I don’t think anyone was saying grinders won it for them, but they had all the pieces you mentioned previously, and didn’t get there. it was rounding out the teams dynamic that helped.

For example, what are Lewis and Thompson bringing to the Jets? Penalty killers? Is that all, a couple guys who can play fourth line and not got scored on. Is that it? Pretty sure we can find those guys anywhere who may also bring something else?? Maybe a goal now and then or a hit once in while? Has Thompson or Lewis finished a check this year?
- Ross77

Lewis and Thompson shouldn't be on the team agreed. But do you want to find 2 grinders at forward or would you rather have added a Taylor Hall and run these lines.

Conner-Scheifele-Copp
Hall-PLD-Ehlers
Perreault-Stastny-Wheeler
Harkins-Lowry-Appleton

Some fans don’t get it....a Sam Bennett can be as valuable or even more than an Ehlers in a playoff run

Playoffs a different animal
- jjonah

This

Lewis and Thompson shouldn't be on the team agreed. But do you want to find 2 grinders at forward or would you rather have added a Taylor Hall and run these lines.

Conner-Scheifele-Copp
Hall-PLD-Ehlers
Perreault-Stastny-Wheeler
Harkins-Lowry-Appleton
- BWJumper

I love this line-up!

Ultimate, Chevy has trade two first rounders at past deadlines. He is clearly willing to do so.
Maurice is the problem. Chevy could have gone out and got whoever you want and it wouldn’t have helped as Wheeler would still get 20+ min a night and he’d match up 55 against the other teams best no matter how badly he was getting beat.
- Ross77

I am not disagreeing with you. I was highlighting some contradictions.

Agreed. Jets are a pushover. Any physicality to a game will only hurt them

Speaking of which, beauty hit by Sandin on Wheeler!

Helly actually played well. Score should have been more lopsided. I hope WPG makes it past EDM in the first round, but I’m not so sure
- AxlRose91

Yes beauty hit by Sandin on Wheeler .... but illegal. Interference, you can’t body check a player if the player does not have the puck.

Yes beauty hit by Sandin on Wheeler .... but illegal. Interference, you can’t body check a player if the player does not have the puck.
- ricroc

Puck was literally on Wheeler’s stick

Kind of like how you disregard the fact TB has a Vezina goaltender, a Norris Dman. and a Hart winner, yet you stand by the idea it was the grinders that won TB the cup.
- BWJumper

Yes cause in stating some heavier, grittier players that Tampa added following their sweep by Columbus contributed to them winning the cup I'm completely disregarding the contributions and difference having Vasilevski and Hedman made, good gawd BW, you're making a ridiculous reach there.

I don’t think anyone was saying grinders won it for them, but they had all the pieces you mentioned previously, and didn’t get there. it was rounding out the teams dynamic that helped.

For example, what are Lewis and Thompson bringing to the Jets? Penalty killers? Is that all, a couple guys who can play fourth line and not got scored on. Is that it? Pretty sure we can find those guys anywhere who may also bring something else?? Maybe a goal now and then or a hit once in while? Has Thompson or Lewis finished a check this year?
- Ross77

Exactly, this comment from Ross sums it up perfectly.

Out 4th line while not getting scored on rarely scores itself and isn't physical which doesn't wear down the opposition leaving the likes of little Nik Ehlers to do it, Ehlers can't be expected to do everything for this team.

Totally agree, the Jets are too small, soft, not physical or built for the playoffs.

Even some of the other Leafs that aren't necessarily known for physical play at least have size like Engvall, Mikheyev and Galchenyuk, hell even Spezza is 6'3".. Lol.. That size is tough to play against and wears on a D core, the Jets forwards aren't wearing down the oppositions defense.

I wish the Jets had a 4th line of bigger, physical players instead of smallish 33+ year olds.

And then there's the Jets smallish, slowish D core of mostly 3rd pair dmen.. Lol

I'm a Jets fan but I'm a realist, I just don't think this team is built to win.
- JetFuel

Totally agree with this thread.

Jets are soft. Tampa was soft and did something about it resulting in the cup. Toronto was soft and did something about it (probably get them into the semis this year).

It will be our turn to do something about it this off season. We have a very good core but need physicality on the fourth line (reaves type player(s) and 1 defenseman with the same attributes).

As for Toronto. I am sick of them. Sick of the media covering them. I did not watch much of the last two games between Toronto and whomeever the leafs were playing (that’s how the broadcasters make it seem even during intermission!
I think the biggest turn off was when broadcasters hyped up Thornton’s goal (which turned out to be spezza’s ) being the oldest leaf to score and never mentioned the 300 assist plateau for scheifele!

In fact only mentioned scheifele’s 48 hours later in the second game.

Kinda getting fed up with this pro Toronto as if they are the only team in Canada.

Once Winnipeg is eliminated I will shut off the tv for the rest of the year. Don’t need to hear anymore of this Toronto hype. Sickening.

