Jets Nation Recap: Disappointment In The Desert
By Jeremy Wiebe
7 years agoIf hockey games were only 45 minutes long, the Winnipeg Jets would have walked out of the state of Arizona with a victory tonight. But as we all know, hockey is a 60 minute game. The Jets forgot about 15 minutes of the first period and it cost them as they fell 4-3 to the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale.
Game Notes:
- Oh where to begin. Let’s start with goaltending shall we? To say it wasn’t a banner night for Connor Hellebuyck would be like saying Winnipeg is cold in January. Hellebuyck surrendered 3 goals on 6 shots before giving way to Michael Hutchison midway through the first period. Since the franchise has been in Winnipeg, management has yet to find a suitable number one goalie. For five years, Ondrej Pavelec was inconsistent at best and mediocre on way too many nights. Hellebuyck is starting to show similar traits to Pavelec but in a smaller sample size. Is goalie coach Wade Flaherty the problem? He’s been with the team since 2011 yet the goaltending remains an issue. Perhaps a new voice is needed for the men who guard the crease.
- Goaltending isn’t the only issue. After Shawn Matthias opened the scoring, the Jets fell asleep and looked disinterested as the Coyotes scored four unanswered in the opening frame. The zone coverage was sparse, the gap control wasn’t there, the confusion was noticeable, the frustration was high. You get the picture. Are the Jets not getting the message that head coach Paul Maurice is trying to relay? Has the team tuned out the beleaguered bench boss? Is a new voice needed? Are new players needed? These are dark days for this franchise.
- Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun is reporting that the Jets had a players only meeting following the game.
One wonders what was said in that room but that’s usually a bad sign for the coach. Remember this though, if Maurice is fired that’s the second head coach gone in Kevin Cheve;dayoff’s watch as the GM. Pretty soon, the focus will be on Chevy pertaining to how he hasn’t built a winner despite some promising albeit young talent. Chevy does need to shoulder some of the blame for the mess the Jets are currently in.
Hot Taeks:
There are plenty of them.
Charts And Stuff:
All charts courtesy hockeystats.ca
GIF Of The Night:
This puppy perfectly describes the Jets at this moment.
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