There was no one dancing in the wet streets of Winnipeg on Tuesday night after the Jets dispatched the Stars in a most convincing 5-1 victory.
Sure, many spilled outside of Canada Life Centre jubilant and satisfied with what they had just witnessed, but there was no celebration to excess just because the win earned the team a share of first place in their own division.
It’s not even mid-November, after all. There are still 40 miles of hard road to navigate for this Jets team before they arrive anywhere, and their fans can call this early success more than just a test drive.
But what last night did do was further dot the National Hockey League’s road map with a blotter that Portage Avenue might be a tough place to play once again, as the Jets earned their fourth-straight win at home and pushed their undefeated record in regulation to seven.
In truth, the pieces for this type of start were already in place, but after last season’s sputter and a quiet off-season, the only ones who likely believed that this could happen were those who put the engine and chassis together in the first place.
Now, there’s a long way to go before anyone can make a declaration on whether Winnipeg’s stellar start is sustainable, as the team approaches different scheduling intersections along the way.
But, honestly, what else could a hockey fan in our market ask for right now? Because a first-place team with Cadillac goaltending and a motor that doesn’t seem to stop has the tires turning in the right direction and avoiding all the potholes.
Of course, life in the fast lane would not be advised for the Jets, but a continued fight in the alleys is welcomed.
So while Winnipeg’s start has been impressive, there is still a full winter of hockey ahead, which means nobody’s quite dancing in the streets just yet.