Yes cause in stating some heavier, grittier players that Tampa added following their sweep by Columbus contributed to them winning the cup I'm completely disregarding the contributions and difference having Vasilevski and Hedman made, good gawd BW, you're making a ridiculous reach there.
- JetFuel

You are trying to come up with a ridiculous answer that heavier grittier made the difference from 1st round exit to cup champion. When the more logical reason was that their best players were better than their competition from 2019 to 2020

TB dumped Girardi, Erne (who were 3rd and 4th for hits on the team) and Callahan from that 2019 team. That looks like a lot of grit to me, or are you saying Coleman, Maroon, Bogosian are grittier.

Ah yes, so they contributed nothing then.

Not one of those guys are top 6 talents, all 3rd line forwards, Goodrow is a 4th liner who did okay with Gourde and Coleman who are legitimately good 3rd line players.

Also all those forwards who you called analytics darlings were grinding, hitting and playing on the edge but totally disregard that fact if you want.
- JetFuel

Yes. Schenn and Bogosian contributed almost nothing. They were present.

As for the forwards, Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow was the single most effective line for any team in the entirety of that playoff year.
They utterly destroyed other teams’ top lines, 4th lines, everything. It didn’t matter.
All 3 are top 6 caliber players, and all 3, while gritty, are actually effective hockey players. Same with Maroon. Physicality alone makes a player a liability, not an asset.
Whoever mentioned Sam Bennett later in the thread just picked a hitty 4th liner who sucks at hockey.

Yes it played a part, no wanting to admit that or ignoring it, won’t change that.
It’s ok to admit that they added physical
Players who could play well. Maroon is not a top 6 forward. Bogo is not a top pairing D yet played top pair.
- Ross77

Maroon might genuinely be a top line forward. His numbers are crazy good

Some fans don’t get it....a Sam Bennett can be as valuable or even more than an Ehlers in a playoff run

Playoffs a different animal
- jjonah

Literally not at all different. Just a smaller sample size, more room for randomness and luck as a result, and a chance for teams to get used to eachother

Yes. Schenn and Bogosian contributed almost nothing. They were present.

As for the forwards, Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow was the single most effective line for any team in the entirety of that playoff year.
They utterly destroyed other teams’ top lines, 4th lines, everything. It didn’t matter.
All 3 are top 6 caliber players, and all 3, while gritty, are actually effective hockey players. Same with Maroon. Physicality alone makes a player a liability, not an asset.
Whoever mentioned Sam Bennett later in the thread just picked a hitty 4th liner who sucks at hockey.
- Rexypoo

So you're proving my point here with saying: "while gritty, are effective hockey players"

Well yeah cause if they weren't gritty they wouldn't be effective or useful and wouldn't be in the damn league! Coleman, Gourde and Goodrow are NOT in the NHL on their skills alone! Goodrow is a 4th liner all day long, he was a passenger with Gourde and Coleman.

For the love of (frank)ing gawd I'm not saying physicality alone, obviously guys need to have other abilities, skills and talents but a team of mostly small, skilled players is going nowhere in the playoffs, period.

Yes. Schenn and Bogosian contributed almost nothing. They were present.

As for the forwards, Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow was the single most effective line for any team in the entirety of that playoff year.
They utterly destroyed other teams’ top lines, 4th lines, everything. It didn’t matter.
All 3 are top 6 caliber players, and all 3, while gritty, are actually effective hockey players. Same with Maroon. Physicality alone makes a player a liability, not an asset.
Whoever mentioned Sam Bennett later in the thread just picked a hitty 4th liner who sucks at hockey.
- Rexypoo

Bogo played 20+ min a game, lol

You are trying to come up with a ridiculous answer that heavier grittier made the difference from 1st round exit to cup champion. When the more logical reason was that their best players were better than their competition from 2019 to 2020

TB dumped Girardi, Erne (who were 3rd and 4th for hits on the team) and Callahan from that 2019 team. That looks like a lot of grit to me, or are you saying Coleman, Maroon, Bogosian are grittier.
- BWJumper

Columbus pounded them into the ice, they obviously needed some guys who could push back and they went and got them otherwise why bother, should they not have added any of those guys and just went with the exact same lineup the next season?

Girardi and Callahan were both done and had nothing left in the tank, pretty sure it was an "injury" that ended Callahan's career as well, Erne is an AHL caliber player and yes Coleman, Maroon and Bogosian are grittier then they are, they're also better and younger then those three except for Erne who's the youngest but he's not an NHL player anyway except on the rebuilding Red Wings.

I never said being heavier/grittier was the only reason that Tampa went from being swept to Cup winner but there's a reason they went out and got those guys.

Totally agree with this thread.

Jets are soft. Tampa was soft and did something about it resulting in the cup. Toronto was soft and did something about it (probably get them into the semis this year).

It will be our turn to do something about it this off season. We have a very good core but need physicality on the fourth line (reaves type player(s) and 1 defenseman with the same attributes).

As for Toronto. I am sick of them. Sick of the media covering them. I did not watch much of the last two games between Toronto and whomeever the leafs were playing (that’s how the broadcasters make it seem even during intermission!
I think the biggest turn off was when broadcasters hyped up Thornton’s goal (which turned out to be spezza’s ) being the oldest leaf to score and never mentioned the 300 assist plateau for scheifele!

