Slumping Jets In Jeopardy of Falling Out of Central Division’s Top 3

The train that seemed to be going full speed ahead has suddenly fallen off the tracks in a major way. The Jets were soundly defeated 4-1 by the New Jersey Devils on March 21, and then had their worst game of the season by far in a 6-3 loss to the New York Islanders on March 23. The Jets were massively outshot and outworked in both games by two opponents desperate to stay in the playoff picture; they never came close to matching their foes’ intensity levels and their puck management was atrocious.

The Jets’ effort and defensive structure — hallmarks of their success for much of this season — were much improved on March 24 against the Washington Capitals but they couldn’t beat goaltender Charlie Lindgren. They lost 3-0, with longtime Jet-killer Alexander Ovechkin notching two of the Capitals’ third-period goals.

The slump has proven costly, and not only because it’s ramped up the narrative that the Jets are “frauds” rather than legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

Jets Tumble Down Standings; Avalanche and Stars Stay Hot

For most of the season, the Jets have been in a three-way battle for first place in the Central with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.

That battle is now becoming a two-team race between the two teams not named the Jets. The Avalanche and Stars have kept winning during this crucial stretch, with the Avs victors in nine straight — most recently, they came back from down 4-0 to win 5-4 in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins — and the Stars victors of four straight.

Both teams have 97 points, four more than the Jets. The Jets have one game in hand on the Stars, and no games in hand on the Avalanche.

The Jets are 4-0-0 against the Avalanche this season and the teams face for a fifth and final time on April 13. Conversely, the Jets are 0-3-0 against the Stars this season and the teams face for a fourth and final time on April 11.

Red-Hot Predators Inching Up on Jets

The Nashville Predators are now hot on the Jets’ heels. The club is riding a ridiculous 17-game point streak, in which they have gone 15-0-2.

The Predators, who entered the season considered a “re-tooler” and were mediocre through the first half, have not lost in regulation since Feb. 15. As a result of being the NHL’s hottest team, they have leapt up the standings and currently possess the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 88 points. They are just five points back of the Jets for third in the Central.

The Jets are 1-2-0 against the Predators this season, beating them in early November but losing to them in late November and earlier this month. They face off for the fourth and final time on April 9 in a game that didn’t seem like it’d have a lot of meaning a month ago but may be crucial now if the teams keep trending in their current directions.

Things Won’t Get Easier From Here for Jets

The three losses to close the road trip were all against teams either below the playoff line or fighting for their playoff lives. It won’t get any easier as the Jets return home for a five-game homestand.

First, the Edmonton Oilers — who have dominated since Kris Knoblauch took over as head coach and are second in the Pacific Division — come to Canada Life Centre for the teams’ third and final meeting of the season. Connor McDavid and company will enter the matchup with a bee in their collective bonnet, having lost two-straight to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators over the weekend and allowing a combined 11 goals. Only one team will leave the matchup having broken their slump.

Then, the Vegas Golden Knights will pop by for their final visit of the season on March 28. The Jets are 0-2-0 against the Golden Knights this season and the visitors will be desperate like the Islanders and Capitals were. The Golden Knights loaded up at the trade deadline but currently only own the second Western Conference wild-card spot. They are five points up on the St. Louis Blues, but would certainly like to leap back up into the Pacific’s top three.

Then, on March 30, the Jets will face the Ottawa Senators. The Senators, well out of the playoff picture, will have the privilege of being able to play loose. The Jets did not have an easy time with the Senators in the teams’ only prior meeting this season, sneaking out a 2-1 overtime win on Jan. 20.

Overall, seven of the Jets’ final games are against teams currently in a playoff position. It’s gut check time.

Jets Have Slumped in Final Stretch Before

The Jets, up to this point, have managed to avoid a prolonged second-half slump akin to the one they suffered through last season. Prior to the three-game slide, they had gone 14-5-0 since a 0-4-1 stretch from late January into early February.

Last season, however, they got out of their slump just in time, winning five of their final six meaningful games to capture the second wild-card spot.

In the shortened 2020-21 season, the Jets lost nine of their final 12 but swept the Oilers in the first round before being swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round. In 2018-19, when the locker-room issues first emerged, the Jets lost six of their last nine, fell out of first in the Central as a result, and lost to the St. Louis Blues in the first round.

The Jets have a much better team culture this season under captain Adam Lowry’s leadership and are certainly a talented enough group to get back to their winning ways. They did some good things against the Capitals, and if they can build on the positives to snag a couple of statement wins, this slump will have been nothing but a speed bump. They still control their own top-three destiny.

However, with a couple more losses, they are almost guaranteed to lose more ground, increasing the chances of them facing one of the Western Conference’s top seeds in the first round.