When you win three games in a row the negatives don’t look so bad and the positives look a little brighter. That’s the feeling around the Winnipeg Jets today as they come home after a shoot out win against the Detroit Red Wings.
Aside from some careless penalties in the third period and generally passive play in the 3rd period, something which could be credited to Detroit doing everything they could to avoid another home ice loss, the Jets played a good game. So what’s next for them?
The Jets have a series of three games which are raising some questions about how to best use their goaltending tandem of Pavelec and Monotya. They host the Flyers on Friday before going to Minneapolis on Sunday night and then home to play Calgary Monday. These are three games the Jets could win and with two games at home getting 4 points seems somewhat realistic, even for this inconsistent crew.
So who do you start on Friday? Last night on Twitter I suggested going Pavelec, Pavelec Montoya but discussion today has presented other scenarios and reasons to support a different rotation.
This is now team management and all eyes should be on the coach, not the players. Claude Noel has talked in the past about ‘managing the game’, and keeping aware of how you play sixty minutes. It would make sense that he considers, with great thought; how he manages his team over three games. It’s not just goalies but skaters as well.
If putting Montoya in Friday makes the skaters feel a bit of pressure does that have a negative or positive effect on the team? It has been shown by the smart guys over at Arctic Ice Hockey that Pavelec plays best on two days rest and starting Friday would give him two days off as would playing Monday.
It’s really about a testament to use and while GM Kevin Chevaldayoff has used the phrase ‘it’s not win at any cost’ putting more starts in Pavelec workload by the coach seems to rebuke that sentiment. He needs 60-65 games and Noel has to find the situations where Montoya can play even if he feels Pavelec gives them a better chance.
History has show that depending on Pavelec for more starts than he can handle has a downside. If the goalie falters it can set off a chain reaction for the skaters. Last night Pavelec made the big, timely saves again and the results speak for it. The Jets were heavily out-shot during the game and in the shootout he stood tall again. So why put Montoya in and mess with Pavelec’s head? It makes little sense.
That being said the Wild will have played on Wednesday, Friday and then Sunday against the Jets, one more game than Winnipeg and they leave for a 4 game road trip after- would they be looking past the Jets? Probably not as this is as close a division rivalry they can get aside from Chicago but there is that slight chance.
What we’re going to see though does go back to the Noel and how he decides to manage this team through three games. It’s not just goalies but skaters too and Noel has the chance to tinker with the lineup for each game and that might not be a bad thing. Keeping skaters on their toes by juggling goalies could have adverse side effects but keeping skaters on their toes by juggling the roster seems less risky, right?
At some point the Jets have to give Redmond a game and find time for Peluso too as the latter has shown he deserves a bit more time than he gets. With two days to practice and prepare for the Flyers I’d bet that’s when a change gets made and Noel looks to try something new on either the bottom paring D or 4th line, or both.
Start Pavelec on Friday and Monday with the understanding that he has the option to change but don’t tip the hand. Good team management has an element of suspense for the opposition and this next three games should show how well Noel manages an opportunity to put his team ahead now that it is playing the best hockey.
The Jets have played 20 games and no longer sit at the bottom of the Central Division. With Nashville and Dallas having as many as 4 games in hand there’s no time let down it’s why he has to manage this group to realize opportunities and the next three games should be telling.