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Warriors' Steph Curry disliked viral, heated Klay Thompson-Ja Morant interaction

Warriors' Steph Curry disliked viral, heated Klay Thompson-Ja Morant interaction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Distance has separated the dynastic trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. 

But there still is a yearning to ride together. 

Curry, speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon in a recent story on Thompson, did not like seeing his old backcourt partner getting into an altercation with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant last month without his usual backup. 

“The idea that he is carrying the Warrior success no matter what jersey he has on, I do like that part of it,” Curry told ESPN. “But I don’t like people taking shots at him when he doesn’t have that coverage and he doesn’t have his guys with him.” 

It’s not unusual – especially in recent years – to see Thompson take exception to personal slights. The proud four-time champion has found himself in a few chirping matches; one notably with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker while Thompson still was with the Warriors. 

Curry always had his teammate’s back, and it’s understandably tough to not be in a position to support him in a heated moment.  

Green, also speaking with ESPN, felt similar when Thompson got into it briefly with Miami Heat rookie Myron Gardner a few days after the Morant altercation. 

“That’s two instances in a row I saw him arguing by himself,” Green told ESPN. “What the f–k?” 

Green, known for not shying away from confrontation, very notably had Thompson’s back during a scuffle with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023-24 NBA season. 

Now that the trio has dwindled to a duo, Curry and Green are feeling the helplessness that distance has caused. 

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World's tallest teen sets new basketball record

Olivier Rioux warming up before a game. He has dark hair and is wearing a white sports vest. He is holding a ball in his raised right hand as he approaches the basket to score.
Olivier Rioux, pictured in a warm-up last month, has now made his first official dunk [Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images]

A 7ft 9in (2.36m) teenager has become the tallest player to score a basket in the history of college basketball.

Olivier Rioux, of the Florida Gators, dunked late on as his side beat Saint Francis 102-61 on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Canadian had become the tallest player to play on a college court when he made his first appearance last month.

He was declared the tallest teenager by Guinness World Records in 2021 when he was then 7ft 5in (2.26m).

While the dunk was the centre's first, he had scored a free throw against Merrimack on 21 November.

Where would Rioux stand in NBA?

If he were to enter the game's top level, Rioux would be above any of its current players in terms of height.

The NBA lists 21-year-old French sensation Victor Wembanyama as its tallest, with the San Antonio Spurs star measuring 7ft 4in (2.24m).

Zach Edey, of the Memphis Grizzlies, is next - with the 23-year-old standing 7ft 3in (2.21m).

Three other players are 7ft 2in (2.18m), according to the NBA's website.

They are 23-year-old Donovan Clingan, of the Portland Trail Blazers, 24-year-old Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, and Kristaps Porzingis of the Atlanta Hawks.

The NBA's tallest-ever players are listed as Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, who were both 7ft 7in (2.31m).

Bol played between 1985 and 1997, while Muresan, who was nicknamed the Giant, was on court from 1991 to 2001.

Guinness World Records had previously listed China's Sun Mingming, who is 7ft 8.98in, as the tallest active basketball player in 2013 when he was playing in his home country. He retired a year later.

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Advice Tony Vitello has received so far from iconic former Giants managers

Advice Tony Vitello has received so far from iconic former Giants managers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Before heading to his first Winter Meetings, Tony Vitello called a half-dozen people around the game and asked about what to expect from the event. As he prepares for his first spring training, his main concern is similar. 

What keeps him up at night?

“What is it like,” Vitello replied on a recent “Giants Talk” podcast. 

There is a lot being thrown at the new Giants manager, but he at least is supported with a tremendously experienced group of coaches and advisors. His staff will include former big-league managers Ron Washington and Jayce Tingler, and the front office now includes Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker, both of whom should get inducted into the Hall of Fame at next year’s Winter Meetings. 

Vitello’s cell phone is filled with the likes of Peyton Manning and Jelly Roll, and when he has a question about managing an MLB game, there will be no shortage of people he can call. The guidance started even before he got hired, though. Baker and Bochy were part of the interview process and both are confident the first-year manager will succeed. 

Bochy had dinner with Vitello and his parents earlier this offseason, and on Thursday’s “Giants Talk,” he said that meeting started with a funny question. 

“First I asked him if he was nuts,” Bochy said, smiling. “Because I live in Tennessee now and of course I know how big he was there and how popular and what a great program they had there in Tennessee. But he’s ready for a new challenge and he couldn’t find a better spot than San Francisco and I told him that.

