Unknown Jets will offer a test

In this week’s slate of three games, most Canucks fans likely have their eyes on Thursday’s meeting with the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are barely ahead of the Canucks in the Pacific Division and a win Thursday would help the Canucks make up ground. But the game I’m looking forward to next week is on Tuesday, when the Canucks face the Winnipeg Jets for the first time this season. The Canucks have played the Sharks twice, eking out wins both times, so we have some idea how the teams stack up. The Jets, on the other hand, are an unknown. Let’s face it, the Canucks are likely less concerned about climbing higher in the Pacific Division and more concerned about hanging onto a playoff spot. If the Canucks fall out of the top three in the Pacific, they’ll be battling for a wild-card spot and the Jets will potentially be a main competitor. There have been some commentators who have suggested the Jets will be the only team from Western Canada to make the playoffs, a bold claim. It’s understandable, however, as the Flames’ underlying possession statistics have been predicting a fall for some time. They have the third worst Corsi in the league, while the Canucks’ sub-50 per cent Corsi is also ominous. The Jets boast the 10th-best Corsi in the NHL. They’ve done it with impressive depth at forward, a solid (if injuryriddled) defence led by Dustin Byfuglien, and haven’t been let down by their goaltending. Ondrej Pavelec’s save percentage is near league-average and 24-yearold backup Michael Hutchinson has the second-best save percentage in the NHL. All this is to say that the Jets are quite good and can’t be taken lightly. This should be an opportunity for the Canucks to make a statement about being intent on making the playoffs.