So what did you call it? What did you see tonight at the MTS Centre that was different then the previous game, games or al game this season. Something was different and wouldn't the fans, players, new coach and most importantly the GM, like to bottle it for use before each game.
That was what we call compete level, or as some say, 'give a F level'. Tonight the Jets gave a F but that does little comfort for Claude Noel, a guy looking for his next place in hockey.
So what was the difference as to why the Jets played so differently? Well, it's a desire to change things, certainly the energy of a new coach behind the bench and the rush of the crowd but it's something else. The Jets players are now playing for each other, their privilege to be a team together, to be where some have set up home, and the stability of their relationships. If they screw up that's what's on the line now.
You want comfort, the stability of your team, city friends and family start being a professional and play hockey. That was the message that Kevin Cheveldayoff must have sent to his team once he addressed them after relieving Claude Noel of his coaching duties. It was long overdue but perhaps the Jets players finally realize they are accountable to each other if they want to keep this group intact as the next move certainly involves them.
Don't gush to hard over what you saw tonight Jets fans. Yes Maurice had a different approach than Noel often teaching, illustrating with his hands and arms, and communicating with his charges unlike his predecessor but we've seen this act before. We've seen this mirage.
In a city that had no NHL hockey for 15 years, and then when it arrived it was this tease of inconsistent play and identity, fans should know there is no quick fix. While the coaching change will be felt within the organization it was like a bandaid being ripped off for many astute fans. After the game Paul Maurice, or Po-Mo as some are calling him, made the loss of a Claude Noel press conference a forgettable event.
Once Maurice arrived at the podium he went straight to questions as he said he had spoke enough today. He answered his questions articulately, with a great deal of insight and emotion. It was the Anti-Claude. It was probably the most enlightening moment of the past 48 hours and it was as if a fog had lifted.
That's not a shot at Noel, it's simply a statement of how Noel who worked as hard as anyone to guide his team out of the fog may have only been making it worse. There were no metaphors, no jokes, or humourous deflections of questions, just straight forward answers that made sense when you compared them to what you saw on the ice.
The most telling comment came from Bryan Little in the dressing room after the game when he was asked about the difference of coaches during the game. "There was a lot more instruction and guidance," exclaimed Little, "it's something I think we need."
That was the difference and perhaps the only one needed to be made, at least in the short term. Leadership is a funny thing and more often than we forget about who our coaches coach, young men, the same ones you might see in your office, job site, or place of business. They need leadership and support in the moment when faced with adversity or a situation they didn't know how to manage.
With Maurice they got that attention and guidance, something Noel rarely provided in times of strife. The quick response after Phoenix went up 1-0 said everything about how this coach 'managed the game' and what he saw his team needed. Many have believed that Noel didn't practice tough love with his players but maybe he simply didn't listen to their problems and try to understand their challenges?
In the end it's a bounce back game and an expected one. As said above Jets fans have seen this mirage before and been sorely disappointed when it turned out to be another cactus in the barren desert. We've got a long way to go before anyone can call the coaching change a success but for one night Jets fans left the MTS Centre feeling there might be light at the end of tunnel. Now we have to see if the Jets players are prepared to accept changes and commit to a plan now that they have a leader who can see a way out of the dark maze the team has been circling in for two and half seasons, if not longer.
Are you willing to hold your breath?