UPDATE: Dec. 12
The Winnipeg Jets 3rd ten game segment –
How many points will it take for the Winnipeg Jets to secure a playoff berth?
2014-15: Winnipeg Jets got the last wildcard position with 99 points. (96 would have been enough)
2013-14: Dallas Stars needed 91 points to get the last wildcard position.
The 2015-16 season’s original article can be read here >>> Winnipeg Jets: Segment 1
Winnipeg Jets Segment 3
Segment 3 started with an injury to starting goaltender Ondrej Pavelec that could keep him out of the lineup until February thus fast-tracking the Connor Hellebuyck era in the Jets net. It’s up to Helle and Hutch now! Also, the local heroes started to revert back to Paul Maurice’s Winnipeg Jets and not the hideous Claude Noel Jets we witnessed for the first twenty games. Hallelujah!
The Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien contract talks or lack of contract talks are still front and center but we can now add the distraction of the “Travis Hamonic trade request” from the New York Islanders to the Winnipeg Jets (his first choice) into the mix.
There seems to be lots of news externally surrounding the Winnipeg Jets but not a peep from under the “Cone of Silence” at TNSE. Surprise, surprise!
The good news:
The Winnipeg Jets are starting to win regularly in their home barn going 5-0-0 this past segment.
The Jets have tightened up 5 on 5 and are starting to look like last years team defensively.
The second line has heated up but the first line is struggling a little bit but Ladd/Little/Wheeler are a resilient bunch and will work their way through most mini-slumps.
The bad news:
The Winnipeg Jets still play in the NHL’s Central Division.
The Winnipeg Jets have lost their mojo on the road and went 0-5-0 this segment.
Atrocious, predictable, slow, passive are all adjectives that describe the Jets power-play and penalty-killing units on the road. It is painful to watch.
NEXT … their inability to stay out of the penalty box is getting tiresome.
If you compare this year’s chart to last year’s chart, you will see that at this time last season the Jets were 15-9-6 for 36 points and so far this season they are 14-14-2 for 30 points, so as bad as it seems they are only 6 points off last years record and only 3 points off the 11 point minimum.
In the Jets next 10-game segment they play 4 at home and 6 on the road (7 of their next 11 on the road) and they NEED to start picking up points away from home. If the Winnipeg Jets are at or over Gary Bettman’s .500 mark on Jan. 8 they have a chance to make up some ground with seven home games the rest of January. They will need to go on a run like the Minnesota Wild did last season.
Streaks?
If a team can have a bad streak why can’t they have a good streak as well? In spite of what the nay-sayers will have you believe about the American Thanksgiving standings there is still way too much hockey to be played to write anybody off yet.
The formula is eleven every ten
It’s simple Winnipeg Jets! Win every 10 game segment and you’re in.
If the Winnipeg Jets can garner a minimum of eleven points in every ten game segment (on average) and win those two extra games, they should be very close to clinching a playoffs position or at least be in the hunt in the last week of the season. The team would have 92 points. Now 92 points might not get you the final playoff position but it should keep you relevant into the last week of the NHL season. It’s a small conciliation prize but it’s better than being out of it in February isn’t it?
As of December 12th, 2015
*
Loading ...
Another great, meaty article. Well done, Mitch!
Nit-picking…
– Calgary was not the last wildcard last year, they were the 3rd Pacific team. Jets were last wildcard at 99 pts. Calgary’s record last yr is irrelevant unless Jets are making mid-season transfer into Pacific division.
– Road wins would be nice but Central Division wins are crucial. Jets have already lost more more Central games than they did all last season.
– Jets don’t need a hot streak… but they need to go rest of the season without ANY kind of bad streak. One more 2-8 or 3-7 stretch ends their playoff hunt. They already need to play roughly .600 Win% rest of season to even get close to last yrs cutoff line.
Thanks Greg … you’re right about Calgary and I corrected that … Jets were fighting with L.A. AND Calgary for the last wildcard and the Flames grabbed 3rd in the Pacific … if I remember correctly the Kings lost in regulation to Edmonton on the last weekend.
I really wonder if Chevy is waiting for the trade deadline re: Buff n Ladd.
If they are out of the playoff hunt (very likely) they might be sellers.
You never know what can happen after: look what Arizona came away with Vermette.
It is the only ‘thing’ I can come up with that makes any sense. Or does it?