Jets don’t have easy road ahead

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This article was published 28/12/2015 (3645 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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With the halfway mark of the NHL season fast approaching, the Winnipeg Jets know if they’re going to make a push for the playoffs the need to string together consecutive wins starts now.

They got off to a good start Sunday night, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 in their first game back from the Christmas break. Collectively, it was seen as pivotal victory for the team as spirits were starting to dip after a trip to Alberta before the brief vacation produced back-to-back losses against the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames – two teams that were below them in the standings.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said after practice at the MTS Centre today that the days off were successful in allowing the team to clear their minds, come back sharp and focus on the task at hand – getting back to that defensive-first style of hockey that proved so successful just a year ago.

“But that won’t make any part of this easy,” he said. “Build confidence, right? So, I’m not in there saying things are great in there when they’re not. If we don’t play well we’re dealing with that but there’s been enough good in our game right now to feel good about what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do.”

And at 16-17-2, there aren’t many teams below them in the standings. Winnipeg sits dead last in the Central Division, two points behind Colorado with a game in hand. They are six points out of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, and though they have yet to string together a winning streak greater than two games this season, Maurice has liked what he’s seen from his club the past few weeks.

“We went a stretch of games where we were scoring really well and then we had a five-game block where we were getting scored on in a big manner and then we got to be a little better,” he added. “That’s why I said I liked our game a little bit more in that stretch; we haven’t had great results over it but we’re not far off it.

Part of that prognosis, said Maurice, is based on an improved penalty-kill unit and the emergence of goalie Connor Hellebuyck. The 22-year-old netminder made 30 saves in the win over the Penguins to record his first NHL shutout. It was the kind of performance the Jets need from their goalkeeper – to be one of the best players night in and night out.

“Clearly we’re fighting to get into the middle of the pack – all those teams do,” said Maurice. “There are games that are won on that kind of goaltending performance, a big-shot performance and it helps you build that confidence.

“I think of the game in Dallas last year where Ondrej Pavelec was basically by himself for 60 minutes and we win the game 2-1. Those are really important wins because it builds the belief that you can have one of those nights and even if you’re off your goalie can he the difference. Our goaltending has been good. When it’s been real good we’ve won games and we need it.”

The need now is for all that good that came out of Sunday’s win against Pittsburgh be present Tuesday night when the Jets welcome the Detroit Red Wings to town.

“We certainly aren’t expecting it to be easy but as we’ve done to other teams, what’s happened to us, we’ve been able to catch them and jump on them,” said Maurice.