Despite the 6-2 record since Paul Maurice took over the Jets bench some controversies never seem to die with the Jets. They may get put on the back burner but the attention usually ends up on one of three things, goaltending, Byfuglien and Evander Kane. Right now, with Kane out until post-Olympics eyes are focused on Byfuglien and the goalies, more specifically player usage. Wasn’t this supposed to die when Claude Noel was fired?
The player usage discussion was one that came around again, and again, and again, with Noel this season. Many people were questioning his choices of line combos, starters, and pairings; the decisions spawning hashtags such as #noelogic #pressboxclub, #blameBuff and more. In the end most seemed satisfied that it was a coach who had run out of ideas and was grasping at straws to save his team and his job. Or so they thought.
Now media are looking at the goaltending (or a goaltender) and hearing from Byfuglien about his playing situation and the questions are all coming back. Since his move to forward Buff has 6 points in 9 games and had 10 points in 10 games prior to the move. Looking at Pavelec he has let in 4 goals the last two starts while Montoya performed a masterpiece in Chicago while only flubbing one line. Did he not deserve a start against Nashville? That’s the argument now.
The curious part in all of this, and believe me looking deeper into player usage and performance stats has a huge effect, is that there really is no reason to make sense of the decisions with Buff and the goalies. Is there another team in the league who could take a top pairing defenseman, one of the same point-producing ilk as Kalssson, Subban, or Pietrangelo and put him in a lesser role? That’s what has happened to Byfuglien and he isn’t very happy about it.
Every time Buff has to answer these questions he seems less happy about it. And why should he be, his ice-time is reduced, he plays with Jokinen and Setoguchi, and he is used back on PP. While Maurice commends him and sees no reason for change is the logic of ‘until he makes us better on defense we’ll keep him at forward’ smart?
How do you know when he will ‘make you better at defense’? What about his linemates? The smart and talented Tim Bonnar pointed out that Setoguchi, Byfuglien and Jokinen rarely play tough minutes/opposition and are somewhat sheltered. However, Tim also pointed out that through their careers both Gooch and Joker have had relatively sheltered minutes. Is Buff so bad at defense now that he needs to play sheltered minutes as a forward?
Wait. He was supposed to be a talented, dynamic player; one that could take over games right? So slap him on the third line with two forwards who need sheltered minutes and provide little support to a guy who some believe just has to switch positions to be a power forward?
This doesn’t add up.
What does make sense is the depth problem of the Winnipeg Jets is rearing its ugly head again. Kane is out, Thorburn moves up, and it’s another mixed bag of underperformers on the 4th line all over again, less one key guy on defense. Then comes news today with Maurice saying, “There’s opportunity on the 4th line”. Unfortunately this seems a bit more like ‘wash, rinse, repeat’ and the fourth line is probably the last place this team needs to create ‘opportunity’. What about between the pipes?
Why is there no opportunity in goal for a guy who clearly outplays his teammate when given the opportunity? In fact, as Troy Westwood of TSN 1290 so emphatically said yesterday, why not run Montoya until Pavelec gives you a better chance to win? That’s the exact same logic that Maurice used yesterday with Byfuglien as a forward going back to defense. If Buff is so bad at defense that he cannot be trusted there until he can make the team better why is that same logic not applied to Pavelec, he of the .901 save percentage?
Here’s why…better put on your tinfoil toque.
There is interference from the top. Noel was a patsy and took the fall while Maurice may well be the Jack Ruby in this whole scenario. He’s a guy with a handshake deal that goes no further than the end of this season. Either the Jets were so uncertain in appeal to him despite his claims of wanting to be behind the bench or they were unwilling to commit to him until they knew if he would tow the line.
A well-placed source within the Jets organization has explained to me that the GM has been involved in decisions with the goalie starts this season. One has to question if the ‘party line’ from Maurice about defining your number one goalie was from the coach or management? In hindsight it certainly seems like a rather odd thing to hitch onto before you coach one game- but that he did.
Now with yesterday’s statement that one player has to make a team better at his natural position to get back into it, we have a new expectation to watch. I wonder who set that one?
Is it a coincidence that with each passing day Maurice seems a bit grumpier, a bit more like his predecessor, less forthcoming than when he arrived? Time will tell but right now all things are not equal for all players or positions on this team. That should be the first sign that the honeymoon is over. The more things change, the more they stay the same. That is where you should direct your attention Jets fans- at the things that never seem to change.
Listen to Central Buzz(with Peter Tessier) Recorded 2/2/14
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