The Winnipeg Jets had somewhat of a rough 2019-2020 season that ended in disappointment. Here are three ways the Jets can bounce back in 2021.
Most would agree that the Winnipeg Jets getting eliminated by the Calgary Flames in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers was a disappointment for the Jets. There is a general consensus that with the roster the Jets have now, they must challenge for the Stanley Cup and any finish less than the second round of the playoffs in 2021 will be another disappointment.
The question is, how can the Jets adjust their game to be more successful in the upcoming season. Here are three adjustments that will help them bounce back in the upcoming campaign:
3. More Efficient Penalty Kill
Special teams can be the difference in a hockey game. If a team wins the special team’s battle they usually have an extremely good chance to win the game. The Jets’ powerplay is stacked and played well last year, but their penalty kill was a different story.
In 2019-2020 the Jets finished the regular season with a 77.6 penalty kill percentage, which gave them the tenth worst rating in the league. The playoffs did not treat the Jets any better, they finished their four-game series against Calgary with a 67.7 PK%.
Any hockey fan knows that these numbers are definitely not good enough and it is tough for a team to be successful with a bad penalty kill.
For the Jets to bounce back they need to have a better penalty kill in 2021. It is great to know that the Jets have brought in Nate Thompson and have re-acquired Paul Stastny. Both of these players are good penalty killers and this should definitely improve the Jets’ PK in the new season.