Pavelec’s performance one of several factors as Jets push for playoff spot

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This article was published 07/04/2015 (4134 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. LOUIS – Five takeaways a day after the Winnipeg Jets 2-0 win over the Minnesota Wild Monday night from a guy following them from St. Paul to St. Louis to Denver this week:

1. Still surprised by all the Ondrej Pavelec haters out there in Jets Nation. Yes, his numbers had been in decline over the past couple of years. Yes, there is still a concrete argument the Jets should have bought out the remaining years of his contract and pushed on without him. But what the veteran Czech netminder has done in the last month or so is compelling theatre.

As much as the blockbuster trade with Buffalo, the development of rookie Adam Lowry and the early-to-mid-season contributions of Michael Hutchinson are all juicy storylines, the fact that is Pavelec backstopping the Jets in their push for a playoff spot might just be the tastiest of all. And does it really matter, if the Jets make the playoffs, whether it’s Pavelec, Hutchinson or a shooter tutor stopping the pucks?

2. The Jets won’t have a game-day skate in St. Louis this morning after arriving here in the wee hours immediately after the game, and coach Paul Maurice will meet with the media at 4:30 this afternoon.

Maurice has already said that Pavelec will start again against the Blues tonight at Scottrade Center. Based on what he said Monday in St. Paul, it’s unlikely that defenceman Toby Enstrom (upper-body) will be back in the lineup against St. Louis. Enstrom was hurt on the weekend against Vancouver and is on the trip, but wasn’t on the ice Monday. My guess is he won’t even be considered until Thursday’s game against Colorado, but might not return until the finale Saturday at home against Calgary.

3. It was hard not to like Ben Chiarot’s game against the Wild. Seeing his first action since February after hurting his hand, Chiarot served up one of his solid, quiet and efficient games while being paired with Tyler Myers. It’s interesting, too, that Myers looked comfortable with his new D partner and had one of his better games as a Jet. Chiarot played 15 minutes and 52 seconds and could see more.

4. After the game there was a real muted feel to the Jets dressing room. It wasn’t tight, like it felt following the game-day skate, but there was zero celebration. As Maurice said afterward, that emotion didn’t last long as the team already started to think about tonight’s game with the Blues. That’s a good thing, because a premature celebration with the finish line this close would be ridiculously foolish. The Jets will be facing a Blues team tonight that is without its leading scorer in Vladimir Tarasenko as well as Alex Steen and Robert Bortuzzo. Jake Allen, who has been deadly lately, will start in the St. Louis net.

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5. And, finally, by now everyone across the NHL knows how well Jets fans travel. There isn’t a rink in this league where you can’t hear “True North” belted out during the anthem. It’s faint in some places, but was loud Monday at Xcel Energy Center. After the game we stopped in at a pub for a burger and a pint to catch the end of the Vancouver-L.A. game. And when the Canucks won in a shootout to keep the Kings one point back of the Jets, there was a loud cheer followed by a “Go Jets Go” chant.

Expect a loud presence here tonight, too.

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait