Post-Game Talk: Did you hear the Jets beat CBJ 5-0

[GeorgeJETson]

3 points up on Colorado with a game in hand, 1 point up on Vancouver with a game in hand for 1st in the entire NHL.

As an aside, I really miss Jim Carrey making films.

 

[Adam da bomb]

It might be because while we may not have as much talent as 17-18, the players we have are a little more rounded then what we had then.

We have different kinds of talent. Less scorers like kc and Laine more 2 way guys.

 

[Stumbledore]

It's weird that on paper this team is no way near to that of the 17-18 team but the on ice results (by both traditional and fancy metrics) are right up there with that team.

That depends on whether or not your paper has the word BOWNESS at the top of the page.

 

[LucianoBorsato]

'Closer to perfection': Blue Jackets marvel at front-running Winnipeg Jets

He's not surprised, but Columbus forward Jack Roslovic is a little sad he's not part of this powerful Winnipeg Jets team anymore. Read more.

winnipegsun.com

“It’s almost sad to say that you could have… that you could have been a part of (it),” Roslovic said.

...Says the guy that asked to be traded.

Got room for Roslovic on the Moose if he's missing Winnipeg!

 

[Andy6]

We have different kinds of talent. Less scorers like kc and Laine more 2 way guys.

The other team can never let up against this Jets team. They're really relentless, from every line on every shift. It's so strange to be noticing the fourth line's offence as much or more as the other lines. I think players up and down the lineup are feeling appreciated and responding with their best work. We're seeing the truth of the cliche that everyone who plays in the NHL is a talented player. Somehow on a lot of teams the third and fourth liners play like they don't really believe they belong.

 

[LowLefty]

It might be because while we may not have as much talent as 17-18, the players we have are a little more rounded then what we had then.

They are also bought into the work required to play the game the way they are -
I'd agree that you need a certain sort of player (rounded) to play that style of game (or at least lead the charge) but you still need to convince them to actually do it.
IMO, this is all about a team that have bought into a system that requires consistent work and play style from everyone - which also happens to be what Bones has been preaching since the day he arrived in Wpg.

We saw some of this last year - but only for short stints and then they would slip back. Now they appear to be completely bought in - and the consistency is there now. We've discussed this for a few yrs now -
The difference now is that we are seeing the result as it was intended and the discussion has shifted from schemes, new age coaching, modern offensive game plans, individual player performance (especially the high skill guys) - to simple game plans, consistent hard work and players that trust the system (and the coach) and stick with it. Nothing flashy really.

What really interesting for me is that when the Jets are being discussed by other teams, coaches, or the media, it's not about individual players so much as it is about the team.

 

[DRW204]

It's weird that on paper this team is no way near to that of the 17-18 team but the on ice results (by both traditional and fancy metrics) are right up there with that team.

id still take the 17-18 defense group over this year's, not that this years is bad. morrissey is having a better year than any of the 8 dmen (the 2 top-4s) - however the top-4 overall of trouba, buff, morrissey, enstrom was better in my view from 1-4. Helle is playing maybe at a higher level. and this year's fwds i think are a bit more well-rounded overall. i do think the PP really misses a finisher like Laine though , but i don't think the PP is necessarily a personnel issue. given the talent of this group it should not be 23rd in the league in PP Goals

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

They are also bought into the work required to play the game the way they are -
I'd agree that you need a certain sort of player (rounded) to play that style of game (or at least lead the charge) but you still need to convince them to actually do it.
IMO, this is all about a team that have bought into a system that requires consistent work and play style from everyone - which also happens to be what Bones has been preaching since the day he arrived in Wpg.

We saw some of this last year - but only for short stints and then they would slip back. Now they appear to be completely bought in - and the consistency is there now. We've discussed this for a few yrs now -
The difference now is that we are seeing the result as it was intended and the discussion has shifted from schemes, new age coaching, modern offensive game plans, individual player performance (especially the high skill guys) - to simple game plans, consistent hard work and players that trust the system (and the coach) and stick with it. Nothing flashy really.

What really interesting for me is that when the Jets are being discussed by other teams, coaches, or the media, it's not about individual players so much as it is about the team.

The 17/18 team took on big buffs (on ice) personality - big and tough, yes but also flashy and a little cocky - willing to take risks in search of offense.

This team has taken on Lowry's personality. Also tough, but kinda boring. Playing behind the puck, working hard to defend in transition, and simple, but effective offense.

 

[Buffdog]

What's encouraging to me with this team this year is the structure they're playing with. The way they pressure the puck while constantly moving to support the guy doing it.

