Make it six: Jets skid continues after 3-2 loss to St. Louis

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This article was published 16/11/2015 (3640 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. LOUIS — The Winnipeg Jets lost again Monday night. That’s not exactly news — they’ve now lost six in a row.

But what is news, sort of, is at least this time the Jets didn’t lose too badly.

And that, folks, is perhaps the saddest commentary on the depths to which this Jets team has sunk — a 3-2 defeat to the St. Louis Blues was notable for the fact the Jets at least didn’t get thrashed like they did in a 7-0 loss in Nashville two nights earlier.

“Based on the beating we took in Nashville,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said after the game, “we played a darn good road game in here. And that was a long way to come from that (Nashville) game and it wasn’t easy for them to do.

“So you have to give those players credit for coming out and getting moving again and making plays.”

And so there you have it — participation medals all around for a room full of millionaires.

Now, make no mistake — this one wasn’t as ugly as some of the other recent Jets losses, but the manner of this defeat was also pretty much the same as all the others. They fell behind early — for the 15th time in 19 games the Jets gave up the first goal; their power play was atrocious — they went 0-for-5 and now have just one goal in their last 29 opportunities with the extra man; and they took too many penalties and paid dearly for them — a David Backes power-play goal in the first period was essentially the margin of defeat.

But yes, playing their fourth road game in a row — and eighth road game in their last nine — you’ve got to at least give the Jets marks for attempting a comeback and simply not folding their tent in the first period after they fell behind 2-0.

Now, if only they gave points in the NHL standings for moral victories.

The ugly numbers

The Jets went 0-4 on a Central Division road trip Maurice said before the team embarked would give everyone an indication of how this team measures up right now.

They don’t — simple as that. With the sweep, Winnipeg is now 2-5-0 versus the Central Division and are now mired in sixth place in the division, ahead of just the Colorado Avalanche.

What’s more, the Jets have fallen below the .500 mark — a record of 8-9-2 gives them 18 points in 19 games.

In a tough Central Division where the margin for error is razor thin, it’s well within the realm of possibility the Jets could spend the rest of this season trying to make up the ground they gave up on this trip.

How’d that go?

The Blues jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Vladimir Tarasenko and Backes and this one was looking like a reprise of the 7-0 spanking the Jets received in Nashville Saturday.

But just when it seemed like the Jets might never score again — the Tarasenko and Backes goals were the 11th and 12th unanswered goals against the Jets, a run that dated all the way back to the third period of the 6-3 Jets loss to Dallas last Thursday — Winnipeg erupted for two goals in just 36 seconds early in the second period.

A point shot by defenceman Dustin Byfuglien at 2:16 of the second period halved the Blues lead and then moments later it was Jets centre Bryan Little with his ninth of the season to tie the game.

But Backes put the Blues right back in the lead at 3-2 just 1:32 later — and this time a road-weary Jets team simply had no answer.

So now what?

After playing eight of their last nine games on the road, the Jets finally — and mercifully — returned home after the game last night.

Winnipeg begins a three-game homestand Wednesday when they play host to the Vancouver Canucks. That’s followed by two more games at the MTS Centre Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes and Monday against the Colorado Avalanche.

While the home cooking will no doubt do this team some good after all the time on the road recently, it’s worth mentioning the Jets haven’t exactly been world beaters at home either this season — the Jets are just 3-3-1 at the MTS Centre this season.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek

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