Post-Game Talk: St. Louis 4 - WPG 1

[Keystone]

I’ll give my uneducated opinion. The streak was 4 healthy lines, all of which were playing a high pressure create chaos system in the o-zone with pinching D. They are now getting trapped in the neutral zone slowing them down, eliminating the 5 foot puck support passing. Lines 3 and 4 are doing ok at fighting through it, but have lost all scoring touch.
Lines 1 and 2 have injuries and also a history of not being able to get in the fight.
Opposition has tried exposing our D with long passes to slow down the pinching and tight gaps defending.
The PP looks less confident and more stagnant. Need a practice which they probably aren’t getting with the schedule.

Arniel needs to adjust in my opinion. That’s part of coaching.

 

[Buffdog]

I’ll give my uneducated opinion. The streak was 4 healthy lines, all of which were playing a high pressure create chaos system in the o-zone with pinching D. They are now getting trapped in the neutral zone slowing them down, eliminating the 5 foot puck support passing. Lines 3 and 4 are doing ok at fighting through it, but have lost all scoring touch.
Lines 1 and 2 have injuries and also a history of not being able to get in the fight.
Opposition has tried exposing our D with long passes to slow down the pinching and tight gaps defending.
The PP looks less confident and more stagnant. Need a practice which they probably aren’t getting with the schedule.

Arniel needs to adjust in my opinion. That’s part of coaching.

That's actually the best attempt at an explanation that I've seen so far

I also think that while we're a very deep team when healthy, we don't have the depth to lose a top 4 Dman and top 6 winger at the same time and expect to be as good. Remember, you're not replacing Ehlers with the person you move up to his spot... you're replacing him with the guy who replaces that guy - in this case, we've replaced Ehlers and Samberg with Gus/Lambo and Stanley/Heinola/Coghlan

 

[John Agar]

Oh gee... I missed the 3rd period...

Well HFJets... its time...

Maybe time to jump out a window...

Or your perceptions are superior as a moral majority...

You beat the hell out of someone just because you can with your pseudonym...

Well... I'm just gonna' chill...

Go Jets Go !!!
............

 

[Jets 31]

I think we are all very frustrated right now because we went from that unbelievable first 20 games to this right now. I do think we get it going again but i totally understand the feeling of some on here.

 

[bustamente]

Simple put we got spoiled by the super hot start the Jets had and some expected that it would continue, now they are losing more than they win and everyone has the knives out. Losing streaks happen to every team be it the SC champs Florida and SC contender Rangers and best team in the Universe Toronto or a SC loser Edmonton and every team in between. It's a long season and there will be highs and lows, different fans handle it differently but make no mistake everyone for the most part on this forum is a Jets fan and wants the team to do well.

 

[Heldig]

I've asked multiple posters for their opinions as to why the team isnt playing well if it isn't fatigue, and still crickets (even though one of them managed to call me a er lol)

I guess bitching and complaining is more productive to some people than actually trying to offer answers

Admittedly I vent on this board when the team is ****. Better than moping to my wife (she hates hockey).

But my fandom answer to your question:

Yes, fatigue is a big part of this slump. But it helps identify the issues with this team. Issues that have been lingering since before Maurice quit this team.

When things are going good this team plays fast with intensity. Then adversity hits and the team plays nothing like what makes them successful.

• 3 coaches have had trouble getting the ship going in the right direction again when a slump happens.
• Team is way too reliant on Scheifele-Connor to score - and they get overplayed as a result - which leads to more fatigue and lazy play and weak play in the defensive zone by the top line
• Still missing a 2 C and a 1st pair RHD
• PK is an issue
• PP during the hot streak was unsustainable - and now scoring is hard to come by
• 2nd line is way too inconsistent
• 1 injury on D and one top 6 forward and this super deep team suddenly has no depth
• If Hellebucyk is not the best player on the ice, the team probably loses

3 coaches have not been able to address these issue
Chevy has not been able to solve these issues
FANS certainly cant solve them (only complain about them)

 

[DRW204]

We got Buffalo, Chicago and Columbus coming up, lose all three and we have serious problems and that heater of a start will be long forgotten.

i expect those to be "get right" games for the offense. like those games should not be close even if comrie is in net for 1 of them.

 

[Jet]

It isn't a criticism of you or your post, but I found Connor's absence from your post interesting because I barely noticed him at all yesterday. He seems to be able to sidestep a lot of criticism that other players seem to get in waves here. I guess because he's streaky?

The team really needs him to be able to stand out again though.

I've been a Stanley pacifist (at best) but I could feel the frustration in your post radiating through the screen. Admittedly, I have to agree with you. There just has to be a better option already because few players get this much rope to show such minimal improvement.

Trade him to a team with a gullible GM and move on.

I think for me, Connor is usually the least of my worries. When he struggles, it's usually not for too long in my mind. I think he's one of our most consistent players. I don't see his game change too much day in and out.

