Winnipeg Jets: Three Keys For Continued Success

The Winnipeg Jets are near the top of the North division. Here are three keys to the Jets staying in the playoff race over the next month of games.

The Winnipeg Jets are currently within two points of first place in the all-Canadian North division with a record of 7-3-1.

For a team that most experts picked to finish near the bottom of the North division, being within one point of the Montreal Canadiens and two of the Toronto Maple Leafs is quite an accomplishment early on.

But the Jets will have no time to rest on their laurels as they travel to Calgary to face a Flames team looking to avenge two losses in Winnipeg, and then play their next ten games against Ottawa (twice), Edmonton (twice), Vancouver (four times) and Montreal (twice).

The schedule gets extremely busy for the Jets after a four-day break this week, and every game going forward in a tightly contested division and a condensed season being very important.

With that in mind, here are three keys to the Jets staying in the playoff race over the next games leading into March.

3. The defense cannot rest … they have to continue to get better

The Jets defense was their weakest link area coming into the season but has been better than last season. They still however are a work in progress.

Top defenseman Josh Morrissey has struggled at times and has yet to demonstrate a level of play commensurate with his salary level. Dylan DeMelo has not consistently been the calm presence in his own end that he showed last year when he first arrived from the Ottawa Senators.

On the plus side, in the last few games veteran Derek Forbort is showing signs of what the team hoped for when he was signed – a physical presence, smart in his own end, adept at penalty killing. His defense partner Neal Pionk continues to impress and has been the Jets best overall defenseman this season, even showing a bit of a physical edge.

Gigantic defenseman Logan Stanley looks like he has established himself as a bottom pair presence, which will lead to some decisions for Paul Maurice when Tucker Poolman is able to return from his COVID-related absence. Nathan Beaulieu might be the odd man out. In addition, the Jets have wonderkid Ville Heinola on the taxi squad who looked good as Morrissey’s partner for one game.

There are some positive signs, but if the Jets want to remain in the hunt for the playoffs, the defense must not rest – there must be continual improvement.

2. The Jets need Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit to be a dynamic duo in goal

You know the season is going better than last year when we have not had to talk about how many times Connor Hellebuyck has had to save games for the Jets this season.

Last year the Vezina trophy winner was essentially responsible for the Jets making it into the play-in round against the Calgary Flames. This season Hellebuyck has had some outstanding periods and moments and has also had a few that he would like to forget about (like the center ice dump in goal from Christ Tanev).

The best news for the Jets in goal this season has been the revived play of Laurent Brossoit this season. Brossoit has a 2-1-0 record this season and a save percentage of 0.918 and is playing closer to the level he was at when he first joined the Jets.

Ultimately, the Jets’ playoff success will ride on the back of Hellebuyck. However, in this condensed season, with so many back-to-back games, it is crucial that the Jets get high end play from backup goaltender Brossoit when he plays. So far it looks like the Jets can count on that happening.