In fact only mentioned scheifele’s 48 hours later in the second game.

Kinda getting fed up with this pro Toronto as if they are the only team in Canada.

Once Winnipeg is eliminated I will shut off the tv for the rest of the year. Don’t need to hear anymore of this Toronto hype. Sickening.
- Jetter

Its unfortunate Chevy didn't do anything about it this past offseason or at the trade deadline but doing his job is hard for Dayoff I guess!

Columbus pounded them into the ice, they obviously needed some guys who could push back and they went and got them otherwise why bother, should they not have added any of those guys and just went with the exact same lineup the next season?

Girardi and Callahan were both done and had nothing left in the tank, pretty sure it was an "injury" that ended Callahan's career as well, Erne is an AHL caliber player and yes Coleman, Maroon and Bogosian are grittier then they are, they're also better and younger then those three except for Erne who's the youngest but he's not an NHL player anyway except on the rebuilding Red Wings.

I never said being heavier/grittier was the only reason that Tampa went from being swept to Cup winner but there's a reason they went out and got those guys.
- JetFuel

Coleman was a 20 goal scorer and Maroon was a couple of years removed from a 40 point season. TB got guys that had actual scoring ability to fill out their bottom 6.

Bringing it back to the Jets I doubt you could make the case that Coleman is any grittier than Lowry. But I will take Coleman and his 13 points he put up in TB's run vs the 2 that Lowry put up in the 2018 playoffs

Coleman was a 20 goal scorer and Maroon was a couple of years removed from a 40 point season. TB got guys that had actual scoring ability to fill out their bottom 6.

Bringing it back to the Jets I doubt you could make the case that Coleman is any grittier than Lowry. But I will take Coleman and his 13 points he put up in TB's run vs the 2 that Lowry put up in the 2018 playoffs
- BWJumper

I think we used to have lots of grit when we had Slater, Thorburn, Glass and the nuclear option in Peluso. Maybe my memory is bad, but I don’t ever recall those gritty players ever getting us into the playoffs.

I think we used to have lots of grit when we had Slater, Thorburn, Glass and the nuclear option in Peluso. Maybe my memory is bad, but I don’t ever recall those gritty players ever getting us into the playoffs.
- TheUltimateJet

So then why did Tampa add any of those players? Don't tell me it's cause any of them were oozing with skill.. Lol

No one is saying the Jets JUST need to add grit/size but they do need some, obviously guys need to be able to play too.

Bogo played 20+ min a game, lol
- Ross77

So did Chairot, Clitsome, Pardy, Morrow, etc.

So you're proving my point here with saying: "while gritty, are effective hockey players"

Well yeah cause if they weren't gritty they wouldn't be effective or useful and wouldn't be in the damn league! Coleman, Gourde and Goodrow are NOT in the NHL on their skills alone! Goodrow is a 4th liner all day long, he was a passenger with Gourde and Coleman.

For the love of (frank)ing gawd I'm not saying physicality alone, obviously guys need to have other abilities, skills and talents but a team of mostly small, skilled players is going nowhere in the playoffs, period.
- JetFuel

Tampa had like 1 regular forward that was both over 6’ and 200lbs. Goodrow is also in every way a top 6 forward. He was traded as one, and remained so. He is legit, regardless of your preconceived notions.

Once more, Washington won almost exclusively on skill. As did St. Louis. As did Pittsburgh. As did Tampa. The problem you’re citing with the Jets being physical doesn’t exist, and the players you want to fix that aren’t what you think they are.

Tampa had like 1 regular forward that was both over 6’ and 200lbs. Goodrow is also in every way a top 6 forward. He was traded as one, and remained so. He is legit, regardless of your preconceived notions.

Once more, Washington won almost exclusively on skill. As did St. Louis. As did Pittsburgh. As did Tampa. The problem you’re citing with the Jets being physical doesn’t exist, and the players you want to fix that aren’t what you think they are.
- Rexypoo

St.Louis didn't? You didn't see them pound the Jets into the ice in round one then I guess.. Lol

Goodrow is a 4th liner and nothing more.

The Jets are easy to play against, it's obvious to most everyone else but you apparently.

St.Louis didn't? You didn't see them pound the Jets into the ice in round one then I guess.. Lol

Goodrow is a 4th liner and nothing more.

The Jets are easy to play against, it's obvious to most everyone else but you apparently.
- JetFuel

LOL the Jets went to the final four the year earlier with the same roster.

Todays Jets will lose because they give up too many high danger chances that high end talent like McDavid or Matthews will take advantage of and no amount of grit and toughness would change that.

LOL the Jets went to the final four the year earlier with the same roster.

Todays Jets will lose because they give up too many high danger chances that high end talent like McDavid or Matthews will take advantage of and no amount of grit and toughness would change that.
- BWJumper

That's true

And maybe part of the reason why they give up those high danger scoring chances is cause the Jets are easy to play against.