Step in right direction

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This article was published 22/10/2014 (4037 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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We interrupt the gloom and doom report, reserving the right to return at a loss’s notice, to document a Winnipeg Jets victory. This was as must-win as it gets in the first 10 games of the season and the Jets delivered.

So what’s it mean? Not much.

They beat the Carolina Hurricanes. They should have because the Canes are winless, wounded and not a very good club right now. The visitors were ripe for plucking and the Jets did what they were supposed to do. They kicked Carolina when they were down.

But that shouldn’t be mistaken for a statement of authenticity for the Jets. Far from it.

In the big picture this win was just the first shovel of dirt the Jets needed to move in order to get out of the hole they’ve stepped into with a 2-4 record to open the season.

Next up is Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. And then it’s Nathan McKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Maybe the Jets end the week 4-4. Maybe they end it 2-6.

The reality is this team remains unpredictable and more than anything are an unknown quantity.

Following Sunday’s loss to the Calgary Flames, many wanted to pigeon-hole the Jets as one of the worst teams in the NHL. Does this win over the Carolina Hurricanes change that assessment? Probably not for those willing to make absolute determinations after just six games of an 82-game schedule.

For the Jets it was an opportunity to catch their breath. To step outside of the cauldron of pressure they’ve been living in since returning from their season opening road trip.

There’s been a lot of talk about confidence with this group the last couple of days and perhaps this will buoy Winnipeg’s self-esteem. Maybe it will help convince them they are something other than a losing hockey team.

From this vantage point, it will take a lot more to make such an argument valid.

Forgetting what the result means for a moment, there was a current of positivity for the Jets on this night.

Rookie Adam Lowry scored his first NHL goal and continues to impress.

Goalie Ondrej Pavelec supported his team with stable net-minding and made saves at critical junctures.

Dustin Byfuglien was a terror and scored a stylish goal with a mix of speed, power and finesse very few possess.

Captain Andrew Ladd finally got on the scoreboard.

Second-year men Jacob Trouba and Mark Scheifele had strong games at both ends of the ice and continue to look like players who will someday dominate in the NHL.

No victory in this league is easy to come by and at the end of the year the number in the win column doesn’t come with a description of who they came against.

Beating up on bad teams is a requisite for winners.

So this was a stepping stone. One in the right direction.

Now the objective is to stay out of a Springsteen song. One step up and two steps back.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter @garylawless