I’ve had a lot of Jets fans criticize me for placing so much emphasis on the social drama surrounding the Winnipeg players, rather than looking at the team’s potential success from a more player-driven standpoint. I’m not going to change my tune, though- I think that so much of how a team does has to do with the team’s dynamic, both on an off the ice. Do we have definitive proof that Evander Kane wants out? Not really. There’s no proof that any player is specifically unhappy in Winnipeg, but when you’ve got a team that sports players like Kane and Blake Wheeler… yet you’re still not breaching a playoff berth… some credit must be given to the atmosphere of the team.

This game will be a perfect way for fans to take a look at what Tippet and GM Don Maloney have done to the team over the summer. They scrapped Mike Ribeiro, but brought in a much more low-risk chance in Sam Gagner. Watching the desperate-to-make-the-playoffs Coyotes play against the even-more-desperate Winnipeg Jets should be exciting.

This game will make for a nice goaltending preview, as well: for both teams.

Mike Smith and Ondrej Pavelec are both on the hot seat right now.

Smith has less to prove than his Winnipeg counterpart, of course. His injury last season hurt the team’s playoff chances, but fans are hoping that he’s back to full strength. A healthy Mike Smith should be an effective Mike Smith.

The Jets, though, are far less confident about Pavelec. He has a lower career SV% than the team’s newest addition in net, Peter Budaj, and his existing backup is entering the season with very little NHL experience to reassure fans with.

Oct 3, 2014; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Peter Budaj (30) warms up prior to the start of the second period against the Ottawa Senators. The Senators defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, I’d like to say that the Jets will be okay- after all, should Pavelec continue on his downward spiral, the team could always turn to newcomer Budaj. After all, Budaj had specifically requested a trade out of Montreal, and his agent expressed his delight with the opportunities that seemed to await him in Winnipeg.

Then, the team placed him on waivers. Excuse me, what?

This game should be a good opportunity for fans of both teams to take a look at what’s happening in their home nets. One game obviously doesn’t tell the tale of a whole season, but it can set the tone for weeks to come.

Want to know my prediction?

Tune in tomorrow, and I’ll go over potential line combinations, talk about who to look out for, and more!