Jets manage turbulence in rough part of schedule
Jam-packed November nears end with Winnipeg near top of the NHL standings
The finish line for this 14-game November mini-marathon is fast approaching for the Winnipeg Jets.
Fresh off a four-game road trip through Tennessee and California, the Jets don’t have much time to exhale as they host the Minnesota Wild on Monday and jump back on a plane to Denver on Tuesday to face the Colorado Avalanche for the first time this season on Wednesday.
“This is the grinder for us. Get as much as much rest as we possibly can and get as much sleep as we can,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, whose club flew home on Sunday. “We’re going to be on an airplane every second day before we come home to play Vegas (on Friday). Keep your shifts short and your game simple.”
The Jets went 2-2-0 on the trip. The worst period of the 12 was the second against the Nashville Predators on Monday, when the wheels came off, partly due to a pair of power play goals against.
In Saturday’s 4-0 loss against the San Jose Sharks, the Jets weren’t lacking in the effort department, though the execution was off. The Jets were busy the night before, beating the Anaheim Ducks.
Saturday’s loss was the first time this season the Jets had been blanked and Sharks goalie Martin Jones had to be sharp at times as he made 38 saves.
“It’s disappointing. We played really well the last two games. We came into a tough building to play in, they’re a veteran squad over there and they took advantage of some mistakes we made,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said. “It wasn’t the game that we wanted. We had bigger aspirations for the end of that road trip.”
The Jets have been strong within the Central Division, going 4-1, so seeing familiar opponents should ensure the intensity level is high, even if the bodies feel a little worn down.
By going 8-3-1 this month, Winnipeg rocketed up the standings in the division, the Western Conference and the entire league.
The Jets had been relatively healthy during the first two months of the season, but during the course of this month, they’ve lost defenceman Toby Enstrom to a long-term injury that is expected to sideline him for at least eight weeks.
There figures to be another injury challenge on the horizon, as goalie Steve Mason left Saturday’s game after the first period with an upper-body injury. If Mason suffered a concussion, he’s out indefinitely.
Connor Hellebuyck had been staking his claim to the Jets goal, starting 16 of the first 22 games. His workload doesn’t figure to be lightening soon, especially if Mason hits the injured-reserve list.
The Jets have organizational depth between the pipes, so either Michael Hutchinson or Eric Comrie would be promoted to fill the void. Both are playing well in the minors.
For Hutchinson, a recall would be an opportunity some thought might never come when he was placed on waivers near the end of training camp.
Comrie got his first taste of the NHL late last season and picked up a victory in his first game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. While Comrie is the Jets’ top-goalie prospect, it makes more sense to recall Hutchinson now, since he has more experience.
Until the status of Mason becomes clearer, expect Hellebuyck to take the ball and run with it, as the Jets don’t face a stretch of games on consecutive days until the middle of December.