“I think the fans are going to love him. He’s smart, understands the game. You talk to him and you get it. I think he’s going to have a nice career.”

Bochy’s run in San Francisco included three titles, and they were won in large part because of his postseason bullpen management. It can be difficult from the outside to determine just how much a manager is impacting the clubhouse day to day, but Vitello’s in-game management will be heavily scrutinized given his lack of experience. When it comes to late-game moves, he can lean on perhaps the best to ever do it. 

“There’s no easy answer on that because every year you’re probably going to have a different bullpen, especially in today’s game,” Bochy said of managing late in games. “You have to adjust every year with what you have, who is your closer — we had to change closers when I was there — and how you work your bullpen. You get to know them and you just get better with it as the year goes. 

“Hopefully after a month you have a good feel of what you have and you trust your instincts, because you’re going to get a lot of information. He’s been doing this for a while. Just go with your gut when you think you need to make a change.”

Vitello and Bochy spoke on the phone a couple of times before meeting up in person, but he had a bit more experience with Baker because the two met at this year’s All-Star Game. Baker said earlier this month that he has “been urging people to give (Vitello) a chance.”

“He’s one of ours now,” he said. 

As for any advice, the man who spent 26 years on the top step of the dugout said it’s important to avoid outside noise.

“Don’t read the tweets and the blogs,” Baker said, “Because now you’re judged every day versus just on the weekends.”

That shouldn’t be too big a problem for a young manager who included the phrase “Twitter is not life” in his introductory press conference at Oracle Park in October.

Both Baker and Bochy were at the Winter Meetings and got a chance to catch up with Vitello, who also held a big dinner for his entire staff. He has a busy couple of months ahead, with trips to the Dominican Republic and South Korea on the schedule, along with endless Zoom calls to make sure he’s fully prepared for his first spring. It’s been 30 years since Bochy had to run a camp for the first time, and he’ll be there with guidance if Vitello needs it. But he said he’s confident the new manager will hit the ground running. 

“I think you look at what he’s done up to this point and he started out wearing a lot of different hats, being a pitching coach, being an assistant and grinded his way to being the head coach there at Tennessee. He changed that program around and became a winner,” Bochy said. “He’s a motivator and you get that feeling when you talk to him. I know he’s excited and wants to do well and I think you’re talking about a guy that loves baseball. You can see the passion.

“I’ve already called him a baseball rat and he’s not that old, but that’s his life and I know he’s excited about this opportunity.”

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Why Jimmy Butler and mediocrity are a bad combination for the Warriors

Why Jimmy Butler and mediocrity are a bad combination for the Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are acutely aware that the buzz around the Warriors is becoming a roar. They know this has been a most exasperating season and they’ve won enough rings to know this is not it – and, at this rate, won’t be it.

Jimmy Butler III, aching for a ring, also knows this is not it. As the driving force of two underdog Miami teams that reached the NBA Finals, he knows of habits that ensure success and habits that prevent it.

From the instant Butler was acquired by the Warriors last February and signed his $111 million contract extension, he announced his goal. He wants to win. Not Player of the Week, or Player of the Month or votes for the All-Star team. And certainly not a mere 13 of 27 games, which is what the Warriors have done over the first two months.

He wants the ring that puts a crown on his Hall of Fame career.

As the Warriors stagger about, Butler is biting his tongue and trying to play the role of the good soldier. Witness the time and effort he puts into Jonathan Kuminga (only to see him sit on the bench the last three games). Jimmy wants no part of the reputation that followed him to the Bay; some of those left on the other side of bridges he burned insist he is fabulous during the “honeymoon” phase but ultimately will become discontented.

But as the Warriors and their dizzying variety of lineups and rotations go nowhere, with wins rarer than anyone accepts, no member of the Warriors – players, coaches, front office – is content. CEO Joe Lacob expressed his frustration in an email reply to a dissatisfied fan. Kerr, Curry and Green are not hiding their irritation. And they all own the kind of jewelry Butler seeks.

It is understandable if it is difficult for Butler, 36 years old and on his fifth NBA team, to ride the storm. Let’s be clear: Jimmy has not said so, at least not publicly. But his desire to win runs so deep that mediocrity gnaws at his ethos.

