Jets’ gritty division one for the brave

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This article was published 13/12/2015 (3580 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a tough neighbourhood, the National Hockey League’s Central Division. And it’s a given no gang leaves any head-to-head battle without some blood being spilled and more enemies being made.

The Winnipeg Jets earned a reputation last year as a big, quick and skilled club that was going to battle from the opening puck drop to the final horn. Racking up a 16-8-5 record against the foes in their own division not only made them both feared and respected, it was a mammoth factor in the team advancing to the Stanley Cup derby.

This year? Well, it seems the Jets can’t step outside their own house without having their lunch money pilfered or being served a giant wedgie. In 12 games against their Central Division rivals this season they are 3-9 — already more losses than in 29 contests a year ago.

“You obviously want to have a good record in your own division. But there’s not much we can do about the 3-9 start,” said Jets captain Andrew Ladd after practice Sunday. “For us, it’s about trying to put a stretch of wins together here and trying to get above the (playoff) line. That’s probably our biggest focus.

“A lot of those games were at the start of the year where we weren’t playing the game we need to play. Lately, our game is back to where it needs to be. I’m not too worried about it.”

The Jets are 4-3 in their last seven and have made improvements in their overall defensive play. But in their meetings with Central Division rivals they are just 1-8 in their last nine. Friday night’s 2-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks highlighted what has become a big-time issue: their special teams have been lousy in Central Division games.

Case in point: the Jets went 0-for-5 with the man advantage Friday, managing just a single shot on goal, while the Hawks scored twice in their five power-play opportunities. Just to hammer that ineptitude home, the Jets had more shots while shorthanded — two — than they did on the power play.

In their 12 games against the Central Division this year, Winnipeg is 5-for-40 on the power play (12.5 per cent) while opponents are 12-for-49 (24.5 per cent). Comparing those to Central Division head-to-head special teams from a year ago, the Jets had an 18.3 per cent power play while killing off 88.1 per cent of their opponents’ chances.

“It’s a big effect,” Ladd said. “That was the difference in the Chicago game, they had two power-play goals and we didn’t get any. There’s different parts to that. Just even getting momentum from your power plays and penalty kills can be a big momentum swing either way. You need to be sharp and it’s something we need to be better and more consistent at. We have the guys there to get it done, too.”

But there’s a picture bigger than just the special teams at play. Winnipeg is also 6-10-1 on the road this year, 1-8 in their last nine. There have been glimpses of the game that propelled them into the playoffs last year with a franchise-best 99 points.

There just haven’t been enough of them.

“There’s another level we can get to… I don’t think you can pinpoint any one thing and say it’s this or that,” said Ladd. “It’s a little thing here, a little thing there. Sometimes it’s as simple as the bounces. Sometimes you’re not playing great hockey, but you’re winning games because the puck’s going your way. We want to give ourselves the chance to win night in and night out, and if we’re bringing the game we know we can bring on a consistent basis, we’ve got a chance.”

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There’s also the tight-game factor. The Jets were outstanding in close games a year ago — 19-7-13 in one-goal games — often scoring first — 32-10-7 — and then doing a lot of the right things en route to either preserving a lead or taking one late. This season it hasn’t been the same.

“We’re still trying to find that, to be comfortable in those tight games and to find a way to get points in those tight games,” said centre Bryan Little. “I don’t want to compare it to last year because they are different teams. There’s a lot of guys that know what that looks like, but we have a lot of new guys, a lot of young guys, that are still trying to find their way and figure out what types of players they are going to be.

“It’s up to the older guys to lead the way and try and help these guys.”

Ed.Tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait