How about those "Rick Bowness less" Winnipeg Jets?

[Tasteless Beaver]

It's a nice start, and maybe I missed someone mentioning it before in this thread, but so far, they have played 1 playoff team this year, and it was imploding Edmonton. They played 4/6 games at home. In 2 of those games, the opponents (Wild and San Jose) were playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

So it's as favorable a schedule as you will get in this league.

Last year is a whole different bag of nuts - St. Louis, Minnesota and Utah (plus Dallas) all look like very good teams this year. It's going to be tough to come out of the Central, so early wins over those teams could be very important down the stretch.

 

[ffh]

What a dope. He took the same players that where a bubble team to 4th overall and in 2 years and dopes like you have a problem with it. This place and how they view their teams coach. I look forward to your arniel thread in a few years with the same criticisms.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Helle turns into a pumpkin in playoffs. Too bad.

Maybe you can get one of these beauties

View attachment 920760

Gotta admit, after thirty combined years of NHL hockey in Winnipeg and not a single banner in the rafters to show for it yet, I'd take that any day

As for Bowness and Arniel, both have dramatically exceeded expectations. It's kind of crazy, the mood was fairly sombre when both were hired, but Arniel is turning that on its head the same way that Bowness did.

Also helps that Dean Chynoweth was brought in as an assistant coach to deal with the special teams tire fire that was happening under Brad Lauer. Major improvements already.

 

[Jets 31]

The Jets haven't won anything yet but starting the season 6 and 0 is nice.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Last year is a whole different bag of nuts - St. Louis, Minnesota and Utah all look like very good teams this year.

All these teams have basically the same [core] players they did last year with the exception in Sergachyov. Any drastic improvement there is really pretty far-fetched.

If you look at the NHL playoff picture, it's the same teams year after year with a few changes towards the 7th-8th place. Teams don't just magically get good over the summer and in most cases, the chance they decline is as big as that of their improvement.

 

[Hobble]

Gotta admit, after thirty combined years of NHL hockey in Winnipeg and not a single banner in the rafters to show for it yet, I'd take that any day

As for Bowness and Arniel, both have dramatically exceeded expectations. It's kind of crazy, the mood was fairly sombre when both were hired, but Arniel is turning that on its head the same way that Bowness did.

Also helps that Dean Chynoweth was brought in as an assistant coach to deal with the special teams tire fire that was happening under Brad Lauer. Major improvements already.

I’m still salty about that back-to-back against the Capitals that likely cost us the SE Division title

 

[jetsmooseice]

I’m still salty about that back-to-back against the Capitals that likely cost us the SE Division title

God that would have been a glorious banner to have up in the rafters...

WINNIPEG JETS
SOUTHEAST DIVISION CHAMPIONS

 

[HockeyVirus]

Jets have pretty consistently looked legit to start years and faded as the years have gone on ending in complete lack of competitiveness in a playoff series and an early round 1 exit.

Like some other franchises in the league, the regular season means very little for them

 

[Romang67]

This is bound to continue, and people talking about small sample sizes simply don't understand statistics.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Jets have pretty consistently looked legit to start years and faded as the years have gone on ending in complete lack of competitiveness in a playoff series and an early round 1 exit.

Like some other franchises in the league, the regular season means very little for them

That’s the other team’s problems. Jets fans will take winning when we can and try to ignore the playoffs. Gives us 6 months of happiness and a week of sadness.

 

[Romang67]

That’s the other team’s problems. Jets fans will take winning when we can and try to ignore the playoffs. Gives us 6 months of happiness and a week of sadness.

I've always said summer hockey is for kids, losers, and Aussies.