MONTREAL – If the Winnipeg Jets (13-12-0) are looking for optimism, perhaps the fact they’ve been in this scenario before is helpful.
Just a couple weeks ago, the Jets fell to Seattle in the fifth game of a six-game trek through the Pacific Division, and needed to find a way to channel the disappointment from that loss into the road trip finale in Calgary a couple nights later.
They were successful in that quest and now, faced with a similar scenario tonight, they have a chance to do it again.
Captain Adam Lowry pulled the group together for a meeting following the 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the penultimate game of this current five-game trip, and tonight’s tilt with the Montreal Canadiens will be when the Jets will have the chance to respond.
“We’re a veteran group, we recognize that we just embarrassed ourselves and we’re going to have to be a heck of a lot better in the next one,” head coach Scott Arniel said in Buffalo. “We kicked ourselves in that one. We gave up all of those rush opportunities and they capitalized on them.”
For all the speed the Jets saw against Buffalo, they know they’ll see just as much tonight against Montreal – even if the Canadiens are playing their second game in as many nights after a 5-2 loss to Ottawa.
Winnipeg’s preparation for the first of two meetings with the Canadiens will undoubtedly begin by looking back at the video from the Sabres game and will include a pre-scout of the Canadiens.
Ultimately, as Dylan DeMelo sees it, it comes down to each individual player being at their best.
“We need to start picking up some wins. We need to start stringing some games together,” said DeMelo, who played 22 minutes against Buffalo. “I think that’s the biggest concern, just the inconsistency we have right now in our game, in all facets. We need to find that, first off, individually. You have to find that in your own game, and that will bleed through into our old game. If that’s assignments, doing our job system-wise, winning battles, maybe we can start there and go from there and let our skillset take over and do what makes you successful and gives you a chance to win every night.”
Tonight’s game is the 11th of the last 14 that Winnipeg will be on the road. They started out the season winning each of their first four away from the Manitoba capital, but haven’t been able to seize that momentum of late.
Still, the veteran group remains positive.
“Hopefully we look back on this and we grow from it, we learn from it, and use this as a positive in the future,” said Kyle Connor, who is tied for the team lead in goals with 13. “I believe in this group, the leadership that we have, the players in here. It’s in this room. It’s got to be us to figure it out and turn this thing around, grab that identity and grab a hold of something that makes us tick.”
Arniel stated after the Buffalo game that Eric Comrie will start against the Canadiens. Morning skate at the Bell Centre will be the best indication of whether the coaching staff elects to make any other changes to the skaters in front of him.
The Jets swept the season series against Montreal last year, including a 4-1 win at the Bell Centre. Coming out with a similar result on Wednesday would go a long way heading into a weekend with another back-to-back set, Winnipeg’s second in a week.
“We can’t hang our heads, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. No one is going to be throwing us a lifesaver here and helping us out,” said DeMelo. “We’ve got to figure it out. We have a big game against the Habs. Hopefully we can get that one and get that good feeling back again.”
Puck drop is set for 6:30 pm CT.