Enjoying .500 Hockey Would Possible Get Jets into Playoffs

Issues have been a little bit completely different round Winnipeg this fall.

For one, it is heat. Like, uncharacteristically hotter than regular. With temperatures hovering nearer to +10 levels than the everyday zero, the usual bitter October and insufferable November have been no the place in sight.

In reality, Winnipeg simply set a document courting again to 1879, for the longest stretch of days in a calendar yr with no recorded snowfall. The Manitoba capital is now at 209 days (earlier document was 201 days in 1998.

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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers not too long ago hosted one other CFL West Closing, to which the boys in blue and gold prevailed – regardless of atypical enjoying circumstances. The Bombers will tackle the Toronto Argonauts indoors from Vancouver in Winnipeg’s fifth-straight Gray Cup look this coming Sunday.

However regardless of the balmy fall, speak of whiteout circumstances has returned, thanks largely to that of the play of the Winnipeg Jets.

Winnipeg received off to a sensational begin, profitable its first eight video games of the season.

After dropping a near-comeback loss to Toronto, the Jets have gained one other seven-straight and presently sit at 15-1-0 by way of 16 contests – AKA the perfect begin by any NHL membership all-time.

Who knew?

In beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 on house ice this previous Saturday, Winnipeg one-upped the document set by the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators, which was unable to get to 14 wins in 15 video games.

No, an NHL season isn’t just 16 video games, however most had been naysaying the Jets’ legitimacy after three video games, after which once more 5, after which eight – and so forth.

Fifteen out of 16 is actually one thing.

Sixteen out of the complete 82-game sport schedule is roughly 20 p.c.

So, Winnipeg is roughly one-fifth carried out its 2024-25 calendar.

At this level, if the Jets play simply .500 hockey (win one sport for each sport they lose) they may end up with one other 66 factors on prime of the already amassed 30 standings factors, for 96 whole.

Traditionally, 96 factors can be sufficient for a playoff spot – not a prime postseason place, however probably a spot, nonetheless.

Not that anybody inside the Jets’ group is pushing for .500 hockey right here out, the thought of banking factors off the bat actually comes with some rewards.

Ought to the Jets in some way proceed their scorching tempo, a league-topping mark of 65-12-5 was set by the Boston Bruins in 2022-23. At this level, Winnipeg is on tempo for simply 5 or 6 losses. That, in fact, will change.

However for now, of us within the Canadian prairies’ solely fear is that of Argonauts’ backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle, who is ready to get the beginning reverse Zach Collaros within the championship ultimate after starter Chad Kelley went down with a damaged leg final weekend.

With out worrying about scraping windshields, shovelling driveways or lackadaisical play from their beloved NHL membership, Winnipeg sporting followers could have one other massive week forward, starting with Thursday’s sport in Tampa Bay, adopted by an elongated home-and-home with Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers.

Maurice – who stays a beloved character in Manitoba – very memorably wished his feeling of pleasure upon clinching final spring’s Stanley Cup upon the Jets.

Was he onto one thing?

It positive appears that method.

Once more, enjoying .500 hockey would probably get the Jets into the postseason. And that might be all they want.

But when historical past repeats itself, that may not be an excellent state of affairs for the membership that now recorded the perfect begin in historical past.

These aforementioned record-setting Ottawa Senators? They fell off a cliff within the second half of the season, placing up a seven-game shedding streak, and narrowly lacking the playoffs altogether, earlier than being swept 4-0 by the Pittsburgh Penguins within the opening spherical.

Ethical of the story? Preserve profitable.