Winnipeg – Josh Morrisy couldn’t hide his passion, he didn’t need to.
The pain in his face and the tone of his voice painted a picture that perfectly encapsulated the situation, even as he tried his best to give a thoughtful and measured response.
Although the latest wound was still fresh enough to allow a full autopsy of Morris or an audit of what could have been another losing season for these Winnipeg jets, the defenseman and alternate captain hinted at the sheer and complete despair of what happened. After a 3-1 defeat to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
You may find the use of “destructive” somewhat overdramatic, due to the impossibility of running for the jets, but for a team that must go from 12 to 12 to run the table to keep the hopes alive, not without making a decision. The play-off team who dropped 50 shots the night before and traveled to Winnipeg for a game could not afford the bingo card.
So you can understand why Morris would be excited to try to answer at a time when so many questions revolve around the roster and what the future might actually bring in the coming months.
“Honestly, I don’t think a word has been said since the game ended in the locker room. Not a word, “said Morrissey.” I think the reason for the silence is frustration. Obviously, we can’t afford to lose the game right now. And it’s a game we shouldn’t lose. Just with their schedule and our frustration, they’re playing backwards. .
“It’s frustrating. Everyone in the room knows that. So, that’s the emotion.”
The problem for the Jets is that they didn’t show up in a hurry until it was too late.
Of course, they made a good start but failed to convert their quality scoring chances, or prevent the Wings from scoring a shorthand goal towards the end of the first period.
Then, after pulling Mark Sheffield’s Nifty redirection and Blake Wheeler’s tip-in who was taken off the board by a successful coach’s challenge for offside, the Jets found no way to lose the Red Wings backup. Thomas Greece.
Michael Rasmussen cleared the loose change at Golmouth Scramble in the third period and Sam Gagner scored the second goal of the game in an empty net one evening to make the 500th and 501st points of his NHL career.
Just like that, another opportunity was lost for a Jets team that failed to meet the expectations placed on them after reaching the second round last June and strengthening their roster by addressing a few holes in the blue line.
In a season where it was incredibly difficult to win against teams at the top of the playoffs – and especially after the franchise’s best 9-3-3 start that seemed like a lifetime before – it was another defeat that came down to a heap of despair.
You know, that already includes the Arizona Coyotes, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Buffalo Sabers, the Seattle Cracken, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Ottawa Senators, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and a pair of New York Islanders.
At a time when the urgency should be great, again the Jets kept the door open for their opponents and did not give almost enough instructions during the last 40 minutes of the game.
Really good teams often find ways to win, even when they are not working at an optimal level – and at the moment, the Jets often do not fall into that category.
There are glimpses of the possibility to be sure, there are not enough examples to establish a defined standard of play that the Jets can rely on.
Consistently inconsistent is not looking to accept an identity team.
The Jets’ offensive attack still bounces into the regular feast or famine section and there is not enough deep commitment to defend.
And it’s not a winning combination, especially at this time of year, when teams are ready to run in the Stanley Cup.
Detailed attention may not be optional, and this is one of the many reasons why jets find themselves on the outside and on the verge of officially finding themselves in the country next year.
It was another night when the Jets failed to provide enough run support for goalkeeper Conor Helebuyuk, who clearly played his part through a 32-save effort early in his 59th season.
For the 32nd time, the Jets held two goals or less and have won a total of two of those two games.
“I thought we had a lot of good shifts throughout the game, a lot of zone time. Maybe I’m trying to be a little more beautiful with those few passes, “said Jets left winger Kyle Connor, who came back from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and could have been a little more direct. “Look at the two goals we scored, it came out of the shot-tip from the point. Just got down and won the battle. I think if we repeat that a little bit more, we’ll get a few more goals.”
Getting into that difficult area a little more frequently and not looking good from a dangerous position should become a habit for jets.
However, talking about those shortcomings can do a lot.
Action is needed from this group, and the next challenge comes from league-leading Colorado Avalanche, who have already beaten the Jets 7-1 and 6-3 (the latter came after the Jets took a 3-0 lead).
It may be too late to recover what’s left this season, but those 11 games can’t be just a ride-off – no matter how disappointing the results during this three-game rate skid.