Let's make this quick and simple. The Jets as some are suggesting are not a pretty hockey club and that's after you look at their faces. The on-ice product is rather unattractive and the results reflect that right?
Well hold on. Let's look at a couple of things before we draw too many conclusions.
Yesterday, and in the past few blogs, I've talked about possession stats and used old faithful, Corsi percentage as indicator. Well just for reference, after last night the Jets are sitting at 12 best Corsi in the league as a team at 5vs5 with 50.95%
Now let's look at the other stat I like to look at- PDO which is the combination of shooting percentage and save percentage at 5vs5. Here the Jets sit at 28th in the league at 96.21. With 100 being the approximate mean or middle point where teams should be in this stat the Jets are WAY too low here. There are only 3 teams right now at 100.
At the end of last season there were 10 teams at 100.xx and 24 teams between 101.xx and 99.xx. No team finished below 98.29 and the Jets were 99.73. So simple history and evidence of regression back to the mean says the Jets are going to improve.
Look at this another way. I'm not a spread sheet guru but thankfully other people are and this great chart from
Carolyn Wilke.
Bad bounces. That's the simple way or as we said before 2007 'puck luck'. Now look at the chart below.
This is where the other questions need to be asked about what's going on the with the Jets. It's not just luck that's affecting them- perhaps with the goaltending and shooting as was evidenced by Niemi playing like it was the 2010 playoffs last night.
Here is the details part the Paul Maurice has to figure out. The Jets are sitting as the 4th worse team for allowing scoring chances. Meaning right now they are only getting 40.51% of scoring chances in their games so far. That's not good and don't even bother looking at special teams, that's an entirely different topic but well worth exploring if you enjoy frustration.
Go back to the game last night and until the middle of the second period the Stars did an excellent job of containing the Jets. They put pressure on them through the neutral zone and gave them fits trying to get space which is what good teams do to young teams.
When the Jets figured it out it was almost too late. Niemi was playing like Carey Price and the Stars had gathered some luck and had a 3-1 lead. Sure the Jets did some good things but the real concern is where most are seeing it in the on-ice play but not quantifying it- the Jets are letting too much happen in their own zone and it's costing them.
No amount of good or bad luck is going to change what they are allowing when it comes to scoring chances and that's what has to get figured out soon.
On the positive side...
How much fun was Joel Armia last night? If Stafford is out long or even if he isn't I'd like to see Armia with Little and Laine when the centre comes back.
Tanev is another player who is making fans take notice too more of that play please.
Is anyone thinking Morrissey is much of a liability still?
On the negative side...
How much of a kick in the pants does Burmistrov need? He's lost out there and either he needs to sit and sit for awhile or he needs to have different line mates.
If the bottom six was to improve (and it hasn't) what move do you make? Call up Dano, Copp, Petan or Lipon?
Should Maurice just run with one goalie for a few games instead of switching and seeing how 'takes' the lead? It might be time for the coach to show one player he isn't ready and give the other some pressure to stay in the lineup.
Let's see what happens Thursday when these two teams meet again.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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