The Jets just made a STATEMENT...

Nine games in a row, Winnipeg lost, and then a 7-0 beating in Carolina. Then two wins in three days, and last night, three players got a first that every one of them needed. A guy who waited, a kid who arrived, and a goalie who just needed one night. Let's start with the guy who waited. To feel how good it was last night, you need to remember how bad it was. October 23rd, Connor Hellebuyck, their franchise goalie. Three days later, the Heritage Classic against Montreal, a 2-1 loss. October 29th, Tampa Bay comes to Winnipeg and wins 6-4. That was the seventh loss in a row. Then Florida, 5-2. Carolina, 7-0. And Skinner pulled after five goals and 17 shots. Nine losses in a row, one of them being a 7-0 loss. Them losing their franchise goaltender to a trade. Winnipeg is allowed to feel like the floor dropped out from underneath them. Then November 3rd in Montreal, the Jets trailed 4-0 late and went 5-4 in overtime. That one snapped the streak, and last night was the first time Winnipeg got to enjoy a win. Dawson Mercer came over from New Jersey in the Connor Hellebuyck trade. That is a lot to carry into a new building. He got two assists in his first five games as a Jet, and no goal. The coach, Scott Arniel, was not sure Mercer would even play. A few days earlier, he was dealing with an upper body thing. Last night, at 14 minutes and 4 seconds into the first period, Perfetti found him, and it was a one-timer. One shot on goal all night, one goal. He said it himself, quote, I was happy to get it finally. And as you guys know, I'm from Newfoundland and Mercer is from Newfoundland as well, so it was just extra special for me last night to see him score and then have his goal song be Heave Away by the Fables. If every Newfoundlander watching this knows what that is. And if you know that song, you know every Newfoundlander in the building just got goosebumps. A kid from home, there's not very many players from the province of Newfoundland, got his first goal as a Jet and that was his song. Just a great moment all in all. Even before this in Montreal, he said the building felt like a home game and his coach said he gets better every night. So that is a 24-year-old traded for a franchise goaltender waiting on a goal in his new city. He finally got it in front of his home crowd to a song from home. If you are from Newfoundland, root for Mercer because he's going to be dominating in Winnipeg. That same night at 11:36 into the second period, Mark Scheifele makes it 5-1. The assist belongs to Viggö Björk, his first NHL point in his 17th game. He is 18 years and 238 days old. Only two Swedes got a first point younger, Sipenachad and Dali. And he is the youngest yet to do it since Ville Heinola in 2019. He was the number eight pick in the 2026 draft, an 18-year-old, 17 games in, playing a real role on a team that needed a spark. His own words, quote, I was happy that he put it in the net. End quote. That is a kid who just wanted to help. Anyone who has ever played the game at the professional level will tell you the first point is the heavy one. He's got that off his back now and the floodgates are open for our boy Vigo. And he was close before. On October 22nd, he had a backhand stopped by Ottinger. That first goal is coming. Here's what I love, it was not just those three. The Jets scored on the power play at 3.49 of the first, Iafalo, Mercer assisted. They led 3-1 after the first period, they led 5-1 after the second. Pionk scored 6 minutes 52 into the second period, Sheifley added his at 11.36 and finished with one goal and one assist. Neal Pionk had a night, he also had the assist when Mercer got his first point as a Jet. Connor and Zamello had two assists each, everything ran through a line that wanted the puck. The Jets outshot Vancouver 29-26, and their goalie Merillinen made 23 saves. A team that has been struggling just put their foot on the gas. Now the part Winnipeg needed the most, Stuart Skinner. This is a guy who was asked to replace Connor Hellebuyck. That is almost an impossible job. On October 27, he stopped 35 of 38 shots against Dallas, and the Jets lost in overtime. Four days earlier, he was pulled in Carolina after five goals on 17 shots. Last night, he made 24 saves on 26 shots. That is a .923 save percentage. And for a goalie, that is so huge to get your swagger back because now it looks like you can trust him in the net again. Obviously, goaltending is a big mental game, and when you have a lot of confidence, you're going to be great in the cage. One good night looks like