Consider the words of Butler during a “Dubs Talk” podcast recording on Dec. 1:

 “If it’s about winning — if it’s about winning it, the championship – I’m all for it. If it’s not, and there are any other agendas, y’all won’t like it. Because I don’t care. I’m literally just here to win. That’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

Consider the phrase “y’all won’t like it” a euphemism for “Do not expect joy from me if losing becomes a habit.”

It is conceivable that Butler finding it difficult to stomach a team that can’t find its way out of the NBA swamp. To care about a team that has spent most of the past month in eighth place in the Western Conference. To care, dare we say, about the urges of a coach that, eight weeks into the season acknowledges he needs to be better at maximizing Jimmy’s best assets.

“I’ve got to find a way to get him more into the groove of the game,” Kerr conceded Sunday after Butler took 11 shots as Portland came back to hang a 136-131 loss on Golden State. “Eleven shots? I don’t really consider Jimmy’s game to be dependent on how many shots he gets. But we do need his scoring. We do need his playmaking.

“We did a better job last year of putting him in position to attack and create shots for people. We need to get back to that type of control of the game where we’re going to him in the half court, especially when Steph’s out. Going to him in the half court, taking care of the ball, turning the other team over, controlling the game. And we’re not there.

“We’ve had a few moments during the season, but we’re not able to consistently put the ball in Jimmy’s hands and let him control games like we did at the end of last year.”

Butler is playing well, but his impact is not up to his high standard. The standard that put his name on MVP ballots in three different seasons. The standard that made Jimmy “Himmy.”

The standard that would be a huge step toward lifting the Warriors out of the quagmire and, perhaps, into a top-six team in the West.

As a primary ballhandler, Green also takes some of the blame for games when Butler doesn’t routinely get the ball on offense – particularly when Curry is off the floor.

“I’ve got to do a better job of that,” Green said in Portland. “And then, as I do a better job with that, I also need Jimmy to be more aggressive and demonstrative and go take the ball or come get the ball or say exactly where he wants the ball.

“And he will. You know he doesn’t shy away from that. We’re putting it together. This is game 27. Nobody’s panicking.”

Plenty of fans are panicking, but that’s typical and they don’t dictate outcomes. Kerr, Curry and Green are not panicking, partly because they believe the best Jimmy is yet to come.

The best Jimmy ought to be a priority for Kerr, the Warriors and Butler. It’s essential for the current roster, clearly imperfect, to reach its potential. No one on the payroll wants that more than Butler.

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Even with Jimmy Butler, Warriors find themselves in similar spot as last year

Even with Jimmy Butler, Warriors find themselves in similar spot as last year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – There’s a strong argument that the most introspective player on the Warriors, a team centered on three NBA stars 35 years and older, is 23-year-old Moses Moody. 

He’s a reader and a poet. He spits meaningful bars at the podium that your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper wishes they could think of. He’s wise beyond his age and always worth listening to. He also took a long pause Tuesday when asked about the mood of a 13-14 Warriors team that already has gone through countless ups and downs in the 2025-26 NBA season. 

“Good question,” Moody began.

“I would say good, through and through,” he continued. “A lot of highs and lows. A lot of professionals on the team, so it’s not dealing with childish emotions or anything like that. It’s more so grown men trying to figure something out. And that’s from the coaching staff to the last player on the bench. 

“It’s not a bunch of emotions of, ‘Oh, you said this, you said that,’ rather than a group of men trying to figure something out, and that’s cool to see.” 

Moody chose his words carefully. Frustrations for the Warriors have been seen in numerous ways. This is a team that went 23-8 down the stretch last season after trading for Jimmy Butler, beat the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs and felt like they were destined for the Western Conference finals until Steph Curry’s hamstring strain. 

There even was a contingent within the franchise that believed a healthy Warriors team could beat the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. This season’s team can’t keep leaning on that run. It’s done, it’s over. 

The Warriors, as the calendar year gets close to ending, feel much more like the pre-Butler team they were around the same time a year ago than the post-Butler one right now.

Even coach Steve Kerr sees the similarities. 

“Yeah, it feels a lot like last year, ironically,” Kerr said Tuesday. “At the trade deadline I think we were .500. We were very inconsistent. We traded for Dennis [Schröder] first, and then Jimmy obviously as we were searching for answers and we found it. And I’m very, very confident that this group will find it, because we already have Jimmy and when we’re healthy I think the lineup is very formidable. 

