Something Unique About The Jets

Claude Noel has the Winnipeg Jets on pace to do something that no team in the post-lockout NHL has accomplished.

The Edmonton Oilers lead the NHL with eight bench minor penalties. Every other team sits between one (the Predators and the Rangers) and eight, except for the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets haven’t taken a single bench minor this season.

That’s something of an achievement, given that no team has managed to go a full season without taking a bench minor in the post-lockout world. Here are the league leaders since 2005-06:

It’s a particularly interesting achievement given that the Thrashers took 11 bench minors last season.

It’s a good thing the Jets haven’t been taking too many bench minors – because they’ve been prone to taking too many minor penalties everywhere else in their game. The Jets rank 26th in the NHL with 189 minor penalties, and they’re further hurt by the fact they aren’t getting power play opportunities – they’ve received just 137 power plays, tied for 26th in the NHL.