Maple Leafs Bust Jets' Eight-Game Winning Streak in 6-4 Win
While there aren’t high expectations for the Winnipeg Jets to begin this season, it seems that the team is shocking many fans and critics this year with their strong start. So far, the team has won four games at home, and four games on the road. At this point, one can say that the Jets are truly making a big stride in their games now more than ever.
However, the Jets have now suffered a poor loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs after John Tavares drilled three goals while Anthony Stolarz saved 19 goals to hold off the cruising Jets. So far, the Jets have cooled off, and they didn’t really have much answer to the Maple Leafs right from the start.
So far, this loss sets the Jets back by just a notch, but that defeat shows that Winnipeg isn’t invulnerable, which says a lot about their chances of winning this season as they seek to continue gunning for more wins and keep hold of the Western Conference’s top spot.
A Promising Push to the Top
The Western Conference is the most competitive side of the NHL, and there are a lot of teams to look out for one year after another. While repeat champions are common in the NHL, the West usually has a different contender coming out of the hole, and that says a lot about the high competitive performances that is expected from every team.
The Jets, so far, have become an elite team to look out for so far, and it cannot be denied that the team is really starting to show that they have what it takes to prove that they are a contender team now more than ever. With the way the Jets are starting to build a promising reputation in the game, one can say that this is their chance to deliver a fantastic campaign to remember.
The early returns may have been really too favorable for the Jets, but it does seem that it is a show of improvement as to how they have addressed their previous issues so far. If you are not impressed, the Jets have actually won 16 regular season games combined up to this moment, with the last eight dating back to the previous season.
While this drop to the Maple Leafs is really disappointing, fans should look out for more of their big games in the next few weeks. One can say that this is just a proof of their need for improvement in the games as well.
A Renewed Hope for Winnipeg
Jets forward Mark Scheifele certainly understands that the team has gone on to build a much more confident approach in the season. However, the star also claims that this is not a time to be complacent and must find more ways to continue winning in their games and ensure that they are not letting up night in and night out.
"We've found ways to get wins, but I think the biggest thing is to continue to work at things and continue to get better. It's still so early in the season,” said Scheifele. “There's a lot of games left and I think you can't let complacency set in because we've won a few in a row. We have to continue to push for more and continue to push for a more full effort throughout the game."
The Jets were the ninth team in the history of the NHL to start the season with eight wins in a row. They are also the fourth Canadian team to pull off the same feat while it also tied the franchise record that the team has yet to allow more than three goals in a single game.