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.

 

[Pongs21]

Love how we've come out of the gate, but I'm not going to get too high on this ride just yet. November schedule is against a bunch of the upper echelon teams and basically a game every 2nd day. It's great to bank points this early in the season and definitely gives us some cushioning when we hit a bit of a skid. It is nice though, considering the level of disrespect the Jets got from a lot of the talking heads at TSN and specifically Sportsnet and Spittin Chicklets... Many forget that this is basically the same Jets team that was 1st in the league last year prior to the pre/deadline moves we made. The only real loss being Dillon, however Samberg was ready to take that top 4 spot and we needed to make space on the back end for some of the younger guys. Monahan was decent, Tofolli sucked and basically casted Perfetti to the pressbox.

Bones did exactly what was expected of him. He turned this team around, changed the culture and overhauled the defensive structure. You look at how he did similar in Dallas, and once he was gone, they're offense was unleashed, and I see the similar thing here with Arniel. Our special teams finally has a competent coach which has made a significant difference so far. We may not hit 110 points again this year, but I think we're at least 100 point team and firmly somewhere in the 1-3 spot in the Central going into the playoffs.

 

[HockeyVirus]

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.

Only a week? As another fan with early exit problems, teach me your ways oh wise one

 

[chris kontos]

Comrie's going to have to get alot of starts so as to not let helle burn himself out into a cinder by the time april gets here

 

[1specter]

They've had a great start to the year but they've also had a soft schedule facing mostly bubble or lottery level teams, and no teams that finished above them in the standings last season. They did spank Edmonton in spectacular fashion though, which is their most legit win so far. Credit to them for taking care of business but they need to face some tougher competition.

 

[TrillMike]

I can't tell you how much I don't miss Bowness-style hockey over here in Dallas.

 

[redwings86]

Big chance to the playoffs.

 

[Heldig]

I know it's early but boy they sure look good. Without Rick behind the bench this year, I was predicting this team to take a big step back. But that clearly has not been the case.

1) Hellebuyck has been a beast posting a .948SV% and a 1.40GAA.
2) They have the best goal differential in the league.
3) League leading with 6 wins.
4) Fewest goals allowed in the league (10GA in 6 games).
5) 4th in goals for with 27.

They could have the most underrated top line in the league with Villardi - Schiefele - Connor. Scott Arniel has obviously implemented a sound defensive system with the team from day one.

Could they be the cinderella team this year? Anyone else surprised?

This will be a breakout year for Perfetti.

Nothing to see here. Only 6 games.

There are several legit contenders for the cup in the West (Edmonton, Dallas, Colorado). Jets have to be able to beat all of them when it matters.

 

[winnipegger]

I wish these 6 wins were legit. Only one of them maybe was? Now I'm sad.

 

[cneely]

They've had a great start to the year but they've also had a soft schedule facing mostly bubble or lottery level teams, and no teams that finished below them in the standings last season. They did spank Edmonton in spectacular fashion though, which is their most legit win so far. Credit to them for taking care of business but they need to face some tougher competition.

There were only 3 teams that finished ahead of them in the standings last year, so law of averages say they would play one of those teams every ~10 games.

 

[St3]

They have had a relatively easy October schedule - I'm a Jets fan but still see them in a dogfight to grab 3rd in the Central.