Jets giveth & taketh in Win over Oilers
The Jets gave Edmonton Oilers goalie Victor Fasth a lot of work last night before Blake Wheeler undressed so violently in the shoot out that he had to leave the game with injury. Dustin Byfuglien also gave Luke Gadzic such a violent hit that he too had to leave the game after he did a full fledged flip in air to land on his head against boards and ice.
The Jets also took a hit from Petry on Mathieu Perreault who left the game and was seen leaving the arena in a walking boot. Newly acquired Drew Stafford also left the game and did not return due to the always detailed ‘upper body injury’.
Aside from the body count the Jets gave up 4 goals with rookie Michael Hutchinson in net for the second consecutive game. Hutchinson also gave up nothing to the Oilers in the shootout just as he did to the Red Wings and remains perfect for the season.
The concern for Jets fans, aside from the injuries to Stafford and Perreault is the play in front of Hutchinson is starting to resemble the play in front of Pavelec, or is that the play of Hutch resembles the play of Pavelec?
Let’s be fair and say that had Pavelec had two consecutive 4 goal games against the long knives would be out. They would and after Maurice said he would likely run with one goalie a bit more than the other down the stretch did Hutch do anything to convince the coach that goalie should be him? The Jets are in playoff contention because the goaltending has been way beyond the average of the last three years.
While the debate remains to the cause of the drastic improvement: the coach, the goalies, the systems, or all of the above, the results speak for themselves the Jets have 70 points in 59 games because of goaltending. Can they keep it up?
Right now the issue is getting to the post season and for many fans as well as the organization how that happens is less important than if it happens. What this means is while the Jets have earned 4 of 6 points in their lat 3 games they did it via the shoot out. That’s great for playoff chances but not so great for playoff games should the Jets make it- no shoot out there.
Is the concern going forward aside from injuries and replacements the play of the Jets or is it more specific to the play from the goalies? If Stafford is out longer, and it’s guessed that Perreault will be a few weeks at minimum, what does Chevy do?
One thought is calling up one of Klingberg, Albert or newly acquired Joel Armia to help the forward group, which could keep Byfuglien on defense. The Jets are carrying extra defense at the moment. If Armia is what the Jets were looking for is giving him a shot now, after he has put up 10 goals and 15 assists in 38 games in the AHL, an appropriate move? How about Klingberg, a player many Jets fans have long wanted to see get a shot with the big club- he has 15 goals and 15 assists in 51 games this season.
Whatever the answers are the Jets have two problems that need to be addressed- depth in the bottom half of the forwards and now possible injury replacement. Those are problems for the GM, for Maurice it’s the fact that his team has given up 36 goals in the last 10 games. That kind of play has allowed a 4-4-2 record in that same time period. If the Jets are serious about the post season they have to start changing things for the better now, not once they have secured a spot, if that even happens.
There’s a reason it’s called ‘the stretch drive’ because those teams like the Jets have to start reaching out and playing playoff caliber hockey far sooner than other. If the organization is serious too then the GM has to stretch his resources a little sooner as well, perhaps more so due to injuries.