The two days off didn’t help at all.
The Jets had two days off away from the rink and got away from Winnipeg for their first of three road games, but somehow managed to be even worse tonight in a 7-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche than then had been in previous garbage efforts against Montreal and Ottawa (twice).
*sigh* Lets get this recap over with…
FIRST PERIOD
The Jets aren’t awful in the first frame per say –
Natural Stat Trick actually has them leading in high danger scoring chances at 6-4 for the first 20 minutes – but the Avalanche lead in shots as well as overall scoring chances (in fact it wasn’t even close at 16-9 for the Avs) as Connor Hellebuyck keeps the Jets even in a scoreless draw.
In what would be an ominous sign, the Avalanche absolutely own the area in front of the Jets net.
Uh oh.
SECOND PERIOD
The second period starts, the Jets for some reason don’t come out for it.
Sure, a bunch of players in Jets jerseys play it, but it couldn’t have possibly been the Winnipeg Jets because they are playing slower than we even saw against Montreal and Ottawa and unable to complete passes to save their life.
Upon further review, it does turn out to be the actual Winnipeg Jets, only they seem to be the worst possible version of the Jets. All the little issues they’ve had almost all season – zone exits, missing passes, holding on to the puck for too long, missing the net with shots when they actually do shoot which isn’t often enough – all of those issues show up and then some in the second period.
Credit to the Avalanche, they played a fast, aggressive game and the Jets looked absolutely lost. The lone bright spot is Connor Hellebuyck who makes a handful of good stops (and gets lucky with a crossbar hit midway through the period) but the Jets have no answer for the Avalanche attack that keeps going right up the middle of the ice and attacking the Winnipeg goal.
Even better… The Jets keep taking penalty after penalty
The period ends with Winnipeg trailing 2-0. It should be more. No one at this point doesn’t think it won’t end up being more. That’s how badly the Jets are playing.
THIRD PERIOD
Not only are the Jets playing bad in their own end, but when they do manage to get a power play, it looks brutal. Two of the four power plays the Jets get in this game see them go without any actual shots reaching Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov.
Paul Maurice brings out the line blender (more on that in a hot moment) but it’s of little use as the Avs get a couple of quick goals early to double the lead and coast to an easy 7-1 victory.
The Jets lone offensive bright spot does come on a power play that at first saw the play blown dead early before a redirected puck slips past Varlamov. It feels more like a pity point from the NHL than anything, but it at least snaps the Jets 0-21 slump with the man advantage.
THE GOOD…
- The Jets are *still* first in the Central? (This shouldn’t make you feel better about anything really, but it’s a positive worth noting)
- Poor Connor Hellebuyck. Makes 39 saves and earns an .848 save percentage as he was hung out to dry tonight. But beyond the numbers, he kept the Jets in it for as long as possible.
- Yay power play goal?
THE BAD…
- All of it. Even in the few moments in the first period where they looked ok-ish, it still didn’t seem good and you could see dark storm clouds gathering.
- Paul Maurice *FINALLY* blends the forward lines and breaks up the top line… But puts Jack Roslovic in with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor while Blake Wheeler gets put in with Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault and poor Patrik Laine gets “stuck” with Andrew Copp and Brandon Tanev – look, we like Best Tanev and Copp is underrated… But seriously Maurice?! That’s the best you could come up with? Try again and this time put some thought into it.
- Mark Scheifele fighting. GOOD GAWD THINK ABOUT YOUR 30+ GOAL SCORING HANDS MARK. IT’S NOT WORTH IT.
THE UGLY…
Hoo boy…
Things aren’t good in Jets-land at all.
THE BOXSCORE
