Know Thy Enemy: Jets Power Play Preview

The Winnipeg Jets finished the regular season with a power play conversion rate of 17.8%, good for 17th in the NHL. Due to injuries, trades, and the usual amount of line juggling, their top five-man unit has changed a little bit over the course of the season, and even in the final week different players sat out, making the exact lines difficult to nail down with precision.

Who's Who?

The forwards in the mix are Andrew Ladd, Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler, Mathieu Perreault, Drew Stafford, Michael Frolik, and Adam Lowry. On the blue line, expect to see Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom, Tyler Myers, and Jacob Trouba.

At various points in the season, Paul Maurice has either used both Byfuglien and Enstrom at the point on his top unit or relegated Enstrom to the second unit in favor of a fourth forward. Given the Jets' depth up front, I wouldn't be surprised to see him do the latter to start out this series. Either way, expect to see Byfuglien, Little, Ladd, and Wheeler on the top unit with either Enstrom, Scheifele, Perreault, or Stafford joining them, and then expect the second unit to comprise of whoever is left over.

Here are some power play numbers from Behind the Net. Be aware that these stats ignore mid-season trades.

Let's Watch Some Goals

Here, Buff lets loose a cannon while Wheeler provides the screen. This is Option 1A for the Jets.

This is another one from Buff, who starts it off with a skating play and ends it with a tip on a Little shot. Note that Little can also hammer it.

Obviously, this is a beautiful pass by Enstrom-of-the-giant-hockey-stick and a good finish from Scheifele. But take a moment to appreciate the play that Wheeler, whom Arctic Ice Hockey considers their MVP this season, makes at the blue line. He waits just long enough for his mates to get deep into the zone before sending the puck to Enstrom on the opposite wall.

Ladd can shoot better than a lot of people give him credit for, but not by as large a margin as Little can pass more than people give him credit for. Hey lookie, here's both of those things happening.

Speaking of Little's playmaking ability, take a look at this pass. Nice keep by Buff and nice shot by Perreault.

Myers is a pretty good guy to have on the point during the second half of a power play. Great screen by Stafford, too.

Against the Ducks

The Jets went 3 for 16 in three games against the Ducks. That's a conversion rate of 18.75%. The three goal scorers were Byfuglien, Ladd, and Little. Let's take a look at two of them.

First, a perfect give-and-go between Buff and Perreault.

And then a quick transition play by Perreault. A Jets fan will watch this and say Little did a great job finding the soft area. A Ducks fan will watch this and say Devante Smith-Pelly let his man go. Both are right.