‘There is no quit in that room’

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This article was published 22/04/2015 (3850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The captain, Andrew Ladd, came first. And he was followed in succession by Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Stuart.

All of them stood in front of a Stanley Cup playoffs banner and stared directly into a phalanx of cameras, microphones and reporters scribbling frantically on notepads. Yes, these Winnipeg Jets now have their backs against the wall, literally and figuratively, down 3-0 in their series with the Anaheim Ducks and searching for something to grab onto before their season slips away.

The only props missing from the whole scene that unfolded Tuesday, frankly, were blindfolds and final cigarettes dangling from the corner of trembling mouths.

Now, not surprisingly, the Jets were having nothing of that, choosing instead to fixate on some of the silver linings through the first three games of the series and focusing solely on tonight’s Game 4 and another contest in front of a rabid fan base.

They still have a puncher’s chance in this thing, but will have to start landing some blows ASAP.

“You look at the big picture and it might seem overwhelming,” said Wheeler. “But that’s one thing about our team, we’ve been able to focus on one game all year and pour everything we have into it. That’s the one thing that brings me confidence and excitement about the game, it is just one game.

“The repercussions of winning, losing… at this point I think we’re able to throw that out the door and just pour everything we have into tomorrow. You can’t look at trying to force a Game 7. We’ve got to win (Wednesday) night. That’s where I’m excited about the game, is knowing our group of guys, knowing that it’s just one game. When we put everything we have into it… if they beat us (Wednesday) night they’re going to earn it.”

The Jets still have a pulse, but it is fading after Monday’s 5-4 OT loss that saw them blow a third-period lead for the third consecutive game. And so while getting a win against a team that has now beaten them in six consecutive games, including the regular season, is daunting, reeling off four straight would put the Jets in historic company. Only four other teams in the annals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, after all, have rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

“We’re not stupid,” said veteran Jets defenceman Mark Stuart. “We know we’ve got a tough hill to climb here. But we’re a still a confident group. It’s not like we’re sitting here like, ‘Oh, we can’t beat this team.’ We know we can beat this team.

“Our group has a lot of resolve. We’re very proud of how we got here, and what we’ve done all season. I mean, it wasn’t easy. We worked extremely hard to get here, so there definitely is no quit. There is not even a question that there is no quit in that room to a man. We’re putting that behind us now and are really looking forward to getting out there and righting the ship.

“It’s going to be another electric atmosphere. It’s going to be an intense game, and that’s a game that we can play.”

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There were some elements to like about the Jets’ work Monday, including the play of Bryan Little, the fact the flat-lining power play came to life for a goal, and Ladd’s game-high 12 hits. But there was also a recurring theme in the third period, namely another collapse.

Asked if there was something from the Ducks game the Jets might be able to steal in Game 4, Wheeler looked at his inquisitor and cracked: “So, get behind and try and come back with a couple minutes left?”

“I have full and complete confidence in the players in that room,” added Jets coach Paul Maurice. “It’s one more block, one more save, one more pass out. It’s not that big a gap. You don’t learn unless you go through them. And you don’t get better unless you handle them the right way.

“That’s what we’re going through right now.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait