“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Those are the final two stanzas of a famous poem by Dylan Thomas about resisting death with strength and defiance rather than accepting it passively and meekly.
It appears that’s what the Winnipeg Jets are doing late this season.
Jets’ Raging Against Dying Postseason Hopes
The Jets’ playoff hopes have been dim for a long time now, but they do not appear satisfied to “go gentle” to mathematical elimination.
Entering play Monday, they are three points back of the second Western Conference wild-card spot, currently held by the Nashville Predators, with a 31-30-12 record, 74 points, and nine games remaining.
They have managed to collect at least a point in 13 of 17 games since coming out of the Winter Olympic break by going 9-4-4 and have closed the gap between them and a playoff berth from 11 to three since play resumed in late February. Their game has not been perfect by any means, but they’ve really grinded by winning four games in extra time and getting four other games past 60 minutes for “loser” points.
They have adhered better to their defensive structure, gotten faster since the trade deadline’s additions and subtractions, and benefitted from a more balanced top six that features Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the top line and Gabriel Vilardi on the second.
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It’s fairly remarkable they are even in the conversation considering they were dead last in the entire NHL in early January after a disastrous first half of the season, which included a franchise-long 11-game losing streak from mid December into January.
Not Going Gentle May Not Be the Best Route for the Franchise
However, there’s an argument to be made — one many have made over the past few months, author included, and continue to — that the best thing for the Jets to is to go gentle.
The Jets’ playoff odds are still just 10.6 per cent, the highest they’ve been in a while but still very long, and they are in the unenviable position of having to rely on out-of-town scoreboard help. Even if the Jets were to defy the odds, a matchup with the likely Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado Avalanche screams “first-round exit via sweep” (even though the Jets did beat the Avalanche twice in three games this month, including 4-2 on Saturday).
While those on “team tank” — who argue that finishing as low as possible to get better odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery or at least getting a top-five pick is best — have the logical upper hand, most NHL players and coaches are extremely competitive and proud. It’s tough to convince them to lose in any circumstances, regardless of their team’s position in the standings and even if getting a player like Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg is better for the franchise’s long-term trajectory than making a playoff push that falls short.
Regardless, the Jets’ rage against the dying of the light will make for an interesting final stretch in Winnipeg, one much more interesting than anticipated a couple months back. They’re back in action Tuesday evening in Chicago versus the Blackhawks.
“It’s just one at a time. I know you guys don’t want to hear it, but we looked at the scoreboard and we got some help around the league,” head coach Scott Arniel said postgame Saturday after his team won and the Predators lost. “That’s what we need, but you’ve got to win to gain ground. We did that. Now all of our focus zeroes in on Chicago. It can’t be one of those ones where you have a great game here and then you take a big step back.”
