What Has Sparked The Jets Late Season Turnaround?
A dramatic defensive resurgence and stellar goaltending have propelled the Jets' improbable late-season climb.
The Winnipeg Jets have turned what once looked like a lost season into one of the NHL’s most compelling late playoff pushes. Back on January 30, Winnipeg sat ten points out of a playoff spot and faced the daunting task of climbing past five teams in the standings. It was a gap that appeared too large to overcome.
But over the past several weeks, the Jets have flipped the script in dramatic fashion. Since that point, Winnipeg has picked up points in 18 of its last 24 games, posting a 13-6-5 record, good for the ninth-best mark in the league during that stretch. The surge has vaulted them back into the conversation and left fans wondering what changed and why this level of play did not show up earlier in the season.
Offensively, the Jets have been as cold as usual over that 24-game span, ranking near the bottom of the league, sitting 26th in goals scored. While the production has been inconsistent, it has been just enough to support the team’s true strength in their backend. Winnipeg has quietly been one of the better defensive teams in the league during this stretch, allowing just 2.
79 goals per game, the eighth-best mark in the NHL. Leading the charge has been star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who has carried a heavy workload with 20 starts in those 24 games. At the same time, Eric Comrie has delivered in limited action, posting a perfect 4-0-0 record along with an impressive 1.