Capital Offence
Two years ago during the lockout shortened season the Jets faced a pari of games against the Capitals down the stretch. The anomalies in the shortened schedule made this two home games for the Jets on back-to-back nights. The results were disastrous.
In game number one the players appeared never have boarded the plane let alone enough waiting at the gate as they lost 4-0. There was time for redemption and the opportunity the next night but even with that possibility staring down an embarrassed home team they came out worse and lost 6-1. While the team clung to some faint hopes do to the idiosyncrasies of the schedule it was all but done for them. They could never recover within that division despite some poor results for the competition.
In that 10 game span starting the game before the Washington games the Jets went 3-7 before a 5 game winning streak. It didn’t matter though the damage was done.
The game tonight does not mark a similar situation as the two teams are no longer conference rivals and there are less games remaining but it is another game the Jets need to win. Rather than say ‘must win’ or ‘huge game’ the narrative will be based around ‘need’ and that is simple tough reality.
At home, coming off a two strong games versus tough opposition is not time to lose focus and forget the task at hand, let alone sit back and presume others will step up. What can be said about this group, with injuries or not, is that there can be no passengers, everyone is a pilot.
The Jets have to consider this game, like the last two important needed points no matter what the opposition does. It’s about control and the only way a team has control is by determining its own results.
The scoreboard tonight will be watched closely as Vancouver is playing LA early, a team the Canucks have not beaten in three tries this season. What is worse is that the Canucks have not even managed more than 20 shots on LA in those games. The Jets wants some help but if they win they won’t need it, but it would sure be nice.
Columbus is also at Calgary tonight and for Jets fans they can cheer for the Blues as they visit the Wild. It’s like being in a hockey pool this time of year where you cheer for some strange bedfellows.
As of this writing it is not know who starts in net for the Jets so a guess is likely to assume Pavelec and like the chance Hutchinson was given to run with the team it would seem fair that after 3 solid games Pavelec is given the same opportunity. Will, after three previous seasons, the maligned number one take this chance and seize it?
Storylines are tough this kind of year with the Jets. It’s the same position, same circumstances and the same scenario all over again but this time the Jets are just a little bit closer than they were before. It could be baby steps but in this case the Jets need to put their foot down and take charge by leading over that imaginary line and staying in the top eight. That task is again, staring them right in the face against old familiar opposition- do they complete it this time?