The Winnipeg Jets are amid their first losing streak of the 2024-25 season.
Yes, you read that right. We are well into the second half of November and the Jets have finally lost two games in a row. No, it’s not a four or five-game skid, but rather back-to-back losses.
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For a team that opened the year with 15 wins in 16 games, dropping two contest in a row is certainly big news.
It isn’t, however, time to panic… is it?
No, there is no reason to sound the alarm.
Winnipeg was simply outplayed by two great hockey teams: one, a Stanley Cup regular over the past five season, and two, the reigning Cup champion and back-to-back Finals attendee.
The Bolts and Panthers handed the Jets their first two road losses of the season last week, and the games really weren’t all that close. Did Winnipeg play the same style of hockey it had all season? Not really. Did Tampa and Florida show up ready to give the top dog runs for its money? Most definitely.
According to Money Puck’s ‘Deserve to Win O’Meter’, which is based on advanced analytics over the course of each NHL game, the Jets had only a one-in-three success rate over the course of Thursday’s game to walk away a winner (based on the way the team played) and a much worse one-in-eight chance on Saturday.
Taking the team’s hot start, goaltending situation and recent lack of power play success, the inevitable was coming. Winnipeg needed to lose, and needed to lose pretty heavily in order to snap out of the fairy tale, history-making start to the season.
Sure, it happened against former friend Paul Maurice’s Panthers, but luckily the Jets have another shot at making it right on Tuesday evening in the second-half of the elongated home-and-home with Florida.
Winnipeg still owns the league’s most wins, points, points percentage, regulation wins, goals for and best power play percentage of the 32 clubs.
Sure, the Jets could follow the mold of the 20007-08 Ottawa Senators (previous record holders for best start to an NHL season) and just coast to a postseason appearance by playing .500 hockey here out, but that likely will not grant much playoff success.
With over three-quarters of the season left to be played, now is not the time to take the foot off the gas pedal. Having already set the NHL record for the best start, Winnipeg will need to extend its abilities over the course of the next six months to retain its title of the league’s top team.
Currently in a stretch featuring nine of 10 games on the road, Winnipeg returns to Canada Life Centre on Tuesday in hopes of picking up its first win in three contests within the friendly confines of its home rink.
That game against Florida can be viewed live on TSN at 7:00 PM central time.
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