Chris Johnston just reported that a sweater hit the ice during Devils warmups in Winnipeg, followed by loud chants of "Coward!"
New Jersey is the visitor at Canada Life Centre tonight, and the pregame scene has already given the Jets a louder building than a 4-4-1 home record usually produces.
Johnston noted that the sweater landed during warmups and that the chants followed right behind it.
-
The post doesn't say who the chants were aimed at, who threw the sweater, or what set the crowd off. Until someone with the Devils or the Jets speaks, any explanation is a guess, and we won't offer one.
What is confirmed is the setting. The Devils meet the Jets tonight, and the puck hasn't dropped yet.
Winnipeg comes in on a three-game winning streak after beating Tampa Bay 4-3 on Sunday. That is a nice stretch for a club sitting 23rd in the NHL with a goal differential of -14.
The Jets sit sixth in the Central Division, and a 3-6-1 mark over their last 10 shows how uneven the season has been. A rowdy crowd is a lift they will gladly take.
Does the noise matter once the puck drops?
It can, but only to a point. Hostile crowds fuel the home team for a period, then the game gets decided by the same things as always: goaltending, special teams, who wins the first 10 minutes.
Winnipeg has not been dominant at home, with four wins in nine games. A building that is already loud before the opening faceoff is a real edge for a team trying to turn a streak into a climb.
For the Devils, the job is simple: block it out. Visiting teams that let the crowd get inside their heads usually end up chasing the game, and a noisy start in a tight building is where that begins.
The Jets will be watching how New Jersey handles the first shift, and so will everyone else tonight.
More to come.
Quick hits
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Sammi Silber just confirmed that Logan Thompson starts for the Capitals tonight in Ottawa. Samuel Ersson gets the Senators' net, so goaltending is the whole story in this one.
-
FLORIDA PANTHERS: Jacob Markstrom and the Panthers face a red-hot Cam Talbot in Columbus tonight. The two goalies are heading in opposite directions, and Florida needs Markstrom to match him.
-
MONTREAL CANADIENS: Jesper Wallstedt will face Jacob Fowler and the Canadiens tonight at the Bell Centre. It's Carey Price night, so expect plenty of emotion before the puck drops.
-
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Jean-Gabriel Pageau sat out Islanders practice in San Jose on Tuesday for a maintenance day, with no further detail. The lines are a question mark until he's listed.
-
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Roman Josi needs just one point against the Kings tonight in Los Angeles to become the first Switzerland-born player to reach 800 career points. Milestone watch is on.
-
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Is throwing a sweater on the ice during warmups going too far for a home crowd?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Detroit Red Wings land William Nylander and Morgan Rielly in massive Maple Leafs trade proposal
