Jets Frustrated as Losses Continue to Pile Up

Stringing together wins has never been such a problem for the once-dominant Central Division’s Winnipeg Jets. A few years – and a few players – removed from a 2018 Western Conference Final appearance, the Jets have been on a downward spiral.

From a first-round exit to the St. Louis Blues the following year, to a qualifying round loss to the Calgary Flames in the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season, Winnipeg went on to sweep the Edmonton Oilers in the first round last year, before being swept themselves by the eventual runner-up Montreal just a week later.

So far in 2021-22, the team has been cold, colder, a bit warmer, cold again, and then freezing. Right now, following a slight thaw, the trajectory has seemingly followed the local temperature. With the mercury dropping down into the minus 40s (with the windchill) overnight in the ‘Peg, the hometown team is looking to shake off the winter blues with a victory over rival Nashville Predators down in toasty Tennessee.

On Friday night, the Jets battled to a 4-3 overtime loss to fellow divisional opponent Dallas Stars. After taking an early lead, the team gave up two quick goals, before knotting it back up again. Jamie Benn gave the home team a late lead before Winnipeg struck on a six-on-five with just seconds left in the clock to tie it late.

“Yeah, I don’t know the last time we worked on six-on-five, but we’ve got a lot of guys who are (familiar) with each other,” said Mark Scheifele, who scored the game-tying goal for the Jets. “We have guys that have played together. Obviously, they’re going to pressure hard and they’re going to make it hard to get to the inside ice. We had a few good looks. Dubie had a good look earlier in it and obviously mine.”

Although gaining a point, Winnipeg did succumb two to a stingy Stars team that they are chasing in a substantial hill climb to make the postseason.

“We knew what to expect, they play hard,” Scheifele added post-game. “You just can’t play into that game, you can’t let them take you off the puck, you’ve got to move the puck quick and you have to have close support. We did good with it sometimes, we did bad with it sometimes. That’s just a matter of knowing where guys are going to be and anticipating it. That’s something that when you play a team like that, you’ve got to be ready for it.”

Currently sitting seventh of 10 teams in the Western Conference wild card race, the Jets own a 19-17-8 record through 44 contests. The one piece of solace might be the fact they have played the third-fewest amount of games thus far in 2021-22, but Minnesota (which currently holds the third seed in the Central Division) is one of the two teams with less games played than Winnipeg.

“We did get a point there at the end,” interim head coach Dave Lowry said of his team’s performance in Dallas on Friday. “Yeah, you always want that extra one, that extra point.”

Most notably, giving up points to a Central Division opponent is also a no-no. With divisional matchups making up six of their next nine contests, the Jets will need to find a way to win games, and do so in regulation.

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Following Saturday’s evening tilt with Nashville, the team returns home to Canada Life Centre for a four-game homestand, to which Chicago, Minnesota, Seattle and Edmonton pop by for four games in a six-day span.

Working in Winnipeg’s favour is the fact that Manitoba Public Health has heavily relaxed its restrictions in time for the majority of the team’s homestand. As of February 15, attendance restrictions will be lifted, meaning Canada Life Centre will be filled to full capacity for the team’s home games going forward – a significant boost to a once-dominant home team.

It’s over.

Capacity restrictions will be lifted in Manitoba come February 15. Vaccination cards will no longer be required. The mask mandate will be scrapped come March 15.

4-3-2-1 great… spring?

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) February 11, 2022

Connor Hellebuyck, who is tied for second across the league in games started, will likely pick up starts in four of the next five games, with his lone break coming for the home contest against. When asked post-game if his No. 1 backstop would be starting in Nashville, Lowry did not hesitate before saying Hellebuyck would be ready to go if called upon.

“I’m sure that he wants to play every game from here on in,” Lowry said. “Both goalies will be available tomorrow.”

With 39 games left to play over a 78 day period of time, Winnipeg will need to rely on solid goaltending, but also rediscover its typical scoring touch. Since Lowry took over behind the bench, the team has failed to produce at the same rate as Paul Maurice’s contingent.

Lowry #NHLJets vs Maurice pic.twitter.com/QoZALDecuL

— Aavco Cup (@AavcoCup) February 12, 2022

Not only is the team unable to strike offensively at the same rate it had before Maurice’s resignation announcement, it also hasn’t quite had the same luck as past iterations of the team had.

But as the old saying goes, you need to be good to be lucky.

And right now, the Jets aren’t all that good.

“No need to freak out, no need to do anything that drastic,” Scheifele reflected when asked upon quick strikes from the opponents, and having been in similar positions before. “Just keep doing the same things.”

Sometimes the record is just scratched, but more often it’s broken.