A 2-1 loss to Boston almost two weeks ago seems to be the place the page turned for the Winnipeg Jets.
Head coach Paul Maurice said he felt the loss to the Bruins was the best all-around game he’s seen his team play this season.
Since then, the calendar has flipped to February and the Jets are undefeated with three straight wins and points in all five games.
What makes this more significant is that three of the four wins came against Central Division opponents.
For the first time since Jan. 15, the Jets find themselves back in a playoff spot just two weeks before the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline.
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If this play continues, is there no other option for the Jets than to buy, not sell, at the deadline?
This is a team that came back from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday playing in the tail end of a back-to-back.
This is a team that has beaten the Stanley Cup champions and Western Conference’s first-place team, the St. Louis Blues, not once but twice in the last 10 days.
This run has the stars shining as Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor fill the net. The goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck is sparkling statistically, allowing two goals or fewer in the last six games. The third line has seen its centre, Andrew Copp, produce three game-winning goals in the last four wins.
Doesn’t this team, this group of men, that has overcome adversity all season long deserve a deal at the deadline that bolsters its playoff chances?
The answer is no.
There is no white knight that will skate in and propel the Jets to a top playoff performer.
This is not the year to trade a first-round pick for a piece to a puzzle that won’t be solved this season.
No, this team, this group of men, needs to continue to contend and let the outcome be what it will be.
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