Tight-knit Jets out to prove naysayers wrong By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 5:07 PM CDT Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/10/2024 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s a few new additions to the decor inside the Winnipeg Jets dressing room this year, including a large map of North America etched on the wall with the team logo smack dab in the middle.

It’s a fitting metaphor for a squad that seems to have embraced an “us against the world” mentality, both in their words and actions so far this season.

Listen closely and the messaging began early in training camp, with first-year head coach Scott Arniel and several players speaking about the perceived perils of playing in the NHL’s smallest market.

“I’ve sat in that room. Trying to get guys to come to Winnipeg, it’s a tough sell,” Arniel said last month on trying to land big fish — or even medium-sized ones — in free agency.

While this may not be a huge revelation in hockey circles, it’s not typically something you hear anyone in the organization saying out loud.

“Playing in Winnipeg, everyone kind of knocks playing there,” captain Adam Lowry volunteered a few weeks ago in another eyebrow-raising soundbite.

You could see the second-ever draft pick of the 2.0 era bristle at the thought.

“I think that’s one of the great things about playing in those smaller markets, is it’s a tight-knit community,” Lowry continued. “In turn, it kinda makes us a tight-knit team.”

The bond was no doubt strengthened as they rattled off eight straight wins to start the season, forcing those who would otherwise overlook them to start paying attention.

They may all claim to ignore the stories and headlines, but trust us when we say Jets players, coaches and management are well aware most puck pundits had them pegged as a wild-card playoff team at best and not in the realm of a true contender.

Based on their play, it’s as if they took it personally.

Yes, talent and systems and depth and special teams and goaltending and even some puck luck along the way are all valuable components. In a league where the line between success and failure is so fine, a little chip on the collective shoulder doesn’t hurt.

Motivation comes in many forms, and this looks like a group with plenty to prove. And once you can build some momentum and confidence, look out.

“It’s great that we’ve got a great start but we really haven’t done crap, to be honest with you.”– Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo

Not that they were going to let the early success go to their heads. Consider this take from veteran defenceman Dylan DeMelo on Monday morning when asked about a sizzling 8-0-0 record that had them looking down on the other 31 NHL teams in the standings.

“It’s great that we’ve got a great start but we really haven’t done crap, to be honest with you,” he said.

Talk about a party pooper. A few hours later his club hit the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs and stunk out the sold-out joint for the first two periods, digging a huge, self-inflicted hole that ended with a 6-4 loss. Arniel equated the performance with getting “punched in the nose.”

Which brings us back to the dressing room. On another wall is a pointed, painted reminder to players that reads as follows:

YOUR COMPETE!

-Structure

-Embrace hard areas

-Win 50-50s

-10 per cent more

OUR EDGE!

The Jets strayed from those principles against the Maple Leafs and paid a price, laying an egg in front of a huge audience (both inside the rink and watching on Amazon Prime) and no doubt giving skeptics and cynics plenty of fuel for their hot takes.

Remember last season, when Winnipeg got off to a strong start but began fading down the stretch? Former player Ryan Whitney, speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, declared them “the biggest frauds in the NHL.”

Just imagine what they’ll start saying at the first signs of a stumble this year. Heck, even loyal fans around these parts likely have some PTSD given Winnipeg’s erratic efforts over the years, especially as the stage gets bigger.

Let’s be clear: The Jets were never going to run the table. There will be many more fists to the face. The Boston Bruins, for example, had the best regular season in NHL history in 2022-23 and still lost 17 games. They also got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, showing absolutely nothing is guaranteed in sports.

Just as it’s risky business to get too high when things are going well, there’s no value in tripping over one’s droopy lip when things take a turn.

“Like we’ve talked about, whether it’s a win or a loss, you’ve got to move on to the next one. You’ve still got 73 to go.”– Jets head coach Scott Arniel

“Move off it,” was Arniel’s view following his first setback as Jets bench boss.

“We go to Detroit, back on the road again, and we start over. Like we’ve talked about, whether it’s a win or a loss, you’ve got to move on to the next one. You’ve still got 73 to go. There’s still a lot of hockey to go there so learn from this and move on.”

Indeed, the Jets are now back out in the hockey world they are trying to conquer, with a pair of Eastern Conference games on tap. They’ll visit the rebuilding Red Wings Wednesday night, then head to Columbus to face the rapidly improving Blue Jackets on Friday.

Arniel cancelled a planned practice Tuesday, opting to give his group some extra rest before they boarded the charter. As a result, we don’t know yet whether he’s planning any changes to deal with this first dose of adversity.

Does he make some lineup changes, such as inserting one or all of forward David Gustafsson, defenceman Haydn Fleury and/or defenceman Dylan Coghlan? Does he go back to the forward lines and defensive pairings he’s essentially used all season prior to getting the blender out in the third period on Monday, which helped spark the comeback attempt?

Or does he maintain the status quo and allow everyone the chance to essentially clean up their own mess?

One thing is certain: The Jets, by virtue of what is now a stellar 8-1-0 start, should expect to see the best from their opponents. They’re not sneaking up on anyone, nor are they catching anyone by surprise.

There’s a spotlight being shone their way and a big target on their backs — and that seems to be just fine with a group that is relishing the role of an ultimate underdog, in more ways than one.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg