High-flying Jets setting standard for NHL excellence

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/01/2025 (239 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets bandwagon is filling up fast these days with hockey fans and pundits who are starting to believe the high-flying club could be a true Stanley Cup contender.

At the risk of overcrowding, you might want to make some additional room for head coaches around the NHL. Night after night, game after game, there’s a growing list of bench bosses who are clearly buying what the Jets are selling this season and wishing to steal a page or two from their playbook.

“What do they say, imitation is the biggest form of flattery?”Jets assistant coach Davis Payne told the Free Press on Wednesday.

Allow us to take you inside the visitor’s locker room at Canada Life Centre for some recent soundbites.

“It’s a good hockey club over there,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday after his Canucks were crushed 6-1. “A good hockey team. They skate well. Very good. That’s a fast team.”

Tocchet didn’t stop there, going so far as to say he wishes his struggling group might learn some valuable lessons from the one-sided affair.

“We’re just too slow. We’ve got to take a page out of Winnipeg. One pass, beat pressure, They attack. We’ve got to start doing that,” he said.

It was a similar story last Saturday night when the Jets — playing for a second night in a row against a rested and red-hot Colorado club — had arguably their best defensive effort of the year in a dominant 3-0 victory over their division rival.

“It was rock solid,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of Winnipeg’s performance. “It just didn’t look like we had the energy and the determination to kind of get through some of their checking.”

Bednar then turned his attention to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck while also praising how the Jets play in front of their two-time Vezina Trophy winner.

“He gives the chance every night if guys are playing and committed in front of him. When there’s a breakdown, he’s there to save it,” said Bednar. “But I think it’s overall team defence and then his play, giving them a chance every night.”

Winnipeg was the stingiest defensive team in the league last year, surrendering just 198 goals in 82 games for an average of 2.41. The Jets have given up 109 through 45 contests this year for an average of 2.42 — putting them right behind the Los Angeles Kings (2.41) for tops in the NHL.

It’s a different story when it comes to offence. Winnipeg averaged 3.16 goals-per-game last year, which was 15th out of 32 teams. And the power play clicked at just 18.8 per cent, which had them ranked 22nd-overall. The Jets are at 3.60 goals per game this year, third in the NHL just behind Tampa Bay and Washington. And the PP is No. 1 at 32.8 per cent.

Add it all up and you can see why there’s plenty of praise coming in their direction — particularly when the Jets are skating at the downtown rink where they own a league-best 16-4-3 record.

Here’s Ottawa’s Travis Green after a 4-2 loss to the Jets at Canada Life Centre on Dec. 28: “They’ve got a dangerous team that can score on the rush.”

Dallas’ Pete DeBoer after a 4-1 defeat here on Nov. 9: “I think when you look at these guys and Florida, they’ve exposed us and we’ve got to be a lot better.”

Utah’s Andre Tourigny after a 3-0 setback on Nov. 5: “Their program is a good model. They have stability, they know what to expect of each other, they play a really, really structured game.”

Last, but not least, San Jose’s Ryan Warsofsky after an 8-3 trouncing on Oct. 18: “They were faster than us. They skated with the puck more through the neutral zone. They’re a really good team, well-coached. You could tell why they’ve been in the playoffs and I’m sure they’re probably headed in that direction again, so credit to them.”

Winnipeg is currently on top of both the Central Division and Western Conference in terms of points (63) and point percentage (.700). They are tied with Washington in points in the race for the Presidents Trophy, although the Capitals have one game in hand.

At this current pace, the Jets would finish with 115 points. They set a franchise record in 2017-18 with 114 (52-20-10) and went all the way to the Western Conference final that spring. Last year they finished with 110 points (52-24-6) but crashed and burned in the first round of the playoffs.

To be clear, the Jets aren’t letting this early success get in their heads, nor are they strutting around as if they’ve accomplished anything. As head coach Scott Arniel said Tuesday, being at or near the top means you’re typically going to see the best from your opponent.

“They know if they don’t come out strong and play to their strengths that we can do special things against them,” said Arniel.

“That’s probably been the biggest thing for me the last three, four weeks is that the teams we’re running against, they’re not giving us free opportunities. They’re making us grind. We don’t always see that over 82 games, but we seem to be getting a lot of the best of the opposition. Which you expect. Our guys love the challenge of it.”

Players and coaches have repeatedly acknowledged the true test will come in the playoffs — although it’s important to note you have to first qualify. In that sense, so far, so very good for the Jets.

“In my experience, the old analogy it’s hard to kind of get to the top and it’s harder to stay there, and I think that’s relative to your game, as well,” said defenceman Josh Morrissey.

“You have to fight really hard to keep all those details in place and it takes hard work and a commitment to the game. That’s something we’ve done a great job of this year is being consistently close to where we want to be most nights, and we’re going to have to continue to fight really hard to even improve that here in the second half of the year.”

Especially when other teams who are having trouble beating you are now trying to find a way to join you, as Tocchet (and others) have recently alluded to.

While the Jets appreciate the kind sentiments, don’t expect them to go spilling any ingredients to their winning recipe anytime soon. In this case, they’re hoping flattery gets their rivals nowhere.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg