Winnipeg Jets

[rufio.85]

That finisher discussion is semantics. But Ehlers can score and to put him in the same sentence as Lehkonen doesn't make sense.
Ehlers consistently pots / paces 25+ goals per season with MEDIOCRE deployment.
Context is super important here, as he never got as much as a sniff on PP1 these past few years.

So let's isolate even-strength points (ESP) and goals (ESG) in 2019-2020 to have a clearer picture.

ESP: Ehlers finished 12th in the league (52), ahead of players like Malkin, Point, Eichel and Huberdeau.
ESG: Ehlers finished 24th in the league (21), ahead of players like Scheifele, Pettersson, Tavares, and... Laine.

If Ehlers is Lehkonen juiced-up, maybe Scheifele is Kerfoot on steroids?

[ross10019]

That finisher discussion is semantics. But Ehlers can score and to put him in the same sentence as Lehkonen doesn't make sense.
Ehlers consistently pots / paces 25+ goals per season with MEDIOCRE deployment.
Context is super important here, as he never got as much as a sniff on PP1 these past few years.

So let's isolate even-strength points (ESP) and goals (ESG) in 2019-2020 to have a clearer picture.

ESP: Ehlers finished 12th in the league (52), ahead of players like Malkin, Point, Eichel and Huberdeau.
ESG: Ehlers finished 24th in the league (21), ahead of players like Scheifele, Pettersson, Tavares, and... Laine.

If Ehlers is Lehkonen juiced-up, maybe Scheifele is Kerfoot on steroids?

EXACTLY!

I can't believe all the comments on Ehlers being "merely a 20-25 goal" complementary forward.

All the guy has done is score goals and points with far lower ice time and MINIMAL pp time compared to guys like Connor, Wheeler and Scheifele. Last night Ehlers skated 16:19, Connor... 23:30. Just one example.

Despite that, and seeing only sparing time on the top line, he's leading the league in scoring with 11 points with Marner and McDavid.

And btw enough with this "25g" shit. He scored 25 at age 20, and 29 at age 21, and then 28 and 29 (prorated) the last two years. Do people really think that's his ceiling?

Geez, this guy is like Rodney Dangerfield...

If this guy was on any other team, he's line 1, PP1, and a 90-point threat with 40+ goals written all over him.

[agentzero]

Jets look absolutely terrible tonight to start. Wheeler, slow. Connor, distracted and squeezing the stick. Scheifele, lost and absent. Morrissey, out of position, and hanging Hellebuyck out to dry. Appleton scored on a perfect shot to keep them in it, but they are getting outplayed badly.

Hard to watch.

Sad to say but I think Wheeler's big days are really done. He has the mind for the game but the legs are kinda gone.

[agentzero]

The Jets cannot play defense. Just so bad in their own end. The Flames basically stormed them for the third period and that’s it...

Scheif hit the post which could have made it 3-1 but it doesn’t change how bad the Jets are defensively. Poor Hellebuyck. He tried everything tonight, huge highlight reel stuff, but man is he left alone.

[tweetdrivr]

I did note that Ehlers had the game on his stick and *ahem* failed to finish.

[agentzero]

I did note that Ehlers had the game on his stick and *ahem* failed to finish.

He should have gone in the shootout ahead of Perreault and Wheeler... Wheeler in the shootout?! Non.

[hockeyrobot]

The Jets cannot play defense. Just so bad in their own end. The Flames basically stormed them for the third period and that’s it...

Scheif hit the post which could have made it 3-1 but it doesn’t change how bad the Jets are defensively. Poor Hellebuyck. He tried everything tonight, huge highlight reel stuff, but man is he left alone.

This is why I picked them to miss the playoffs. Although I didn't expect Vancouver to not be able to play defense either.

Is there still no word on when PLD can actually play? I assumed it was just 14 days but didn't realize it goes a bit deeper than that....

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...lls-exception/

[agentzero]

Pandemic rules all. I am sure PLD will help, but he isn't exactly a two-way force himself...

This team will need to learn team defence fast, because they don't have all-stars back there to cover for the forwards like they used to.

Also as a huge fan of Blake Wheeler, it's hard to see him lately. He looks just too slow for the game and that really sucks, because he used to fly out there and was so dynamic. Connor looked awful defensively yesterday too, as did Scheifele, but the worst of them was Wheeler... who missed so many assignments by not coming back and covering his man. Like he was floating back to the D zone.

Hard to watch, I really liked watching the Jets these last 3-4 years.

[tweetdrivr]

He should have gone in the shootout ahead of Perreault and Wheeler... Wheeler in the shootout?! Non.

It's almost as if Maurice is a bad coach...

[agentzero]

It's almost as if Maurice is a bad coach...

Lol beat that drum good.....

Yes, those were questionable selections. I do wonder if a more defensively inclined coach might help this team, but I think the personnel is what it is, like in EDM... Tippett is a great defensive coach but the players just can't play his way.

[rataylor22]

It's almost as if Maurice is a bad coach...

But who is to say lol

[tweetdrivr]

Lol beat that drum good.....

Yes, those were questionable selections. I do wonder if a more defensively inclined coach might help this team, but I think the personnel is what it is, like in EDM... Tippett is a great defensive coach but the players just can't play his way.

You know this is one of the most insightful posts I've seen in a while. How well do coaches mold the players into their way of playing? Who is good at working to the strengths of their roster vs trying to shove that square peg into the round hole - like it does appear Tippett might be doing? Who has been around long enough and with a good partner in the GM to get the coach the roster he wants (Montreal)? It'd be a great article to run down all the teams and how well (or poorly) the team and coach fit each other.

[agentzero]

Sooooo Dubois centres Connor and Trevor Lewis in practice.


lol what a combo...... Somone like Ehelrs or Wheeler is missing from there..... lol

[newper114]

Sooooo Dubois centres Connor and Trevor Lewis in practice.


lol what a combo...... Somone like Ehelrs or Wheeler is missing from there..... lol

What were all the lines???

[CascadeFilly]

What were all the lines???

Ehlers - Scheifele - Copp
Connor - Dubois - Lewis
Vesalainen - Stastny - Wheeler
Perreault - Lowry - Appleton