Jets in need of massive overhaul

The Winnipeg Jets are in a full-blown freefall.

An ugly, uninspired 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night is the latest in a growing list of games to raise a series of alarming questions about the hockey club, which now has just five wins over the past 18 games.

1. Is this really all the players have to offer? 2. Has the coaching staff run out of answers and/or solutions? 3. What, if anything, is management going to do to fix this mess? 4. Is this rock bottom?

What we are seeing and hearing on, and off, the ice these days certainly doesn’t inspire much confidence. One thing is clear: The Jets, as currently configured, are not a good hockey team. In fact, they are the absolute worst team in the NHL since early November, when a 9-3-0 start started swirling down the drain.

It’s been mostly pain and misery ever since. Just when it looks like one problem might be under control, along comes another big issue or two to cause significant damage.

Thursday’s game was a prime example. The Jets finally got some much-needed secondary scoring, with a pair of skaters snapping lengthy slumps and finding the back of the net. Morgan Barron scored his first in 20 games and Alex Iafallo potted his first in 13 outings

However, everything else that could go wrong did, in fact, go wrong. Total it all up and it’s starting to look like this is an organization in need of a massive overhaul, with some major structural concerns that can’t easily be repaired.

“We’re finding ways to lose games, as opposed to last year’s team,” said forward Gabe Vilardi. “It’s tough to come back from two goals down, three goals down every night.”

Adding to the list of issues: One of the most engaged, passionate markets in the league might be feeling a sense of apathy. Thursday’s crowd at Canada Life Centre was the smallest of the year, just 13,168. That includes a few thousand Bruins fans in the building who had plenty to cheer.

The Jets are now 14-15-1 overall while the Bruins improve to 19-13-0.

“It’s kind of crunch time here, right?” said Barron. “Obviously it’s a results based league, so you’ve got to find a way to kind of start winning these games.”

1) Shaky goaltending: Do the Jets win this game if Connor Hellebuyck was healthy? Perhaps. Eric Comrie had a night to forget, giving up five goals on just 23 shots.

There’s usually a reason backup goaltenders are in that role. Sure, they can show flashes of occasional brilliance, especially during what are typically spot starts. But they’re just not built — physically or mentally — to handle the heavy workload that comes with being the No. 1 guy.

Comrie, who has started 10 of the 11 games Hellebuyck has been out, is clearly in over his head at this point. Hellebuyck is inching closer to a return from his arthroscopic knee surgery, but the team has to be careful not to panic and rush him back too soon.

“If we’re going to give up those opportunities that we gave up tonight… He’d maybe make those saves, but at the end of the day, those are too big of moments at key times where we gave them opportunities, so we have to clean up our game, no matter which goaltender is in there,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel.

“Obviously having him back is a big difference, but we’ve got to clean up our game. We were trending towards that and again, here’s this big step back.”

At this point, they may as well give Domenic DiVincentiis his first NHL start Saturday when the Washington Capitals come to town, assuming Hellebuyck isn’t quite ready. What do they have to lose?

2) Stinky Special Teams: A potent power play and penalty kill can mask a lot of mistakes, including ones happening in the crease.

The Jets trending in the wrong direction in both categories after strong starts to the year.

Boston turned an early 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead when David Pastrnak and Casey Mittelstadt scored 2:02 apart midway through the first period with the Bruins enjoying man advantages. Gustav Nyquist took a silly tripping penalty to lead to the tying goal, then Barron was flagged for holding on the go-ahead tally. Both were in the offensive zone.

“Two hundred feet feet from your net, two infractions. When you get a lead, that’s not what you want, to give them an opportunity like that,” said Arniel.

It’s the seventh game in a row the Jets have surrendered at least one power-play tally, and the second consecutive outing they’ve allowed two.

How fragile are they right now? Sean Kuraly made it 3-1 just 40 seconds later, catching the home team sleeping with even-strength marker.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg had ample opportunities themselves but went just 1-for-4 on the power play, with Vilardi poking home a loose puck late in the second period. Too little, too late.

3) Dubious defending: What happened to the group that won two consecutive William Jennings trophies? They are nowhere to be found, even if most of the personnel remains the same.

Whether it’s a lack of forechecking leading to sustained offensive zone time or sloppy play in their own end, Winnipeg’s “defence first” mindset has gone missing for much of this year.

Just ask Pastrnak, who must have felt like a kid in a candy store. One of the league’s most creative offensive players had a banner night, drawing primary assists on goals by Hampus Lindholm (which made it 4-2 and stood as the game-winner) and Elias Lindholm (which made it 5-3) before capping off a four-point night with his second goal, this one into an empty net.

“There were more Grade A’s (chances) given up tonight than we’ve given up in a while,” said Arniel. “It’s really disappointing, coming off what we had talked about after the Dallas game.”

4) Key play: Elias Lindholm’s goal with just over five minutes left in the third period snuffed out any hope of a Jets comeback.

5) Three stars:

1. Bruins David Pastrnak: 2G, 2A

2. Bruins Morgan Geekie: 3A

3. Bruins Hampus Lindholm: 1G, 1A

6) Extra, Extra: With Nyquist returning to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for four consecutive games, forward Tanner Pearson was parked in the press box. Defencemen Colin Miller and Haydn Fleury were the other scratches.

Boston defenceman Charlie McAvoy played his first game in nearly a month after suffering multiple facial fractures from a slap shot. He had one assist and was plus-four.

The Jets will practice Friday, then welcome the Washington Capitals to town on Saturday night. Forward Nino Niederreiter will play his 1,000th game.

“I think there’s going to be a sense of urgency from all the guys,” said Barron. “This is the time of year. Obviously we have a lot of season left, and we have some opportunities here, but it feels like it’s crunch time here, so we’ve got to find a way to start winning games.”

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