johnnyonthspot
Registered User
- Apr 1, 2012
- 2,644
- 3,721
I appreciate your candor!I've only been posting on the boards recently. So here is a comment I made on a YT video after the Jets lost 4-0, at home, to Philly. (Jan 28th 2023)
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I'm sharing this for a bit of context on how I was feeling at that point in last year's campaign. To highlight what I called correctly and what I've since come to eat crow about. The nature of being the fan of a sports team is a fickle one. Emotions on a never-ending rollercoaster after every contest. (Something I've tried to improve upon for the health of my emotional well-being. Letting go a bit has been helpful)
I knew that group was in trouble of missing the playoffs and sure enough, a 5 game first round exit was the result of limping into the postseason. When Rick Bowness gave his end of season press conference, my thoughts and feelings had never felt more vindicated. When he said he was "disgusted" it took the words out of my mouth.
This isn't because I feel entitled to a long playoff run every year. I don't expect seasonal Cup contention or multiple 10+ game win streaks. All I want to see from the players is the effort I'd expect from myself, if I was blessed enough to play for The Winnipeg Jets.
Now, a regular season is long. You can't expect total effort from every player, every night, over the course of 82 games. That's not excusing collapses like we witnessed last campaign and it doesn't necessarily excuse games like last night. I'd be lying if I said the lack of consistency and good form isn't somewhat concerning this late in the process. Piss poor outings do happen though. Sometimes it's just not in the air that night, for whatever reason. It's up to the coaching staff to analyze what went wrong and make the adjustments. Fine tune everything and have a certain system and mentality drilled in when the real quest begins.
Once the playoffs start, the time for excuses is over. Lapses in concentration will be punished. Lazy effort is unacceptable. A 7 game series won't be a long one if you're not prepared to win at all costs. If you're not prepared to play through pain, to leave every ounce of yourself on the ice, to die for it, then it's not enough. It's a war of attrition and it not only takes a heck of a team to win 16 games, but it takes incredible fortune.
Bias aside, the Jets of 17/18 were one of the best hockey teams I've ever had the pleasure of watching. I believe that team had every component one needs to win a Stanley Cup. Yet they didn't. All it took was running into a red hot goaltender, for lady luck choosing to dance with another. It's proof that you can line up all the pieces, damn near perfection and still come up short in this game.
Which leads me to these Jets. Are they a perfect team? No. Are they 17/18's team? No. Are they last years team? No. Are they good enough to win a Cup? Honestly, probably not. That doesn't mean they can't or won't though. Nor does it mean I lack faith or excitement in them. It's going to take a herculean effort and I think it starts in net. Hellebyuck has to prove how much he wants that Cup he talks about winning. I think he's a fantastic goaltender but I don't think he's played at a truly elite level in any postseason of his career, thus far. If he goes all world, the Jets boast an asset few teams have. From there it'll be up to the boys to commit to the Bones way. If these Jets can regain their stingy defensive form and commit to his system, one I see as suited for playoff hockey, anything is possible.
No matter the outcome, for me it's only a failure if they don't give it their all. It really is that simple. If I can see that they've given it everything they possibly can and they still lose in round 1, so be it. Not saying it won't suck or that I'll like it. W's are wonderful, but they are merely the gravy doused upon a spirited performance. If the Jets don't waste their own time, then they haven't wasted mine.
The organization and GM, that I have been fairly critical of at times, have done what they've needed to do to fix the on ice mess that was threatening to boil over, only one springtime ago. They've trimmed the fat, made key additions and backed the team.
It's up to the boys to do the rest. So long as it's not for lack of trying, then it's ok come what may.
Go Jets Go
feel Chevy has done a good job but it could just be that this will always be a middling team. Good enough to make the playoffs but not win the cup because they do not have a Mackinnon or Crosby or the lure/ability to circumvent the cap of Vegas of Tbay.
It will also be interesting to where Bowness ends up after this season.
