Clash of confidence

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This article was published 28/12/2016 (3493 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets are a confident bunch, but are they packing enough swagger to kick snow in the face of the NHL’s hottest club, the Columbus Blue Jackets?

The Jets locked up one of their most impressive victories of the 2016-17 campaign Tuesday in Chicago, returning from a four-day break to knock off the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks 3-1.

From jumping out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, to bending but not breaking in the middle period, to the efficient play of the bottom-six forwards and another perfect night for the penalty-killing unit, to goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s 34-save effort, the Jets (17-17-3) put forth one of their best efforts of the season.

Veteran centre Bryan Little called Tuesday’s effort one of the team’s “most complete” games, noting confidence has played a big part in the team’s recent success (four wins in its last five games).

“We know (Chicago) wasn’t a perfect game, but there were so many good things that happened,” Little said Wednesday, after an afternoon practice at the MTS Centre. “That’s the kind of game we need if we’re going to have a chance at beating the top teams in this league. That’s big to keep the confidence going in the room.

“The first few weeks after Christmas could be the biggest stretch for the year. We can put ourselves in a decent position and be fighting for a playoff spot or we could be chasing the rest of the year.”

Heading into Wednesday’s action, the Jets were tied for fourth in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars and were 10th in the Western Conference, a point back of the eighth-place Los Angeles Kings, who held the second wild-card playoff spot with three games in hand on Winnipeg. 

The Jets have a pair of home games this week, including a New Year’s Eve battle with the New York Islanders, who have just three wins in 12 road games thus far this season.  

But tonight’s matchup with the Blue Jackets is, perhaps, Winnipeg’s toughest test to date. Columbus has rattled off a franchise-best 13 consecutive wins and is perched atop the league standings with a 24-5-4 record.

Little said taking on the Jackets during their torrid run provides a true measuring stick for a Jets team focused on staying relevant in the playoff race.

“We’ll see where we’re at, playing against the best team in the league right now,” he said. “I think everybody’s looking forward to it. There’s some excitement in the room to play those guys. We want to keep this thing rolling, but at the same time, it’d be nice to beat them, especially the big streak they’re on.”

The Jets, gunning for their first three-game win streak of the year, have posted an unremarkable 5-8-2 record against Eastern Conference squads this season.

Columbus, which possesses the most dangerous power play in the NHL (27.1 per cent) — led by right-winger Cam Atkinson’s seven goals — hasn’t lost since Nov. 26 and is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender just a year after finishing 27th in the league.

“They’re on fire. They’ve been playing well. Obviously, their power play is pretty deadly,” said Jets forward Mark Scheifele. “I don’t think anyone anticipated (their success), but when you watch them play, they compete on every shift, they don’t take any shifts off, they play a pretty solid style of game and it’ll be a tough team to beat.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said it’s difficult to properly gauge his team’s confidence level — what it lacked during a five-game losing skid in late November and what drives it now — because the personnel are markedly different.

“In some ways, it’s two different teams. We’re at about 130 for man-games (lost to injury) and there’s another 20 on there with (Jacob) Trouba and (Toby) Enstrom (who missed time due to a contract dispute and a personal leave, respectively),” said Maurice said. 

“We’ve got a new-looking group here, right? We’re healthy up front. So, the confidence, I would say, is in early stages of growing. They have to play together, get some time together… confidence will come from spending some time, having some success, so it’s early on.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca          

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell