Central Road Trip will Determine Season?
The Winnipeg Jets play their next five games against rival Central Division opponents. At St. Lous, at Dallas, at Colorado, home to Minnesota and home to Chicago. If this team has any hope of making the post season not only does it need to come out with at least six points from these 10 games, the Jets also need help.
Oh by the way , Ondrej Pavelec is starting tonight in St. Louis.
The Jets have 30 games left this season and that give them the chance to earn 60 points. That will not happen but having 50 points already and 2 games in hand on 8th place Calgary (on pace for 85 points) the Jets need to win, and win a lot.
LA has 3 games in hand on Calgary and are on pace for 88 points so let’s assume that’s the cut off line for 8th in the west. The Jets need 38 points out of 60 to have ‘a chance’.
That’s basically 2 wins or 4 points for every 3 games and look at the start they have, every team on this trip is either tied or ahead of Winnipeg except the Avalanche. If they can get a win tonight, one in Dallas and Colorado perhaps they can pull a point from either Minnesota or Chicago at home, but that’s a tall ask.
If they do that where do they make up the rest needed, that being 38 more points?
They play the Lightning next and then Dallas before a road trip of…get this: Pittsburgh, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto. Then they have a week off before…. get this: Minnesota, St. Louis Colorado, San Jose, Pittsburgh and Calgary all at home.
If you look at those 12 games and vital 24 points is even thinking of 12 points possible? The Jets would have to put a streak together in a way they have not done since 2015. Does any of this seem likely or even possible with the inconsistency the Jets have displayed this season?
Former Jets defence man Zack Redmon cleared waivers today. Redmond seemed to be a capable guy while he was here but after his injury he never seemed to find a way back into the line up. With Maurice having almost no faith in Chiarot and reluctantly playing Stuart would Redmond have not been a better option, even better than Postma? He has one more year on his deal after this one for around $600,000 so he’s not a huge liability on the budget, in fact he;s a nice insurance policy as he can play both sides. The depth on defence is hardly something that gives anyone confidence on this team so what is the harm in trying to improve it?
Now that the All-Star break has passed the stretch drive comes and for the Jets it’s a steep, up hill climb. Challenging for the post season is not out of the realms of possibility but does it come at a cost? The next five days should give us a very good indication of whether a challenge can be mounted or if the trade deadline is the last big event for Winnipeg this season.