What can Jets fans do if the team, and season, start to unravel soon? Whether you believe the possibility of an early season free fall is likely, or not, bracing yourself is probably prudent.
It's hard to be optimistic when you see two games where the team was healthy (minus Kane) and so obviously outclassed. What compounds that feeling of doom is knowing the Jets didn't even play any one of the 6 teams believed to be better than them in their own conference. Two of which are certainly the same quality as San Jose and LA and let's not forget Anaheim lurking in the Pacific too.
When you see the games, now that they are finally here, you can do your eye-test and begin some analysis. Forget the possession metrics that we use to understand the bigger picture of play and individual nuances, the Jets right now can't get past the eye-test...or the sniff test.
Right now Chris Thorburn has made his usual rise from the 4th line up to the third, and who knows where if more injuries affect the team. Why is Thorburn, a player who is so limited in scope of abilities, the first one called upon to move up the ladder?
I wrote this about Thorburn's extension when it was announced if you want some perspective: Thorburn Extended
So rather than Galiardi or calling up some one from St. John's it's Chris Thorburn, ultimate utility-player(not) to the rescue? Something smells here and that begs some questions.
Was it Maurice's call to move up Thor? If so how why is that the first call? So the Jets can have Peluso Slater and Galiardi?
If Galiardi is only viewed as an option after Thorburn, why have him at all? Sure he can be moved up to third line during the game but what has Chris Thorburn done to show he is third line capable over Galiardi?
What is concerning from a bigger view of the team is that the Jets might be assigning jobs on seniority rather than play and capabilies. All players have a skill set, unique unto themselves and Thorburn's is very different from Galiardi's. If you are going to have a line centred by possession darling Mathieu Perreault then having a winger with some hands and ability around the net as opposed to a 4, 2, and 2, season by season goal scorer might make sense.
I've this before and it seems important to bring up again. The Jets of the past three season made being a Jet a luxury, an easy way of being to help players appreciate being in Winnipeg. That approach has made the Jets less than competitive and at times brutally undisciplined on and off the ice. Paul Maurice is here to change that, or so we thought.
When Claude Noel was fired Chevy mentioned, when addressing the media, that he spoke to the players and emphasized what it means to be a professional. So instantly Maurice arrives and is the guy in charge of cleaning up the damage, Mr. Wolf, (seeing as it's the 20 year anniversary of Pulp Fiction) But what if he's doing that but repeating past mistakes with the roster?
We're three games in and pressed with roster adversity again. Certainly Maurice deserves the benefit of doubt to change things but he has also created a bit of doubt amongst observant fans with his handling of injuries and replacements.
As for the Jets on a whole if they win the next 2 games against Nashville and Calgary they have done what Claude Noel said was the goal, win 3 out of every 5 games. It's possible but not without some hard work, the one thing the 'eye-test' with Winnipeg says is not a consistent trait. Regardless though the cliche idea is that you have to beat the team below and on par with you and the next opponents represent that for Winnipeg.
As for a possible free fall? AFter the handling of injuries and promotion of Thorburn anything is possible when faced with something that bad and unexpected.