With Connor Hellebuyck taking a break in the schedule, back-up Eric Comrie got the call to be in between the pipes against the Florida Panthers, in which should have been a sort of night off for the Winnipeg Jets. It was not. Even though Comrie made 30 saves.
The Panthers buzzed around the Jets net all night and refused to show any respect to one of the supposed top teams in the NHL. Even after throwing 41 shots towards the Cats net, the Jets scored enough goals to close it down, but couldn't. It's not that the Panthers were relentless, they just capitalized on their chances, whereas the Jets did not.
Although Patrik Laine scored his team-leading 15th goal and Blake Wheeler added his eighth on the power-play, the Jets went one for eight on the power-play. Not the numbers of supposedly one of the best PPs in the league.
Mark Scheifele was held off the scoreboard entirely; something we haven't seen all season long.
The Jets just couldn't get things done. Period. Maybe all those empty red seats threw them off, because there was nobody in that building. There were more people on the player's bench than in the stands. It was incredible and not in a good way.
The Jets better get their act together, because they're in for it tonight against the top team in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning; and Stamkos and company will be showing no mercy.