It seemed like last year's success was largely based in pace and effort... which becomes a major issue when fatigue and the grind of the NHL season set in. I still say it played a role in last year's slide

Although I missed the game last night, by all accounts the boys were lacking a bit of jump but still managed a decisive win.

 

[Eyeseeing]

The 17/18 team took on big buffs (on ice) personality - big and tough, yes but also flashy and a little cocky - willing to take risks in search of offense.

This team has taken on Lowry's personality. Also tough, but kinda boring. Playing behind the puck, working hard to defend in transition, and simple, but effective offense.

If boring = winning , we'll take it
Personally I find the team entertaining & disciplined

 

[DharmaBum]

Perfetti blocking a shot with 2 seconds left in a 5-0 game.

 

[raideralex99]

Is anyone else having these symptoms?
I'm waking up every morning in a happy happy mood .... the wife wants to know what drugs I'm on.
I told her the ones that make you fly high like a Jet.

 

[Cypruss]

Vilardi has some mad mitts skill that pass from Lowry on the pp kicks it up from his skate to stick and into the net

I watched it a few times. Wasn't really even a kick per-se. If you remember school yard marbles.....it was more like that.

I swear Vilardi turned both skates to do "banana's" and let it hit the banana and pop right back out to his stick to put it in.

That is what had me laughing and so amused - "He just did banana's on that goal"!!!

 

[Krauser]

It's weird that on paper this team is no way near to that of the 17-18 team but the on ice results (by both traditional and fancy metrics) are right up there with that team.

The core of the 2017-18 team was much younger.

There had a handful of high-quality older vets (Perrault age 30, Little 30, Wheeler 31, Byfuglien 32, Enstrom 33, Stastny 32 after they traded for him), and a few players (but no stars) in their late 20s prime (Tanev 26, Chiarot 26, Myers 27, Kulikov 27).

This older, top-heavy roster was supplemented with a huge number of U25 (under 25 years of age as of Feb 1st, 2018) players who had big roles:
19: Laine
21: Ehlers, Connor, Roslovic
22: Morrissey
23: Trouba, Copp
24: Scheifele, Lowry, Hellebuyck, Armia
...this ignores bit players like Roslovic and Petan

Those players are now 6 years older. The older cohort has moved on, and the younger group is in their prime.

The current roster has almost no U25 players at all:
22: Perfetti
23: Gustaffson, Kupari (both currently on IR)
24: Vilardi
...that's it -- those are the only players on the current team who are younger than Mark Scheifele was in January 2018.

Hard to believe, but Vilardi is the 2nd youngest player on the team during this current winning streak.

Ages for the rest of the regulars in the current roster:
25: Barron, Samberg, Jonsson-Fjallby
27: Ehlers (6th youngest player on the team right now)
28: Appleton, Pionk, Morrissey, Connor
30: Iafallo, DeMelo, Hellebuyck, Lowry, Brossoit, Scheifele
31: Namestnikov, Niederreiter
32: Schmidt
33: Dillon

I don't want to make the argument in detail, but I think it's hard for even high-quality young players to win consistently in the NHL. We saw a little of that last night with Columbus, where half their roster is currently U25 including Fantilli (19), Jiricek (20), Sillinger (20), Kent Johnson (21) and Chinakhov (22).

So I think a hindsight memory of 2017-18 will tend to overrate how good the younger players were at the time, including Ehlers, Connor and especially Morrissey. That team relied a lot on the younger players, but they weren't quite as good yet as they've since become.

The current version of the Jets is much more in its prime.

 

[Buffdog]

Is anyone else having these symptoms?
I'm waking up every morning in a happy happy mood .... the wife wants to know what drugs I'm on.
I told her the ones that make you fly high like a Jet.

I don't let how well a group of 25 adult males (whom I don't know) play a game dictate my happiness lol

But I HAVE been waking up with morning wood a lot lately

 

[raideralex99]

Team needs a promo if jets get a shutout into the third period. Trying to keep a shutout is probably my favourite part of watching games.

Free towels or something similar.

That's too cocky.
It would motivate the opposing teams and then you would have players acting like the US juniors taunting the crowd after they scored.
Does any businesses have Jet promos when they play?
Here in Vancouver they always do when the Canucks play.

 

[buggs]

I'd like Brossoit to get more games in. If Hellebuyck can play less than 60 games this season, that'd be great.

Jets seem to be really trying for a 3-1 ratio and have been largely succeeding this year. If they can clinch early enough for some degree of home ice advantage I'm sure they'll give Helle a bit more rest in April.

On Morrissey, don't forget that in the year that Dom listed him as one of the worst contracts in the league, that was the year that Morrissey's dad was dying of cancer. Understandably his mind was focused elsewhere. Dom couldn't have known that as none of us did either, but players remain human and Josh was understandably not playing his best.

