How the Winnipeg Jets got back on track to salvage their season

DENVER – Did it need to be this difficult?

Absolutely not, especially after the best start in franchise history for the Winnipeg Jets and a 30-game block that saw them go 20-9-1.

However, that the Jets had to hang on for dear life and fend off a late challenge from the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames to nail down the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference has the potential to be downgraded to a footnote when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next week.

For the time being, it can be used as a learning tool and a road map in the search to find out just how the Jets got their groove back.

There has been plenty of discussion over the past few weeks about the outside noise, and Jets head coach Rick Bowness went so far as to suggest that some people had written his team off during the late-season tailspin.

Here’s the thing, just as the Jets deserved criticism for slipping from first in the Western Conference to eighth, they also deserve credit for finding a way to never fall below the playoff line.

By punching their ticket to the postseason with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night in a rink that has often been a house of horrors over the past couple of years, the Jets were able to slay one dragon.

By improving to 46-32-3 going into the regular-season finale on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche, the Jets ensured they would not suffer the ignominy of suffering the biggest collapse in NHL history.

There are no banners for that, just like there are no participation ribbons dished out for being one of 16 teams that earned an opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup.

That’s not to diminish the achievement either, as winning in the NHL is incredibly difficult, but this Jets team had higher hopes going into the season, and those internal expectations were only raised by a hot start.

And rightfully so.

That the Jets ended up looking more like a bubble team than a front-runner to go on a Stanley Cup run shouldn’t come as a massive surprise. After all, it’s where many pundits had them finishing in pre-season projections.

Besides, the only thing that really matters right now is that they’ve given themselves an opportunity.

Whether the Jets are one and done, go on a remarkable run like they did in 2018 or land somewhere in between is what will ultimately define whether or not this season is a success.

However, all of those heated conversations about what figures to be a tumultuous off-season for the Jets and what the team will look like are on hold, at least for the time being.

In the shorter term, let’s examine how the Jets got back on track.

GOALTENDING

There’s no doubt the play of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is at the top of that list, he’s the clear-cut MVP on a team that had a number of incredible individual performances.

Hellebuyck’s ability to carry the mail and make 13 consecutive starts since March 14 made this run possible.

In winning five of the past seven games, Hellebuyck allowed only 11 goals as he continued a late push to punctuate his consideration for Vezina Trophy candidacy.

He’s been making difficult saves look routine, then tossing in a few highlight-reel stops for good measure.

DEFENCEMEN

In any other season, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey would likely be the team MVP and could easily win the Norris Trophy.

By chipping in an assist on Tuesday, Morrissey is up to 60 helpers to go with his 16 goals while playing big minutes and handling heavy defensive matchups on the top pairing with Dylan DeMelo.

Staying on defence, Neal Pionk has picked a perfect time to get his game turned around after struggling earlier this season.

Earlier this week, Bowness confirmed Pionk was dealing with a nagging ailment but he also admitted that he needed to play better.

“There was a time that he was a little banged-up and there was a time he wasn’t playing well. It’s a little bit of both,” said Bowness. “One thing about Neal is he’s coachable. So, it’s, 'Neal, we’re struggling a little bit here, let’s clean these things up,’ and he fixes it right away. He’s not stubborn about those things. He has a very honest appraisal of his game at that particular point.”

The current appraisal is that the Jets needed Pionk to be one of the top-three blue-liners down the stretch and he’s done that, returning to physical form while also enhancing his career-high goal total to 10 as he racked up 32 points while appearing in all 81 games.

FORWARDS

Up front, the Jets' latest line shuffle has brought a balance that hadn’t been there as often as it needed to be since around Game 42, when much of the scoring began to dry up for an extended period of time.

Loading up the top trio and moving Mark Scheifele to the wing with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Connor has provided a spark for all three players.

Not only has the engagement level been high, so has the production.

Nikolaj Ehlers has been a driving force on the second unit, building chemistry with Vladislav Namestnikov and Blake Wheeler.

Ehlers is playing his best hockey of the season and his explosiveness has been more prevalent as he continues to work his way back up to full speed after undergoing a sports hernia surgery.

The line of Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter has also meshed incredibly well, with Niederreiter bringing an additional physical element to the group along with more natural finishing ability and a willingness to spend ample time stirring things up around the blue paint.

Lowry has left his lengthy scoring drought in the rearview mirror (collecting five goals and eight points in the past 12 games) and his latest in a long line of leadership moments came in the finally minute of Tuesday’s game as he dropped the gloves with Ryan Reaves.

The fourth line has also been contributing of late – and not just on the penalty kill – as Morgan Barron handled his reduction in ice time with aplomb and is finding a way to chip in offensively, including a nice setup on the insurance marker from Appleton on Tuesday that secured the playoff berth for the Jets.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Another reason the Jets got their mojo back was related to getting the power play back on track after it was mired in a serious funk.

With a razor-slim margin for error come playoff time, being able to win the special-teams battle with regularity is something that can tip the scales.

Since the aforementioned penalty kill was already one of the things the Jets have been able to count on this season, adding a more dangerous man-advantage to the mix is something that should serve them well when the chips are down.

Perhaps the most important development for the Jets is the way they’ve been able to generate their offence during the recent outburst.

No, the six-goal eruptions aren’t going to be a frequent occurrence when the real games begin next week, but the Jets' ability to create high-danger chances without being reliant on scoring off the rush or in transition is critical.

By getting to the net more and paying the price, the Jets have finally created a repeatable template that could make them a tough out, as long as they can stay committed to the defensive structure and not slip into bad habits on the puck management side of things.