The Winnipeg Jets just wrapped up a whirlwind January with a 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins to finish the month on a five-game winning streak and with a 9-3-2 record overall.
Their February is not nearly as busy as their back half of January, where they played nine games in the final 18 days. They’ll play just seven games in February with three coming before the 4 Nations Face-Off and four after it with a 14-day break in between.
Here, we’ll dive into three keys to Jets success in February.
1: Make Hay Against Weaker Opponents
The Jets sit atop the Central Division and Western Conference at 36-14-3 and should have the opportunity to improve on their record considering the quality of some of their opponents this month.
Truly elite teams win they games they should, and the majority fall squarely into the “winnable” category for a team who’s general domination has led to it being one of the league’s top teams.
After the Feb. 1 contest against fellow-surprising-powerhouse Washington Capitals and Feb. 4 contest against the always-electric Carolina Hurricanes, four of the Jets’ final five games are against teams currently outside of the playoff picture in the New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, and Nashville Predators. In fact, the Ottawa Senators, courtesy of a recent hot streak, are the only team in a playoff position they’ll face through March 7.
That’s not to say any of the games will be easy: the NHL has more parity than ever and the Jets aren’t exactly sneaking up on teams at this point. Every opponent seems to give extra effort against them.
The Jets have also struggled a little bit at times against lower teams this season, losing to the Blues, Predators, and Anaheim Ducks (twice) already.
2: Ease Hellebuyck’s Workload Before & After 4 Nations Face-Off
Hellebuyck has already started 41 games this season, and as the United States’ starting goaltender at the 4 Nations Face-Off between Feb. 12 and 20, will make either three or four additional starts (depending on if the U.S. makes the championship game) before the Jets’ schedule resumes.
Head coach Scott Arniel needs to manage his two-time Vezina winner’s workload properly to ensure he’s not burnt out by the time playoffs come around, and the additional workload Hellebuyck will shoulder when most goalies will be resting makes it even more crucial. Former head coaches have ridden Hellebuyck too hard — especially Paul Maurice — and paid for it when Hellebuyck’s play dropped off due to exhaustion. Arniel needs to see to it that Hellebuyck’s starts total around 60, including the 4-Nations games, by the time the season wraps.
Related: Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck Deserves to Be a Hart Trophy Finalist
Eric Comrie doesn’t have a great record (4-7-1) and had lost eight starts in a row before winning his most-recent one but has been a serviceable backup this season overall with a 2.79 goals against average, .905 save percentage, and 1.1 goals saved above expected. The team, prior to the Jan. 26 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames with Comrie in the crease, seemed to forget how to score when he starts, potting just 12 goals during his personal losing streak (a 1.5 goal-per-game average, down precipitously from the Jets’ 3.58 average overall.) To borrow a term from baseball, if he had a little bit more run support, his record would be a lot better.
The Jets should give Comrie three starts in February: against the Islanders Feb. 7 in their final game before the 4-Nations break, against the Blues on Feb. 22 in their first game out it, and on either Feb. 26 versus the Senators or Feb. 27 versus the Predators.
3: Keep the First Line Clicking
The Jets’ first line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi are proving to be potent producers and are undeniably one of the NHL’s best lines.
The trio — who are first, second, and third on the Jets in points, respectively — was absolutely scintillating throughout January, combining for 21 goals and 44 points (Connor with eight goals and seven assists, Scheifele with nine goals and six assists, and Vilardi with four goals and 10 assists.) Their 21 goals represented 43.75 per cent of the Jets’ 48-goal January output, showing it’s not a one-line team by any stretch.
Even so, the first line is undeniably straw that stirs the offensive drink both at even strength — which is a welcome development considering they started off so poorly at even strength that many called for Arniel to pull the plug — and on the Jets’ league-best power play that enters February operating at 33.10 per cent. They are top three Jets in man-advantage scoring (Vilardi 11 goals, Connor and Scheifele nine goals each) and second, fourth, and fifth in man-advantage assists.
Their chemistry comes from their familiarity. They are only one of two lines in the entire NHL to have played more than 450 minutes together, as per MoneyPuck (the other being the New York Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere/Vincent Trocheck/Artemi Panarin trio.) They lead the league in minutes played together by a wide margin at 668.1 (the Rangers’ aforementioned line has played 529.9 minutes together.)
This line being together quite simply gives the Jets a chance to win every game, and them producing in February at a similar clip to January will go a long way to further solidifying their playoff position.