The Jets are home after what could be described as a disastrous appearance in the Windy City on Wednesday night. It does not take long for things to go awry for this group and when facing the current Stanley Cup champs it certainly did. Without going into review of the game there are some pressing issues for the Jets and their fans heading into tonight’s tilt with Nashville.
1. Defensive zone coverage
2. Evander Kane (ugh… again)
3. Power Play
4. Scoring
5. Injuries
While the above are not listed in any particular order of severity they are worth addressing no matter how ‘beaten to death’ they are.
1. Dustin Byfuglien had his worst game of the season and perhaps the previous two seasons in Winnipeg. He had trouble reading plays, trouble following the puck and appeared to be just generally unhappy in the defensive zone. In fairness to big Buff he did put forth some of the best effort on the O-zone so that should tell you why point number two is important.
2. Evander Kane called himself fit for play on Wednesday and Claude Noel along with his staff deemed him not ready after a nagging injury affected him and kept him out against. So with Kane in the press box, the team’s leading scorer, Noel gave the TV crew the ability to use the phrase ‘healthy scratch’.
Shane Hnidy of TSN was on the morning show on 1290 and said this was a telling moment for the team with Kane. Yes, another one of those. So of course it’s now an overblown issue, not because of Kane or Hnidy, but because of how people view his significance to the team. If this was Ladd saying he was ready would anyone be discussing this issue anymore?
3. The Jets power play is sitting at 28th in the league operating at 9.5% efficiency- just above the regular league average shooting percentage each year. So that’s a positive right?
Where this goes is right back to the offensive system, the team as a whole struggles with zone entries and puck control. There is not one player on the team who looks comfortable enough with the puck to set up on the half-wall and set up play. The other players are static and the results are either turnovers from poor and rushed passes or long shots from the point where rebounds are easily controlled and cleared. There’s no easy fix and the sole choices to find improvement may be to rebuild it completely or find a player who can help.
4. Scoring is also back atop the list of issues facing this team, just like almost always has been. The Jets have scored 38 goals in 17 games. They jettisoned Wellwood, Antropov, Burmistrov who combined for 16 goals in a shortened season or .130 goals per game combined.
Replacing those three were the additions of Frolik, Setoguchi and Scheifele who are at .140 goals per game combined pace. Is that enough of an improvement with two guys who are up for new contracts after this season?
5. Injuries are a plague what sweeps through some teams like they are Europe in the early middle ages. The Jets are no exception as injuries to rookie defenseman Jacob Trouba, serviceable player Paul Postma, journeyman D Mark Stuart, and now sometimes 3rd line centre Jim Slater have the Jets showing the problems with not having depth. Remember in point number 4 that all three of those players dismissed after last season could play centre.
The addition of Ellerby is a decent move, one that could pay dividends should he find a spot on this roster that suits his smooth skating style, but what about the C position? Therein lies the question that has most fans concerned, as the Jets are woefully thin in that spot.
With Zach Redmond being called up and now with Ellerby here what happens when Trouba and/or Slater come back?
Byfuglien-Enstrom
Bogosian-Clitsome
Trouba-Ellerby
Redmond, Slater, Pardy are left sitting.
While a demotion can be made down to St. John’s perhaps it’s time for Chevy to turn something he has on defense into something he needs on forward. A young promising prospect like Redmond might just be the carrot a GM needs to see dangled to get on the phone and start talking trade.
The Jets have a chance to get back in the win column tonight against the Preds but have found the team a frustrating opponent. For the Jets’ opposition, much like their fans, one has to wonder what team shows up from the potpourri of identities the Jets sometimes show?
Will it be the confident puck-moving squad from Monday or the tentative and apprehensive group from Wednesday? Could the un-emotional and flat group from the Preds first visit to the MTS Centre re-appear? Anything is possible with this group and that’s where the troubles begin and end.
The Preds are 4 points up on Winnipeg and have two games in hand. It’s a cold reality for the Jets who have played 17 games while some in the conference are only at 14 games played. Urgency and pressure are now fully present and any talk of seeing or waiting until the traditional 20 game mark for assessment is foolish. There should be no questions, no curiosity about what the Jets are not, it’s high time they show the fans, coaches and management what they are.
What we know from Wednesday is that some opposition fans have an opinion about what the Jets are: beer league quality. Perhaps that’s what the Jets Gear store should promote, as it seems that’s in high demand outside of Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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