“I think we have depth, I think we have everything we need. So it’s on me to put it together and to help these guys find the rhythm and the confidence that I know they have inside.” 

Though Moody didn’t perfectly agree with the similarities of last year to this year, he does share the feelings of his coach in why belief is warranted. 

“It feels different,” Moody said. “I’m not exactly sure the situation last year at this time. But these last couple games – there have been so many games this year that we should have won coming down to the end like that. We’re not far off. One shot goes differently and it’s a whole different conversation. I think we’re able to realize that. Coach is able to realize that. So nobody is panicking, more so as we’re trying to figure it out. Just figure it out a little bit. 

“I think it happens a lot of times that you’ll be so close to what you want and you just need to change something, so you change something, and then you’re actually a lot further away than you’re actually trying to get to. I think it’s a delicate situation, as well as we just got to figure it out and that’s what we’re working towards.”

Needing a change became obvious enough to the Warriors last season that they traded for Schröder the first day they were able to make such a move on Dec. 15. The Warriors were 14-10 at the time. They were a game under .500 on Dec. 15 this season, and a move doesn’t seem imminent at the moment since Jonathan Kuminga can’t be traded until Jan. 15. 

From the offseason to the first third of the regular season, the Kuminga cloud has hovered over everything involving the Warriors. Kuminga has received three straight healthy DNPs, in which the Warriors won the first game against a reeling Chicago Bulls team and then dropped two straight against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves and Blazers are both teams Kuminga is meant for with his combination of size and athleticism, especially after averaging over 24 points in the final four games of the playoffs against the Timberwolves seven months ago. 

Then this week, a fan email to Joe Lacob received a response from the Warriors owner and went viral. In the response, Lacob alluded to “style of play,” “coaches desires regarding players,” and “league trends” for why the Warriors have been struggling. Kerr on Tuesday brushed off the email, calling it “no big deal,” but it undoubtedly pulled back the curtain to the public in areas the two disagree on.

After getting DNP’d in Chicago, Kuminga said that he and Kerr have a good relationship and the coach echoed those sentiments when the Warriors returned home. Sources also acknowledge there have been some moments of high intensity between the two of them this season.

Butler has gone two straight games without speaking to the media after two bad losses, getting out as fast as he could. He and Draymond Green, who recorded eight turnovers in his return Sunday, didn’t appear to be on the same page offensively and defensively more than once during that game in Portland. 

Though Kuminga can’t be traded for another five weeks, the upcoming G League Winter Showcase in Orlando from Dec. 19 through the 22nd will be four days of agents and front offices meeting, and words can turn to action from those conversations.

After using nine different starting lineups in as many games, Kerr on Tuesday said he’s going to give an extended look to the group that began the game against the Blazers. The next day, he said Kuminga has strung together multiple great practices while doing everything the team has asked, indicating he’ll be back in the rotation perhaps as soon as Thursday against the Suns in Phoenix. With health and availability being large factors, Kerr already has used 15 starting lineups in 27 games. 

Doing so also is an indication of the roster Kerr is working with. They’re a small team in a big man’s world, and an old team in a young man’s game. The Warriors needed all 95 of Curry’s points to beat the San Antonio Spurs in two consecutive games a little more than a month ago, yet 87 points and 18 threes over two games wasn’t enough to beat a Timberwolves team that didn’t have Anthony Edwards and a 10-win Blazers team that would have just seven wins if they never played the Warriors this season. 

Is this déjà vu from a year ago, something worse or a team that leads the NBA in blown fourth-quarter leads but still feels like they’re on the precipice of something special? 

“I know that we have the answer here,” Kerr said Wednesday. “Last year I felt like we had to make a move. This year I don’t think that’s the case. I think we have what we need here, but we need to develop more consistency in our play and that starts with me giving these guys more consistent roles, making sure we get Jimmy the ball, making sure we get to that style of play from last year when we had control of games. … We’re not in control of games right now. 

“We have that ability, and that’s our focus.”

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Golden Knights Lose To Devils In Shootout, Extend Point Streak To Eight Games

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights extended their point streak to eight games after losing to the New Jersey Devils in a shootout, 2-1, on Tuesday night.

Trailing 1-0 late in the third, Vegas got the equalizer when Pavel Dorofeyev scored a power-play goal at the 15:49 mark.

