It probably wasn’t an accident Nate Schmidt mentioned the remarkable turnaround of the St. Louis Blues in a recent discussion with reporters and as it turns out, the Winnipeg Jets are likely going to need to try and channel some similar energy if they plan to get back into the playoff race in the Western Conference.
Thanks to a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, the Jets opened the second half with a costly defeat that left them with a record of 18-17-7.
With only 43 points in the bank, the Jets find themselves sixth of eight teams in the Central Division, 13th out of 16 in the Western Conference and 22nd of 32 clubs in the entire league.
To say things haven’t been going as planned would qualify as a massive understatement.
And while the circumstances may not be quite as dire as what the Blues were able to overcome during the 2019 season that ended with them sipping out of Lord Stanley’s mug after residing in last place in the NHL as late as January, Schmidt’s point was that there was still time to get things turned around.
With 80 points available, it’s easy to understand where Schmidt is coming from.
He believes in the group that’s been assembled and he’s not about to throw in the towel at this stage of the season.
This is someone known for his upbeat personality and ability to view things through a positive lens.
Schmidt also realizes that time is of the essence and that a significant winning streak (or several) will be required for the Jets to make any noise here.
Thanks to a win by the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, the Jets are a full nine points out of the second wild-card spot right now.
That’s an uphill climb if there ever was one, especially when you consider the Jets have dropped seven of the past eight games (1-5-2) and their longest winning streak to date is four games.
The struggle for consistency is real and if that ailment can’t be remedied in short order, the conversation could quickly turn to where the Jets might end up picking in the NHL draft after landing in the lottery.
After a disappointing first half of the NHL season that featured nine postponed games, the Jets are about to enter a stretch of the campaign that can be described as fast and furious.
With the final 40 games to be played over 81 days — including seven sets of back-to-backs — practice will be at a premium.
“We know we have that busy schedule. For us, the time is now, and we don’t want to wait,” Jets forward Paul Stastny told reporters after Tuesday’s loss to the Flyers.
“We know what the blueprint is for making us good, and we know if we get away from it, especially in this game, every team is so good. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against, there’s top calibre players on every single team.
“Sometimes it takes 58 minutes or 57 minutes and you win a game or you lose a game. We’ve got to kind of focus on that message, don’t try to get too far ahead of ourselves and focus on the present. Easier said than done, but it’s something we’ve got to preach.”
That also means the Jets don’t have the luxury of easing back into things following the NHL all-star break.
There is time to dip their collective toes in the water.
This will require a cannonball.
Nothing short of a full-on commitment will be enough and urgency can’t be in short supply.
“This is the time of year. The playoffs aren’t some distant fairy tale that you’re just going to arrive to and be amongst it,” Schmidt told reporters after the Jets snapped a six-game losing skid with a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.
“It starts with these games right there. In order to get yourself in position to where you want to be in a month, you need to put stretches together.”
Curious about the quality of competition?
Well, the first team the Jets face coming out of the break is none other than the Minnesota Wild, who are riding the longest active winning streak in the NHL at six games and are currently one point out of second place in the Central while holding five games in hand on the Nashville Predators.
The Jets will face five consecutive Central Division opponents beginning Tuesday and eight of the 11 remaining games this month are within the division as well.
So yes, there is opportunity on the horizon for the Jets.
There’s also pressure to get things turned around quickly because if this stretch of games doesn’t yield immediate results, the conversations leading up to the March 21 NHL trade deadline could have a much different tone attached to them.
Before enjoying the NHL all-star break, it’s time to hand out a bit of virtual mid-season hardware.
Most valuable player: Kyle Connor
The Jets’ lone representative in Las Vegas this weekend is enjoying an outstanding season so far. His 25 goals have him in position to eclipse 40 for the first time in his career and mean he could also threaten to hit 50 with a strong second half.
By producing at more than a point-per-game clip, Connor is also in contention to record a career high in assists (35 in 2019-20) and points (73, also in 2019-20).
Connor has also taken strides forward when it comes to his defensive play and his addition to the penalty-killing unit has coincided with a dramatic turnaround in results while shorthanded. He’s been a true play driver and remains among the elite finishers in the NHL.
Top defenceman: Josh Morrissey
While watching 11 different blue-liners suit up for the Jets through 42 games (including three making their NHL debuts in Dylan Samberg, Declan Chisholm and Johnny Kovacevic), the most consistent player on the back end to this point has been the guy who made his Jets debut in March of 2016 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Morrissey has been sound defensively while anchoring the top pairing and he’s also chipped in offensively, leading the defence corps in goals with five (including four on the power play) and adding 11 helpers for 16 points. He’s been moving the puck effectively and using his skating ability to get up the ice to join the rush and also to defend.
The return to peak form for the Jets 2013 first-rounder has been one of the storylines that probably hasn’t received the attention it deserves.
Top rookie: Cole Perfetti
The 10th overall selection in the 2020 NHL draft has proven to be a quick study. After returning to the Jets after the cancellation/postponement of the world junior hockey championship, the skilled forward has taken full advantage of the opportunity presented to him.
That includes seeing time on what has become the Jets’ top line with Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Perfetti’s ability to process the game at an extremely high speed and adapt to this level has been impressive to watch in real time and his confidence to make plays seems to be growing by the day. He’s not producing offence at a high rate just yet, but he’s already scored his first NHL goal and recorded four points in 12 games.
The potential is on display and it seems like a matter of time before those numbers are on the rise, given the quality of opportunities he’s been creating for himself and his linemates.
Unheralded performer: Eric Comrie
One of the question marks going into the campaign surrounded whether or not Comrie was ready to assume the role of the backup goalie behind workhorse starter Connor Hellebuyck.
While the sample size remains small (eight appearances, seven starts), Comrie is doing his best to reward the confidence the organization showed in him. With a record of 4-2-1, a goals-against average of 2.34 and a .920 save percentage, Comrie is delivering results. He’s got some additional tests to pass, but the 28-save effort against the Blues last week after not seeing any game action since Dec. 10 was quite a feat.
It wouldn’t have been possible without the diligent work Comrie has been putting in to stay as sharp as he can. The 2013 second-rounder isn’t expected to hit 20 games played this season, but he’ll need to deliver some solid showings during the stretch run.
Ken Wiebe covers the Winnipeg Jets for Sportsnet.ca and is a regular contributor to CJOB.
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