A dozen days and five games into their season, the Winnipeg Jets are the only team in the NHL without a loss of any kind.
And while that’s certainly impressive, the best start in 2.0 franchise history should not be totally unexpected.
Oh sure, that 6-0 beatdown of the Oilers in Edmonton to kick things off was beyond the category of a pleasant surprise. But a clean sweep of the just-completed four-game homestand?
I think most would agree that a defeat at the hands of any of the four opponents involved would have been classified as a significant disappointment — opportunity lost.
And without a doubt, the Jets had to dig deep on multiple occasions to avoid that scenario.
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The late tying goal against Chicago, that perfectly-executed end of first period marker versus Minnesota, and then the rally from a two-goal deficit yesterday against Pittsburgh.
Those back-to-back OT victories over the Hawks and Wild also lend credence to the idea that nothing is going to come easy in the Central this season. But they’re also teams Winnipeg needs to beat if they are to scrap and claw their way into the top three of the division.
Just as not looking past the Sharks and the Penguins was also part of that equation.
With this being October, I think we have a little licence to adopt some baseball terminology.
The Jets have handled the bottom of the order. But starting Tuesday — with five of the next six on the road over the next dozen days, and the only home game during that stretch against a legit contender in Toronto — well, let’s just say Winnipeg will be facing a lineup of next-level hitters.
But at 5-0, they have certainly established themselves as one of the NHL’s toughest outs — at least in the early innings.
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