There's not one thing you can pin on the Winnipeg Jets that has caused the team to have zero wins in four games since starting five game road trip. If you can find one thing that would have changed this result please send it to Paul Maurice I think he would appreciate the help.
In fact after you do that, please share it with the rest of us so we can see just how brilliant a hockey mind you have.
Face facts Jets fans, this team is what you have seen these recent games and all season, an inconsistent group that has jettisoned stability for growth and now the cost is coming due.
The starting goalie now has 40 games of NHL experience.
Three starters in the top 6 have less that 150 NHL games of experience combined and two started with zero games.
Two rookies started in the bottom six forwards
The team played nearly 15 games without it's best defensemen
There is a distinct lack of talent within the organization on defence after Josh Morrissey which means that players like Chiarot, Postma and Stuart will see measurable ice time.
Let's not talk about injuries
And now the coach(ing) is coming under fire along with the usual comments about the GM.
We could discuss basic stats, underlying numbers and projections but that data is based on the above conditions and created by it/them. That's where the focus should be and where some of the questions should come. It can't be easy dealing with all the variables that have hit the Jets the first 20 odd games this season but, they hit all teams. The good ones deal with them, the best ones overcome them.
Are the Jets of either quality?
Two years ago they rose up and conquered a severe bout of injuries at this very time of year. What happened then was the play of Ben Chiarot and Michael Hutchinson along with the moving of Dustin Byfuglien back to defence. Is there anyone who can step up now?
That team was different, it had veterans like Frolik, Ladd, Little, Slater stepping in and providing support now there's hardly anything when the veterans get hurt. Wheeler and Thorburn?
It's not an excuse, it's reality and one that seems to be mishandled or not gauged by management: what's plan B?
Right now with the spat of injuries, inconsistent goaltending, and youth movement Mathias and Howden are the draws for help. What happens when they go down?
That's the issue and while Chevy may not have a plan C or D is it reasonable to suggest he should have?
Again this position is not about excuses, it's about explanation and there's no justifying the results- they should be better. This team has proved that despite injuries, lack of experience and questionable depth they can win. What they are having trouble proving now is that they can do it with consistency.
That's the thing with the NHL and it's grinding schedule, teams that can play consistent hockey with positive results are few and ones that can do it at the top of the league are rare. The top achievement of the league by all definitions is the Stanley Cup but what about the President's Trophy? How hard is that to win based on the variables of 82 games?
The Jets are not a President's Trophy calibre team, but that's the kind of team they need to strive to be. While there are aberrations in results teams that win the President's Trophy tend to go further in the playoffs. Teams that win the President's Trophy play better hockey consistently for the entire season.
Did anyone thing the Jets were going to be a consistent team this season before it started? That's the point fans have to go back to right now. Remember your expectations for the season and don't let streaks of wins or losses affect the long term view. It's these smaller streaks that illustrate what the team was likely to be: a middling team fighting to make the post season at best.
After 22 games played so far isn't that exactly what they are? Why should anyone expect anything different at this point?