The Winnipeg Jets have become one of the coldest teams in hockey. One forward didn’t hold back when discussing the situation.
Losing eight straight games is never easy. According to Morgan Barron, it is taking a toll on the Jets. Following Winnipeg’s loss on Friday to the Florida Panthers, Barron said via Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press:
“The feelings are similar in the sense of you try to come to the rink and enjoy yourself and go out there and have fun, but it’s really difficult right now.”
Barron isn’t wrong. Not only are the Jets 0-6-2 in their past eight games, but they have also been outscored 30-16, putting up just 2.0 goals per game while allowing 3.8. Ironically, the Jets lost each of their first five games of the losing streak by a goal and only allowed four goals in an overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Their last three losses have shown how much the streak is taking a toll, and how much one can justify Barron’s comments. Winnipeg has been outscored 16-7 in two losses to the Panthers and one against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Winnipeg Jets Playing Poorly All Over The Ice
There are a few reasons why this hasn’t been a fun game for Barron and the Jets lately. Some of it, they can place the blame on themselves.
Winnipeg has scored 34 times in its first 14 games. Still, Kyle Connor (11 goals) and Cole Perfetti (6) have scored half of them. Only four other Jets players have scored two or more goals. When a team relies that much on two players to score 50 percent of their goals, they will get demoralized quickly when that reliance catches up with them.
The same thing goes for the way the Jets have let opponents wear them down in the defensive zone. That has been the case, with the Jets letting opponents put up 30.6 shots per game in those last eight contests. They have also been shooting for an average of 26.6 shots per game.
Winnipeg, at this point, is already entering games with that losing streak in their heads. If they haven’t, then Barron wouldn’t have said what he did. If the Jets were having fun and not being their own worst enemy, they wouldn’t have started falling behind in seemingly game after game.
Winnipeg’s Woes May Not End Soon Enough
The kicker? Winnipeg is scheduled to open their November slate against the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. Heading into Saturday, Carolina has continued to dominate, with 24 points so far. Montreal is tied for second in the Atlantic with 18 points. Winnipeg has lost to both teams during this eight-game skid.
Their best chance to snag a win will be when they face the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 5. In the games following their showdown with the Canucks, they will face Tampa Bay again, the New Jersey Devils, and the Dallas Stars.
If the Jets want to end this streak before it gets out of hand, they need to rediscover what made this game fun earlier in the season. If not, then more players will be echoing Morgan Barron’s latest quip.
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