a turn. Dig it. His season save percentage is .885, and the league average is .890. The team in front of him gives up 7.9 high-danger shots a game, 28th fewest of 32 teams. But it is his fifth win of the year, the most of this season. A starter who wins is a starter who gets the next one. Now the fine print, Vancouver is bad. The Canucks are 3-14-1. They've lost four in a row. They are 1-3-11 in their last 15. So no, this isn't a team that just beat a contender. This is a team that took what the schedule gave it. But look at what those nine losses do to a room. You don't need to be the contender. You just need to get wins up on the board to get your confidence back, and the Jets are doing that. And that was the kind of night it was. The puck just went in, and nobody had to hold their breath. So here's what the Jets bought with that win. While everyone else was watching a nine-game losing streak, the Jets made a move that tells you exactly where they are right now. On Tuesday, November the 3rd, Winnipeg placed Brad Lambert on waivers. And on Wednesday, Elliott Friedman confirmed it. Lambert cleared. Every other team in the league had its chance to take him for free. All 31 of them said no. Now, you could hear that and shrug. A guy gets sent to the minors every other week. But this is not just a guy. Brad Lambert was picked 30th in the 2022 draft. A year before that, he was talked about as a top three candidate. Then scouts lost a lot of love for him. He is 22 years old. In 42 NHL games, he has three goals and nine points, and he's minus nine. This season he had one assist in 11 games and on the last road trip the Jets played defenseman Tyrell Bauer at forward instead of him. Beat writer Mike McIntyre said the writing was on the wall, he was right. So why is it huge that nobody claimed him because of what happens if somebody does? The Jets have lost nine straight. They went 0-7-2 in the streak, and the last game was a 7-0 loss to Carolina. Captain Matt Lowry said to himself, it was just not good enough. Think about the month Winnipeg has had. On October 23rd, they traded Connor Hellebuyck, the franchise goaltender, as well. In that 7-0 loss to Carolina, the other bench had Nikolaj Ehlers, a guy who used to be a Jet. So the Jets already lost a franchise guy in this trade in Connor Hellebuck. So losing a first round pick in Brad Lambert for nothing would have stung. When a team is that far down, losing a first-round pick for basically nothing would have stung, and it would have made the streak seem maybe a little bit worse at the time. Instead, the Jets get to keep him. He goes to Manitoba Moose, where he has 34 goals and 103 points in 159 NHL games since 23-24. Those are real numbers for a 22-year-old, and the Jets can still find out if he can be an NHL player while playing in the AHL. And a minor league assignment is not a promotion, and it doesn't fix one assist in 11 games in the NHL. He has to show something down there. He has to prove that he can be an NHLer. That is what this stint is for. The team wants him to go down there and prove to everybody that he belongs in the everyday lineup, so hopefully we can see that for him in the Manitoba Moose. But I want to be honest, because there is a flip side to this. 31 teams looked at this 22-year-old former first-round pick for free, and none of them wanted him. That is a verdict, too. So the question isn't whether this move was huge or anything. It is what the Jets do with the chance that they kept. And remember who passed Vigo Bjork on October 22nd when Bjork nearly scored his first NHL goal? It was Lambert. Different story, a same team. Young players are the whole plan in Winnipeg right now, and Lambert is supposed to be one of them. So he cleared waivers. The Jets did not lose a prospect here, which is great. They kept a question mark, and a question mark is worth more than nothing. So here's what the Jets bought with that win. So where does that leave Winnipeg? 6, 8, and 3, 7th in the Central. That is still a hole. Minnesota has 25 points. The Jets have 15. But that is why last night matters. One win is a result, but three firsts on the same night, that's a feeling. Tampa Bay comes to Winnipeg on Sunday. Do the Jets keep it going? Who do you think was the story of last night's game? Mercer or Bjork? Let me know down below in the comments. And if you want to stay up to date on the latest news around the Winnipeg Jets or your home for it here on YouTube, scroll below, hit that subscribe button. And as always, I've been your host, Casey. We'll catch you in the next one.