So, what’s it going to be, Jets?

Opinion

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This article was published 31/03/2015 (3836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The doubt is now seeping in. It will be all over this city. It will be thick and slimy and insidious and it will try like hell to infect the Winnipeg Jets.

The Winnipeg Jets still have a chance at the playoffs, but the team has been stuck at 90 points since last Thursday and now must wait until Saturday before they can try to regain their push.

Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers prompted immediate reaction from fans. The season was over and the Jets had failed again, according to the emails and tweets directed this way.

Well, no. It’s not over and they haven’t failed. Not today. And not for a number of days to come.

Oh, yes, they’ve put themselves in a tight spot and failure is standing in front of them, breathing its hot and rank breath in their collective faces. But it hasn’t won the day. Not yet.

A win last Sunday over the Chicago Blackhawks or two points against the Rangers would have pushed the Jets closer to the mid-90s mark they’re going to need to reach the post-season. But those points wouldn’t have closed the deal. Just like the losses didn’t end the season.

So save the doomsday talk. Same with the parade planning. Both are premature.

The Jets will be tempted to scoreboard-watch this week and measure where everyone else is prior to getting back on the ice when the Vancouver Canucks arrive for Saturday’s matinee.

They should save themselves the trouble. They need a minimum of three more wins and likely four. They need to take care of their own business.

It’s time to forget about whether their opponents are headed for the playoffs. It doesn’t matter. The Jets need to beat them. It’s time to put the out-of-town scoreboard out of mind. Winnipeg needs wins. Simple. Stack them up and go to the playoffs. Don’t and it’s another summer of angst.

Two points or less will very likely determine success or failure in the eyes of Winnipeggers where this group is concerned. If they get in, all will be good. If they don’t, it will be a fourth season out of the tournament. Both outcomes will need to be dealt with.

But that can wait a few days. This is going to play out. There’s a schedule and there are points to be won or lost. Cold math will eventually write the story.

The Jets are three games removed from a five-game win streak that included wins over such titans as Washington, Tampa Bay and St. Louis.

The task is far from impossible. The Jets have also gone into funks this season. Another might be settling over them. We’ll soon see.

The one thing that is certain is the margin of error is diminished and may very well be down to one game. One more loss is likely something the Jets can overcome. Two? Now you’re pushing it.

So it’s time to win. It’s time for Dustin Byfuglien to be Superman and not be impulsive and reckless. It’s time for Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd to find their magic.

Blake Wheeler needs to score. Then score again. And then keep scoring.

Ondrej Pavelec can’t let in three goals or more and expect his team to win. Just can’t. Doesn’t matter if it’s a screen or a breakaway. He simply has to stop the pucks. Almost all of them.

Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers can’t have any more off nights. They can’t be sloppy and rushed. They need to play with instinct and decisiveness. They need to be at their best.

Every excuse is now hollow. Any argument is moot. It’s black and white. It’s win or lose.

There is now pressure. It’s become heavy and oppressive and it hangs down from the top rows of the arena like a suffocating burden. That’s what leaving these decisions to the last minute does. It makes it tight and sweaty.

So what? In two weeks, there will be 16 teams in the playoffs. Want to be one of them? Then it’s time to overcome. Everything.

There can be no more roadblocks. No more hills too high.

If you have to get off the bike and push it up the hill now, it’s going to be over. You have to pedal harder than the incline pushes back.

So, what is it, Winnipeg Jets? Can you fill the order?

Your city is waiting for it’s answer. Whisper it or shout it out.

We’re all ears.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @garylawless