But New Jersey goaltender Jake Allen put together a stalwart effort in overtime, stopping all four of Vegas' shots, including one during a power play, and then all three of the Knights' opportunities during the shootout.

Dorofeyev, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner missed their shots during the shootout. Marner's shot went into the net, but only after hitting his skate following the initial shot.

Jesper Bratt scored the game-winning goal in the shootout for New Jersey, while Connor Brown scored the Devils' regulation goal.

Carter Hart made 32 saves for Vegas, while Allen stopped 37 shot for the Devils.

New Jersey improved to 9-6-0 against the Western Conference with the win.

Vegas, meanwhile, moved into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks, both with 42 points.

"At the end of the day, you get into overtime, each team had a good look, then we got the power play, couldn't quite finish it," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "And shootouts, well, we just haven't scored enough in the shootout. So, we'll take the point. There was some good things. Always things to correct. Get ready for Calgary."

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KEY MOMENT

Playing without star center Jack Eichel, the Knights were finally able to find the back of the net when they scored a power-play goal for the third straight game. It was Dorofeyev's second power-play in as many games, and ninth of the season.

KEY STAT

7-0-4 ... The Golden Knights still don't have a regulation loss against teams from the Metropolitan Division, grabbing 18 of a possible 22 points against them. Vegas and New Jersey ended up splitting their regular-season series after the Knights won 3-0 in New Jersey on Dec. 5.

WHAT A KNIGHT

Hart continues to play impressively, as it very easily could have been a high-scoring game if not for a goaltenders' duel. Hart came up with several big saves, among his 32 stops, and still hasn't lost in regulation. Since making his debut on Dec. 2, Hart is 3-0-2 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

"It wasn't our best game," defenseman Brayden McNabb said. " I think both goalies played outstanding today. Carter kept us in it in the first for sure. And we had our looks, we had lots of great chances there. Their goalie played well. To get a point is great. Would have liked to get two."

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights plays the first of back-to-back games in Western Canada on Saturday against Calgary.

PHOTO CAPTION: New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during a shootout at T-Mobile Arena.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

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Allen Makes 37 Saves, Devils Blank Golden Knights In Pesce's Return

On Wednesday night, the New Jersey Devils came to play when the puck dropped against the Vegas Golden Knights at 10:22 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena.

After 60 minutes, overtime, and a shootout, the Devils celebrated a 2-1 victory with Connor Brownscoring the team’s lone goal in regulation, while Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout. Goaltender Jake Allen made 37 saves on 38 shots.

After an excellent first period, the Devils scored the game’s opening goal four minutes into the middle frame. Brown scored his eighth goal of the season after he stole the puck and shot it past opposing goaltender Carter Hart. It was unassisted.

Brown has not only been a fantastic addition on the ice, but in the locker room as well, as he developed into one of the team’s vocal leaders, joining Brenden Dillon, Jacob Markstrom, and Allen.

“For me, it is honestly a big part of my game, kind of always has been,” he toldThe Hockey News. “It is a big way I make sure I am getting myself going, just talking and being loud. I kind of understood that it was something that I would be dependent on here. I think (we are) a team that has a lot of skill and wants to get to the next step. (I was not) not stepping into a really big veteran team, so that just kind of made sense.”

With 4:10 minutes remaining in regulation, Vegas tied the game at 1-1 while on the power play. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first career goal against Allen.

After a five-minute overtime, where Allen stopped five shots, he was perfect in the shootout, while Bratt scored the game-winner.  

Wednesday night marked Brett Pesce’s return to the lineup and first game since Oct. 26. He logged 23:58 of ice time, the most he’s played in a single game this season. The 31-year-old finished the game with three shots on goal and three blocked shots.

“It has been killing me, to be honest, not being able to be out here with the guys," Pesce told NJD.TV. "It was the perfect first game for me. Battle to the very end - four-on-threes, penalty kill, and blocked shots. It was a nice game to get back (in)." 

“He was excellent," Keefe continued. "He was himself. Probably fitting that his first shift is on the penalty kill, and he made a couple plays there that the whole bench grew an inch when they see him out there making those types of plays."

The Devils will continue their road trip with a visit to Utah as they face the Utah Mammoth on Friday night.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils sitefor THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Observations From Blues' 1-0 Win Vs. Jets

ST. LOUIS – A season that hasn’t exactly gone the way the St. Louis Blues wanted, for one night at least, got plenty of motivation looking at an opponent on the other side of the ice that would surely get their competitive juices up.

