As the final buzzer sounded at American Airlines Center on December 1st, the Winnipeg Jets wrapped up their longest road trip of the season—a six-game stretch—with a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. With a 2-4-0 record on the trip, some might argue that the Jets deserved better in a few of those games. However, in my view, the results were justified. There are clear reasons why the Jets didn’t perform up to the high standards they set earlier in the season, and this road trip highlighted several areas that need improvement. Here’s what we learned about the team during this challenging stretch.

One recurring theme on this road trip was the Jets’ inability to get off to strong starts, often allowing the opposition to seize control early in the game. Take, for example, the Jets’ matchup with the Los Angeles Kings. Just 1:48 into the first period, Vladislav Namestnikov took a lazy slashing penalty against Philip Danault, which led to the Kings opening the scoring on the power play. Anze Kopitar won the faceoff cleanly back to Adrian Kempe, who quickly fired the puck to the net where Kopitar tipped it past Connor Hellebuyck. There was no chance for the Jets’ goalie to track the puck, and the Kings had an early lead.

Starting the game on the back foot isn’t a recipe for success, and the Jets need to be more disciplined and engaged right from the puck drop.

Throughout the road trip, the Jets were consistently outshot by their opponents, and at times, heavily outshot. In the game against Minnesota, for instance, the Jets were outshot 22-7 in the first period alone. Yes, 22 shots in the first period. That’s more than most teams give up in an entire game. Despite the lopsided shot totals, the Jets managed to tie the game 1-1 after the first period. But, allowing that many shots is unacceptable, and it shouldn’t become a trend.

The Jets were also outshot 13-5 in the first period against Los Angeles, and despite a solid comeback effort, they finished the game with just 14 shots on goal. A mere two shots in the third period sealed their fate in a 4-1 loss to the Kings. To win games, the Jets need to be more consistent in generating offensive chances and not rely solely on Hellebuyck/Comrie to bail them out.

Logan Stanley’s struggles have been a point of contention for Jets fans for some time, and this road trip only reinforced the argument that he has not lived up to expectations. After returning from injury and replacing Ville Heinola on the third pairing, Stanley’s performance was underwhelming at best.

In the game against Las Vegas, Stanley was slow to react after a turnover by Morgan Barron. Brett Howden intercepted the pass and blew past Stanley, who failed to close the gap and allow Howden to score, tying the game, and the Jets’ momentum evaporated from there.

The issues continued in Dallas, where Stanley would record a hat trick of minor penalties, including one that put the Stars on a 5-on-3 power play. While the Jets managed to kill off the penalty, it was still a bad look for Stanley, who has yet to prove he can be a reliable top-six defender. Head coach Scott Arniel defended Stanley after the loss, stating that he “needs to be in our top six” to develop, but at some point, it’s fair to ask: What more does Stanley need to show to prove he’s not the right fit?

At 26, Stanley has had multiple opportunities to prove himself, and so far, he has not done so. In fact, he requested a trade back in March 2023, a request that the Jets chose to ignore. It’s baffling that the Jets continue to give him opportunities over younger, more promising players like Ville Heinola, who actually has something to prove.

While the Jets were never going to be perfect, their performance on this road trip showcased a number of areas that need improvement. The team needs to start games with more urgency, generate more shots on goal, and seriously reconsider how they handle the Logan Stanley situation. If they can address these issues, they’ll be in a much better position than they are right now.

This road trip was a reminder that the Jets still have a long way to go before reaching the level of play they showed in the first 16 games of the season. But with the right adjustments, there’s still lots of time to turn things around.