I am not one of those people who talks about end-of-year awards in November. It’s just far too early. Too many variables between now and April may impact the outcome.
Similarly, the standings are just too volatile to sweat whether your team will make the playoffs or earn a wild card spot. Most teams have more than 60 games to go.
For me, it is much simpler than that. It’s just about the winning: winning at home, winning on the road, and winning inside your division. The Jets are 6-3-1 at Canada Life Centre and 5-2-1 away from Canada Life. Those are good, solid numbers that reflect a team bound for the playoffs.
And inside the division, the Jets have won five of six games this season — impressive numbers. However, it’s the one loss that has me concerned. It was that Saturday afternoon game at home against the Dallas Stars. As well as we think the Jets played that day, they still lost.
That led me to look toward three key games coming up. Between now and Dec. 16, Winnipeg will play three big games against Dallas, and the Colorado Avalanche twice. Those are the games that will show the fanbase and the rest of the NHL just how good this version of the Jets is.
Nov. 28, Dec. 7, Dec. 16 — not only are they the proverbial four-point games, in my mind they will determine whether the Jets are in the top echelon of the NHL, or just in the “mushy middle.”
Winning, not standings, not awards, is the greatest measure of success in the NHL. I know that sounds so simple, so obvious. But it’s true.
Just win, and the rest takes care of itself. And at this point, the Jets are doing just that.