 

[Jaytee]

This team has weaknesses as well, namely poor special teams.

The 17-18 team boasted more talent, excellent cycle offense (best in league) and a top 5 PP.

We are on a heater and playing excellent defensive hockey but there are still areas we need to iron out if we want to go on as long or longer of a run then the 17-18 team.

I get what you're saying, but I don't really agree.

I wouldn't say the special teams are "poor", I'd say that they're a work in progress. Given the positive changes the team has made to the rest of its game, I have absolutely no doubt that we're going to see special teams play improve notably between now and the playoffs, and to me, that's exactly what we want.

Our special teams have cost us very little in terms of points thus far, and can only get better.

And as others have pointed out, I'm not entirely sure the 2-17-18 team boasted more talent. It seems to me that the young guys from six years ago who are still around are playing vastly better hockey now than they were then, more than enough to make up for the high end talent we've lost since 2018.

I've always thought that the 2017-18 Jets should have made it to the finals, as they were a superior team to Vegas, and I'll probably believe that to my dying day. The one...and ONLY...reason they crapped out in the Conference Final was that the series against Nashville (still one of the greatest playoff series I've ever seen) left both teams physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.

The Jets team that played Nashville was peak 2017-18 Jets. The Jets team that played Vegas...wasn't. Peak Jets would have beaten Vegas handily.

Predicting the past is a lot more fun than predicting the future.

 

[Pongs21]

Anotha one

 

[surixon]

I get what you're saying, but I don't really agree.

I wouldn't say the special teams are "poor", I'd say that they're a work in progress. Given the positive changes the team has made to the rest of its game, I have absolutely no doubt that we're going to see special teams play improve notably between now and the playoffs, and to me, that's exactly what we want.

Our special teams have cost us very little in terms of points thus far, and can only get better.

And as others have pointed out, I'm not entirely sure the 2-17-18 team boasted more talent. It seems to me that the young guys from six years ago who are still around are playing vastly better hockey now than they were then, more than enough to make up for the high end talent we've lost since 2018.

I've always thought that the 2017-18 Jets should have made it to the finals, as they were a superior team to Vegas, and I'll probably believe that to my dying day. The one...and ONLY...reason they crapped out in the Conference Final was that the series against Nashville (still one of the greatest playoff series I've ever seen) left both teams physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.

The Jets team that played Nashville was peak 2017-18 Jets. The Jets team that played Vegas...wasn't. Peak Jets would have beaten Vegas handily.

Predicting the past is a lot more fun than predicting the future.

Both our special teams are bottom 10 in the league. That to me is a major weakness atm and will likely start costing us some wins if they don't get cleaned up.

We had way more talent on defense. Buff was a top 10 dmen and the Trouba/JoMo pairing was playing at a 1st pairing level. Toby was one of the best defensive dmen in the league. We also had the luxury of icing two top 6 players on our fourth line in Perrault and Little. But I do like the composition of our top 6 better this year. We have a number of players who do much more then score now.

That team finished top 5 is defense and top 5 on offense with elite special teams. I think we forget just how good they were.

This team is excellent as well but are getting it done with even more of an emphasis on defense.

 

[larmex99]

From DOM at The Athletic just now.

 

[Jets 31]

This team is winning without great special teams and i would rather have it that way than having to depend on getting PP's to win games. Some are not seeing how good this team is right now, just listen to opposing coaches and players what they say after playing the Jets. They aren't saying that's a good team but their special teams suck, they are saying that's a good hockey team over there, that's how we want to play eventually.

 

[hockeyarena]

Both our special teams are bottom 10 in the league. That to me is a major weakness atm and will likely start costing us some wins if they don't get cleaned up.

We had way more talent on defense. Buff was a top 10 dmen and the Trouba/JoMo pairing was playing at a 1st pairing level. Toby was one of the best defensive dmen in the league. We also had the luxury of icing two top 6 players on our fourth line in Perrault and Little. But I do like the composition of our top 6 better this year. We have a number of players who do much more then score now.

That team finished top 5 is defense and top 5 on offense with elite special teams. I think we forget just how good they were.

This team is excellent as well but are getting it done with even more of an emphasis on defense.

i think ideally at the deadline you move out appleton, pionk, stanley, and a 2nd to bring in a #2 Centre and #2 D with a point shot to improve the PP (especially with connor back).

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

View attachment 800270

From DOM at The Athletic just now.

To (roughly) quote multiple fancystats people from the start of the year:

"The models love the Jets, I have no idea why, and I can't change it"

 

[Puckatron 3000]

Sometimes things just work out.