Wednesday’s opponent, the Winnipeg Jets, served a reminder of the anguish and agony that ended the Blues’ season last year, a seven-game series in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs when the Jets won in improbable fashion dubbed the ‘Manitoba Miracle.’

Each team was in a similar position in the standings this season, and a win would matter in the utmost of circumstances, and the Blues would prevail by the slimmest of margins, winning 1-0, at Enterprise Center.

Justin Faulk scored the lone goal of the game, and Joel Hofer redeemed himself from a subpar outing on Monday against the Nashville Predators, and didn’t have to stand on his head but was steady-solid with a 24-save effort for his third shutout of the season and fifth of his career.

“It's hard to know what to expect with the way the season has gone, to be honest,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “It was nice to see the way we started the game, the way we did compete. It did turn into the playoff-type game that wasn’t as physical as the playoffs (against the Jets in the Western Conference First Round last year), but it was physical for this regular season, that’s for sure.”

The Blues improved to 13-15-7 on the season, while the Jets fell to 15-16-2.

Let’s look at Wednesday’s game observations:

* Berggren, Stenberg each solid in Blues/NHL debut – Implementing two new players into a lineup can be a challenge, especially for a team searching for an identity.

For the Blues, Jonatan Berggren and Otto Stenberg actually provided a breath of fresh air.

Let’s start with Stenberg, who made his NHL debut and finished with 13:38 of ice time.

The first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft didn’t look out of place, and Montgomery even gave the forward 1:00 of his 13:38 on the night on the penalty kill.

“I thought Stenberg was really responsible and good puck support,” Montgomery said. “His intelligence keeps the team connected. We don't get too spread apart. He puts the breaks on. He has good habits, stops, comes right back to the house. Made some really good reads on our penalty kill and our D-zone coverage too. I thought it was a really good start to his career.

“We saw it in training camp that this is a real smart player. His details are really good. His stick’s in the right place, he makes it predictable for his other teammates about where the puck should go so you can anticipate and that just helps us spend less time in our D-zone or helps us clear pucks on the penalty kill.”

Stenberg, who played on a line with Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours and gave Schenn a terrific cross seam pass that Schenn put wide in the second period, did not look out of place in his debut, and with his parents David and Cecilia watching:

As for Berggren, who the Blues claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, he played 12:45 and was quite noticeable himself. He had three shots on goal and probably deserved a couple of assists on real high-end passes he made to Dalibor Dvorsky for a breakaway in the first period and finding Pius Suter in the second period that nearly resulted in a goal.

“Some high end passes,” Montgomery said of Berggren. “The backhand one, that's high-end vision there to send in (Dalibor) Dvorsky on the breakaway and then the slip play he makes in the offensive zone to (Pius) Suter (in the second period), who almost stuffs it in on the weakside. He had a couple more really connected passes.”

Berggren, who had two goals and four assists in 15 games with the Red Wings, definitely wanted to show and prove something after getting a bit humbled in that fashion.

“It felt good,” Berggren said. “It was a lot of fun to play a game and the boys were so nice. I think it was really fun to play.

“I think that’s the key is to go out and play. I play hockey all my life. It’s a different team. It was a little bit weird in the beginning to see blue instead of red, but as long as the game continues, I felt better and better.”

The line with Berggren, Suter and Dvorsky produced 11 of the Blues’ 26 shots in the game and it was dangerous in the offensive zone on multiple occasions.

“I talk about being connected and that means they’re in triangles,” Montgomery said. “There’s two at the goal line, there’s one above them or there’s one down behind the net and two are inside the dots. So that made them really dangerous offensively. I thought they were our best offensive line and I thought it was because they didn’t force plays, and because they didn’t force plays, they had a lot of O-zone time. They seemed to find each other really well. They were playing so well, we thought about putting one on each line. … they were very good for us.”

* Hofer redemption – The fact that Montgomery came back with Hofer for a third straight game after he wasn’t at his best Monday in a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators speaks volumes of what the organization thinks of the 25-year-old.

Hofer, as mentioned, didn’t have to stand on his head, but he saw pucks cleanly, didn’t give off any juicy rebounds for a team that loves to pound the net and most importantly, didn’t allow the Jets to get any sort of forecheck going with his puck-handling, shutting down any rims into the zone and distributing it quickly to get transitioned out.

