Looking back on the past week that was for the Winnipeg Jets, there might not have been a six-day stretch this season that created more ups and downs, on and off the ice.
It began with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s visit on Tuesday, following the urgent-sounding comments of owner Mark Chipman just a few days earlier.
I’m not sure if Jets Nation was entirely buying what Bettman was selling. You know, “there’s nothing to see here,” but at least there was some form of clarity to ease the tension that had built over the previous 96 hours — even if the commissioner was “mystified” about the reaction in this market.
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A couple of days later, there was the lunchbag let-down in Dallas, where the Jets came up well short of what was required in that much anticipated Central Division showdown, falling to 0-3 versus the Stars this season. The 4-1 loss pretty much stuck in everyone’s craw all the way to Tobacco Road.
And the sour taste of that defeat hadn’t been removed until the improbable five-goal explosion over the final 20 minutes by the visitors at PNC Arena. Talk about benchmark victories.
And as the game was unfolding last night at Keybank Center you couldn’t help but think there was a connect the dots scenario to the Raleigh rally, when Winnipeg erased a 2-1 deficit with those four unanswered goals in the third for the 5-2 win over the rattled Sabres.
But if you think this roller coaster ride of emotions has ended, you’d best stay buckled up. Because this week has the potential to be every bit as interesting, heading into Friday’s 2 p.m. trading deadline.
So for the next 24 hours or so, Jets Nation, take a deep breath, exhale, and then savour the Central Division standings. I’m pretty sure you’ll like what you see.
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