Yeah I'm not even frustrated with Stanley, he is what he is, but we have better options and it's time for the org to just move on. Keep him as bench strength.

Forcing Heinola to play his offside and scratching Miller to play him is just nonsensical to me

 

[Jets 31]

Simple put we got spoiled by the super hot start the Jets had and some expected that it would continue, now they are losing more than they win and everyone has the knives out. Losing streaks happen to every team be it the SC champs Florida and SC contender Rangers and best team in the Universe Toronto or a SC loser Edmonton and every team in between. It's a long season and there will be highs and lows, different fans handle it differently but make no mistake everyone for the most part on this forum is a Jets fan and wants the team to do well.

Good post, totally agree.

 

[Jet]

I absolutely don't put you in that catagory

But again, what do you think the reason is for their poor play (and nobody is disputing that they aren't playing well)?

I mean, you play hockey... I'm sure you have bad games. But do you ever go out and say (even in beer league) "I'm just not gonna try very hard today"? I doubt it... and neither do NHLers, especially guys towards the bottom of rhe roster who could lose their spot

No, I still believe the ridiculous schedule and travel has a huge hand in it.

BUT

The effort last night was just not acceptable. Arniel said himself that the team had to simplify which is what I've been saying through this. When your energy or mental acuity isn't there, you have to start from your net out, take what you have, get pucks deep, and wait for counters.

When you get a chance GET THE PUCK on net and GO to the net. The guys are wasting what little energy they have doing stupid shit instead of playing to the situation.

It takes a higher level of self awareness and dedication to do the things that are necessary to play through stuff like this. I don't know what the answer is... maybe we don't have enough of a strong leadership personality on this roster to pull the guys into playing the right way as the situation calls for?

I'm not saying the Jets aren't a good team. They are a talented team with a lot of great pieces but if the psychological component isn't right, you are not going to win the Cup.

I don't know how to fix it. The guys have had 2 years of abject failure in the playoffs and summers to dwell on what went wrong and what they are individually responsible for to fix it, but it's kind of like groundhog day all over again.

You need guys on your team that can turn the tide for the group, and lead by example. Right now, we have Lowry, and usually Morrissey. Scheifele used to be that guy but he really doesn't put the team on his shoulders like he used to.

Maybe we just don't have enough of the right personality type? A lot of skilled guys who don't lead? I'm not exactly sure what it is.

 

[Stumbledore]

Among all the frustrations vented here, I would add the fact that in every game we have at least one or two breakouts which result in a weak or lame shot which their goalie easily turns aside. And how often do we get a two on one and fail to get a shot on net?

 

[PaulPooley]

Chill bruh. That’s too much emotion for a Tuesday night loss in early December.

Unfortunately most of what he said is difficult to refute.

 

[MelikeJets]

To be fair. We are tired and 55 is playing 50%, we're missing Ehlers, Samberg is a hole but not irreplaceable.

I think we have the same team as last year minus Dillon and Monahan. And the weakness we've always had is 2c, and top Right D. DeMelo is a bottom pair guy. He's too slow now and has trouble moving the puck. JoMo makes him look decent by the numbers but he isn't.

We need to try a different look with JoMo. Lambert might work as 2C, he's way faster than names.

The Stanley experiment is over. But our trouble is not the bottom lines, it's up top.

Excellent post!

 

[snowkiddin]

@buggs — thank you for bringing back the Grinch avatar!

 

[Cnile]

Amen brother. Well said. I would say with the snow the Bridgewater drive must have been stressful for them haha
I would say they were trying to do too much but they did nothing yesterday until garbage time !
Arniel is going to need to earn his cheque now..


I think you hit the nail on the head. They are not a great team, they are a bubble playoff team that really made no significant changes in the offseason other than keeping Miller, losing Dillon. Schmidt and the rentals , signing Coughlan and Flurry.

Fatigue is definitely part of the equation, the flip side is too much is being made of it.
It’s like stating Louisville Slugger’s cause home runs, it’s part of the story but not all of it.

The Jets haven’t looked bad every game in this stretch, but they have had a few stinkers including last night’s.
We’re going to find out soon enough about this team’s resilience

 

[voyageur]

St. Louis hasn't lost a game under Montgomery.

I wonder if that coaching change puts them back in the playoff race, like the Peluso hiring did in 2018-2019?

Apparently Bannister was very unpopular for having no offensive acumen.

 

[Flair Hay]

St. Louis hasn't lost a game under Montgomery.

I wonder if that coaching change puts them back in the playoff race, like the Peluso hiring did in 2018-2019?

Apparently Bannister was very unpopular for having no offensive acumen.

They looked like we looked at points during the streak. Just skating hard to their marks every part of every shift. We just did not match that level of intensity with any consistency.

 

[tarozi]

Too many of the same players on the roster. Jets should make a deal for some size, and compete, for the top 6 fwd group or move guys around by splitting up the Lowry line.

