Post by Winnipeg Jets on Nov 9, 2024 18:10:21 GMT -6
The Winnipeg Jets are losing hockey games. They are 3-9-2 after 14 games, despite some underlying stats and performances that would suggest otherwise.
Their goal differential of -11 is not atrocious. They've lost 6 of their nine games by one goal. Their 49 goals (a 3.5 per game average) is in the middle of the pack in the PFHL. They have the 13th-best power play at 25.4%. They have the 5th-best offensive faceoff win percentage (54.7%).
So what's failing them? Simple. It's the defense, in all 3 areas - but primarily on the penalty kill and in net.
The Jets have a collective -26 in the plus/minus department. But if you take out Chandler Stephenson's -12 alone, it's a respectable -14. So it's not necessarily the six rearguards on Winnipeg's backend that deserve the blame. To be fair, they are a collective -9 as a unit during 5-on-5 play. But they also account for 37% of the Jets offense with 18 of the team's 49 goals.
So it's down to the penalty kill and goaltending - and boy, are both bad.
With Juuse Saros sporting an .888 save percentage and a 4.00 GAA (Thomas Greiss's .789 SP and 5.38 GAA are even worse), it's no wonder Winnipeg can't get out from under their own feet. As evidenced from the above stats, the team seems primed to be a spoiler and dark-horse for playoff conversations. But they won't be so long as Saros continues to be a sieve.
At 71.6% effectiveness, Winnipeg is 4th-worst in the PFHL when down a man. True, the team could stand to be tighter in the discipline area. But that's part of the team's makeup - rough and tumble, and no easy out. They are top 10 in the league in shot blocks and PIMs, and 12th in hits. That doesn't excuse giving up 23 goals on the penalty kill in just 14 games.
Can Winnipeg climb out of the duldrums? Maybe. The Jets recalled Marcus Hellberg from Manitoba and waived Greiss before tonight's action against Dallas. Maybe Hellberg can get hot and bring some stability. Otherwise, it's going to be another long season in Winnipeg - but at least now, the future seems a lot brighter beyond the 2024-25 campaign.
Their goal differential of -11 is not atrocious. They've lost 6 of their nine games by one goal. Their 49 goals (a 3.5 per game average) is in the middle of the pack in the PFHL. They have the 13th-best power play at 25.4%. They have the 5th-best offensive faceoff win percentage (54.7%).
So what's failing them? Simple. It's the defense, in all 3 areas - but primarily on the penalty kill and in net.
The Jets have a collective -26 in the plus/minus department. But if you take out Chandler Stephenson's -12 alone, it's a respectable -14. So it's not necessarily the six rearguards on Winnipeg's backend that deserve the blame. To be fair, they are a collective -9 as a unit during 5-on-5 play. But they also account for 37% of the Jets offense with 18 of the team's 49 goals.
So it's down to the penalty kill and goaltending - and boy, are both bad.
With Juuse Saros sporting an .888 save percentage and a 4.00 GAA (Thomas Greiss's .789 SP and 5.38 GAA are even worse), it's no wonder Winnipeg can't get out from under their own feet. As evidenced from the above stats, the team seems primed to be a spoiler and dark-horse for playoff conversations. But they won't be so long as Saros continues to be a sieve.
At 71.6% effectiveness, Winnipeg is 4th-worst in the PFHL when down a man. True, the team could stand to be tighter in the discipline area. But that's part of the team's makeup - rough and tumble, and no easy out. They are top 10 in the league in shot blocks and PIMs, and 12th in hits. That doesn't excuse giving up 23 goals on the penalty kill in just 14 games.
Can Winnipeg climb out of the duldrums? Maybe. The Jets recalled Marcus Hellberg from Manitoba and waived Greiss before tonight's action against Dallas. Maybe Hellberg can get hot and bring some stability. Otherwise, it's going to be another long season in Winnipeg - but at least now, the future seems a lot brighter beyond the 2024-25 campaign.