“Not the best outing (Monday), but grateful that I was given the opportunity,” said Hofer, a Winnipeg native. “I just wanted to go out and work hard and give my team the best chance to win. Super grateful. … I’m just grateful. Every day here’s a great day. Whether I’m playing or not, it’s a great opportunity and it’s a blessing to wear the Bluenote and just happy I can contribute.

“All wins are nice. It’s obviously nice to beat them. They’ve obviously become a rival of ours. That was tough the last time we played them. That was extra motivation for us. It’s just good that we got the win tonight.

“Obviously you want to go to battle and compete with the boys. It’s nice. I’m a competitor. I want to play. It was super-important. It’s nice to get a win.”

* Boxing out Winnipeg’s big forwards – The Jets love to crowd the crease, jam away in the slot, create havoc in front of the goalie. But that was more difficult on Wednesday with the way the Blues effectively boxed out.

Hofer actually credited the guys in front of him more so for his shutout than anything else.

“I think it was more of the guys,” Hofer said. “That’s been an emphasis of ours as of late at the net fronts. We were great at boxing out. I saw most of the pucks tonight. They did a great job.”

And the fact the two teams slugged it out in a seven-game playoff series last spring stirs the pot a touch.

“I think there’s some familiarity with how each other play stemming from last year, but both teams I think are both in a position where they’ve got to find their game and try and build something,” Faulk said. ‘We were expecting it to be a tight game, a physical and intense game. I think that was definitely it.”

* Faulk’s offense – Last season, Faulk was not involved in the offense as often, scoring just four goals in 78 games.

With his game-winner on Wednesday, that gives him eight goals and 18 points in 35 games, and the eight goals are amazingly tied for the team lead with Dylan Holloway, Jordan Kyrou and Neighbours.

“He has the physical gifts of skating of going past forwards when we transition to offense,” Montgomery said of Faulk. “He joins the play, he reads the play really well and joins it really well, whether it’s in the O-zone or off the rush. And then he’s got a lethal shot. That was a real smart shot, the goal, the game-winning goal, the only goal of the game. Just the way he went far side and picked it, that’s a high-end goal.”

Faulk took advantage of a successful forecheck when Pavel Buchnevich separated Dylan DeMelo of the puck creating a loose situation where Robert Thomas got it, found Faulk coming down the slot and he picked the top corner on Connor Hellebuyck at 13:17 of the second period:

* First-period shift was a precursor that Blues were in it to win it – It was a bit of a stalemate approaching the halfway mark of the first period of a 0-0 game, but things really heated up for the Blues and it started when Thomas hit the post 8:39 into the period. It was followed up by Buchnevich hitting the cross bar 8:54 in, then Suter, who led the Blues with six shots on goal, missed on an opportunity 9:29 in.

The Blues had multiple shifts where they put seven shots on goal in just 23 seconds (Suter had three, Logan Mailloux had two, including a great chance off a pass from Berggren that hit Hellebuyck, and Cam Fowler and Berggren each had one). They didn’t score but it was a precursor of just what the Blues were looking to accomplish out of this game and their plan for attack on the Jets.

“It gave us some confidence,” Faulk said. ‘They didn’t go in, but when you can spend some time in the O-zone and not only that, but create some Grade A chances and get some confidence for the group. Our first periods haven’t been great lately so to kind of go out there and create some momentum was huge for us. It kind of leaked into the rest of the night.”

* Shutting down Winnipeg’s top line – it’s no secret that Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gave Vilardi are Winnipeg’s top offensive players. That line accounted for 48.5 percent of Winnipeg’s goals this season, and the Thomas line with Buchnevich, Robby Fabbri (until he was parked on the bench in the third period) and Alexey Toropchenko with help from defensemen Philip Broberg and Colton Parayko put the brakes on that trio.

Connor came in with a nine-game point streak (four goals, nine assists), but was held to three shots on goal; the line had five total.

“I think they took it upon themselves to be on the right side of pucks,” Montgomery said of Thomas’ line. “Didn’t give them many odd-man rushes. I think they might have had one all game, so they were just on the right side of pucks and a lot of that was 6 and 55, we get that matchup. They’re long and fast and they have great sticks, so that really helps the forward line that’s being matched up against them.”

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