I absolutely agree with the first statement. Not easy to fix. We will always be a middling team at this pace and thus never get a chance to draft a game changer. I would like to see us get a bit tougher on the d side and upgrade some of our forwards. If we have to trade Ehlers to get there then so be it. I'm not over the moon with our up and coming prospects. Too many that are just not moving the needle

 

[Howard Chuck]

Yes BUT a team that was rocking a 14 - 1 record in the first 15 games have fallen off a cliff and lost 7 of the last 10 games.

Truly great teams dont fail that hard because a difficult travel schedule. They find a way to win a couple of those games.

They better figure out how to play tired or learn to get their structure back or whatever the problem is, because you can’t lose seven out of 10 in the playoffs. They need to think of this as playoffs and figure it out. It’s good practice.

 

[GeorgeJETson]

Oh gee... I missed the 3rd period...

Well HFJets... its time...

View attachment 939894

View attachment 939895


Maybe time to jump out a window...

View attachment 939896


Or your perceptions are superior as a moral majority...

View attachment 939898


You beat the hell out of someone just because you can with your pseudonym...

View attachment 939901


Well... I'm just gonna' chill...

View attachment 939902


Go Jets Go !!!
............

Okay, this post made it worthwhile for me to scroll through this thread (even though I said I'd stay out of it)

 

[BoneDocUK]

I think for me, Connor is usually the least of my worries. When he struggles, it's usually not for too long in my mind. I think he's one of our most consistent players. I don't see his game change too much day in and out.

Yeah I'm not even frustrated with Stanley, he is what he is, but we have better options and it's time for the org to just move on. Keep him as bench strength.

Forcing Heinola to play his offside and scratching Miller to play him is just nonsensical to me

Agree.

KC is generally KC -- one of the very best complementary wingers around. He scores, sets up plays, and this season at least has been working at upping his D game (admittedly from a pretty low bar, whatever his coaches say). He doesn't drive play with the best, and isn't the player to put a team on his back in slumps.

Stanley also is what he is. He can't change his hockey brain and he's not the coach who scratched Miller, seems not to trust Coughlan and threw Heinola onto his weak side to get that coveted Big Body into the lineup.

This has been a team that for years has been able to play well to a system when all was going well, to absorb some injuries (KFC and Gabe last year) without missing a beat and all but collapsing under some others (55, 44, 27 maybe) and we're seeing it again now.

My guess is that this a sum of its parts team more than most, one that requires its players to stick hard to their roles and has trouble adapting when an anchor (Samberg) or play driver is out of the lineup (Ehlers) or running at 50% (Scheif).

At this point, they lack stability and a metronome at the back end and are missing 2 of 3 key playdrivers. Puck retrieval, exit passing, linkup play and forechecking are off with 2 D pair and 2 forward lines. Arniel may need to make adjustments not based on pedigree but complementary playstyles, and force-sit 55.

Kupari / 81 / 13
Nino / 91 / Lambert or Al
Lowry / Gus / Apples
Gus / Barron / Al or Lambert

Bring back Miller or Coughlan, bench Stan.

Profit. Or, at least, play better and buy back some pride.

 

[Weezeric]

They better figure out how to play tired or learn to get their structure back or whatever the problem is, because you can’t lose seven out of 10 in the playoffs. They need to think of this as playoffs and figure it out. It’s good practice.

I wonder if they will have to play a game after jet setting across the continent every two days against a team who has played only once in the last week in playoffs……

 

[Section 325]

Forcing Heinola to play his offside and scratching Miller to play him is just nonsensical to me

Getting Colin Miller last year only to let him sit in the playoffs will never make sense to me.

 

[Howard Chuck]

After reading through the posts here, I believe that losing Samberg and Ehlers certainly doesn’t help this team, but we weren’t looking good for quite a few games before Samberg went down, and Ehlers has only been out for a few games.

They are big pieces to miss, But I feel we were starting to go off the rails before they went down so I can’t put all the blame on missing those two players.

If I had to pick a turning point, I think it might be 55 and whatever injury he has. We seem to live and die based on how 55 plays and competes.

As for turning things around, that is going to depend on the coach and his ability to influence the team to adjust their game to their opponent and their energy levels. I mentioned in the game day thread that if they are tired, it’s much less strenuous to take shots on net and get bodies in front than it is to run around cycling and lose possession without getting a shot on net.. Save the ‘searching for a pretty play’ when you are rested and have a good amount of energy.

With Samberg out and Ehlers out, I would like to see Lambert given a little more rope at 2C and Heinola given an honest chance to prove himself. If the idea of calling up players is to put them into positions where you expect them to eventually wind up, then we should be trying Heinola with Morrissey for a short stint just to see if it works, and move DeMelo to somewhere where he can be more helpful. We aren’t going to find anyone outside of the organization to replace two important injured players, so we should give our internal options every opportunity.

 

[Moloch]

I'd really like to see Miller back in on thursday.
And while were at it - those of you who are window shopping for a new, shiny pitchfork oughta take a look at the Buffalo board - It might make you appreciate what you have a bit more