I woke up this morning with a particular song by Frank Sinatra running through my mind and it definitely is apt to the situation the Winnipeg Jets find themselves in. I think the beginning of ol’ Blue Eye’s My Way is very apropos for a team facing possible elimination by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth contest of the seven game series.
“And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain“
Winnipeg will be looking to extend their playoffs with a win tonight and hope that it launches them on a miraculous 3 game winning streak to knock off Colorado, but their play to date doesn’t inspire much confidence in that happening. When I think of all that has went wrong for the Jets in the 2023-24 post-season, this line from My Way pops into my head.
“Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention”
Wish the Jets could say the same, Frank. The Winnipeg Jets have had a slew of issues in the playoffs, from the disappearance of their forechecking, the nightmare the penalty kill has become, endless turnovers or poor decisions, and a leakier than normal starting goaltender to just name a few. You could add in questionable coaching decisions/strategies and a lack of commitment to their system by the players, but unlike Sinatra’s regrets…there are too many to list for the Jets.
I really think a big issue with the team is their lack of belief in themselves and Rick Bowness’ system. It seems that too often when an obstacle is placed in the path to victory (i.e. bad penalty call or give up the first goal of the game), Winnipeg’s wind gets taken out of their sails and it takes them too long to get back into attack mode.
Who knows what line alterations the coaching staff will make for Tuesday’s contest, but there seems to be a belief in the press that forward Cole Perfetti and defenseman Colin Miller will get their first playoff experience of the season. Any changes should start with a top line of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi, as that trio has had success whenever they are put together. However the roster ends up, I am really only looking for one thing…and once again My Way can express my hopes:
“Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all, and I stood tall.”
Basically, don’t go quietly into the night, even if the Colorado Avalanche are an elite opponent. If the Winnipeg Jets are going to go down in 5 games, I want to witness them racing all over the ice, finishing their checks, firing shots on net, and in general play to the best of the ability. Show a little pride to carry over to next season, since the Jets will likely pretty much have a similar roster in 2024-25.
That’s all I got for this morning, but before I sign off I thought I would broach the subject of what my fellow AIHers would like to see in terms of off-season Winnipeg Jets’ coverage. Maybe the Jets will shock the world and somehow delay all that until June, but regardless I would still like to get my plan in place. So, I would appreciate any feedback on what you would like to see once our beloved Jets end the 2023-24 season. Player grades/analysis? Upcoming roster decisions/salary cap analysis? Look at Winnipeg’s depth at each position (NHL to prospects)? Opinion article(s) on potential off-season changes the Jets need to consider (could also publish anything submitted by AIH members in this category)?
Anyways, start giving it some thought and hopefully the Winnipeg Jets find a way to extend their season tonight in front of the White Out crowd.
**FYI – I tried texting one of the owners of this network to see if I could get an idea if we’ll still be here next season, but it has almost been 24 hours without a response. So have no idea what is to come for Arctic Ice Hockey or how long the site will remain up. Will keep you updated if I discover any answers.**
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