Here’s a little checkup on the Winnipeg Jets, following our first 18 games of the season.
The Winnipeg Jets currently sit third place in the Central Division, with a record of 11-5-2 and twenty four points. That puts us three points behind the Nashville Predators, who currently lead the Central with twenty seven points, and two points behind the second place Minnesota Wild.
Behind us, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are tied for fourth in the division with 22 points each. Both teams have one more game played than our Jets do. At sixth place in the Central, the Chicago Blackhawks have 19 points, which is only five behind us, however we have two games in hand over them.
Finally, seven points behind our Jets, sit the St. Louis Blues. Lead by head coach Mike Yeo, the Blues haven’t got much this season. 17 games in and they’re a mere 7-7-3.
Who’s leading the way?
Captain Blake Wheeler is showing Winnipeg how to get the job done, with 24 points. 21 of which are assists. If there was a trophy for assists, the Jets captain would be on pace to be a finalist, as he sits only a single assist behind Mikko Rantanen to top the category. Wheeler is tied for seventh in the league for points.
Kyle Connor has also showed he can put up some points and find the back of the net with nine goals and seven assists. The speedy winger has stepped up, becoming a key player in his two most recent seasons, as was expected.
Mark Schiefele has been our number one goal-getter this season, popping in ten goals in 18 games, as well as adding another ten assists for twenty points. Scheifele is four points behind Wheeler to lead in the points column.
Who needs to pick up their game?
First of all, the whole Winnipeg Jets team needs to pick it up. We should be ahead of Minnesota, because we’re truly a better team who just hasn’t had much success from all their players who need to be putting up numbers.
Nikolaj Ehlers. He’s by far one of my favourite Jets, but hasn’t had much success on the scoring front. He has eight points in eighteen games, four are goals and four are assists. That’s not the Ehlers I remember from his previous two seasons.
Our top six has really struggled this year. Brian Little, our second line center only has seven points. Not the stats you’d hope for out of a guy like him.
In terms of our bottom six, Brenden Lemieux and Nic Petan have failed to register even a single point. Jack Roslovic has barely been getting by, with three points in seventeen games.
Not to say we don’t have things going good right now, but we really need to pick our game up. We face off against Vancouver in a few days, which will require everyone to show up and start playing like we did last season.