Game time is 6 pm on sportsnet

the Jets are currently flying high (pun intended) in the central division and western conference after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 7-4....seven does seem to be our lucky number this season

The Jets are currently 16-6-4 while the Ottawa Senators are 9-9-6

 

Edited December 4, 20178 yr by iHeart

5 hours ago, Noeller said:

Assuming the goaltending actually changed that much is the first mistake.....

It's not an assumption, though. Eliotte Friedman reported on Hellebuyck's off-season plan during the 2017 playoffs: https://www.arcticicehockey.com/2017/5/28/15706626/winnipeg-jets-connor-hellebuyck-offseason-changes

Quote

Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is making some off-season changes. He will spend time this summer with Adam Francilia, who has a lot of experience working with goalies. Francilia could be loosely defined as a personal trainer, but prefers “sports performance coach” because he also deals with nutrition and mental health.

What will he work on? Among other things, core training specific to goalies.

“Posture and setup. There are postural considerations for a goalie, such as counter-rotating away from saves. Let me give you an example. With Devan Dubnyk, when he was leaning on the right post and needed to make a right-to-left push, his lanky, long body was working against him. He was unable to understand how to use his core. You go to push left, but half your body is going the wrong way.”

And more from Friedman's article itself: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-future-hold-dubas-leafs/

Quote

It sounds confusing, but do this: Put your right side up against a wall in your house. Then push off. How many of you are leaning into the wall before doing it? That slows your move left.

“Goaltending is an unnatural position,” Francilia continued. “We are not created to be goaltenders, which is why so many have hip issues. We have to completely re-program their brains not to counter-rotate. Teach the brain to think differently, teach (Hellebuyck) to recruit his left oblique muscle to stabilize and offset the counter-rotation. That helps his upper body stay with the puck. That split-second difference is everything.”

I’m a Hellebuyck fan, so I’m curious about this, an attempt to enhance in the off-season the work the Jets do with him during the year. He had a tough year, but giving up on him is ridiculous.

So far this season, Hellebuyck moves better, tracks the puck better, plays his angles better, and controls the puck well. His glove hand has also returned to form, which is a huge confidence boost for any goalie. A big save can swing momentum just as much as a goal can.

Goalie camp aside (which was clearly a huge benefit to him), whatever else he changed in the off-season is paying off in dividends.

Edited December 5, 20178 yr by blue_gold_84
content added

The 3 biggest differences between this year and last year wIth Helle - IMHO Edition

1. The D is better

2. He's making less ice angels compared to last year. Only seen him do it couple times this year.

3. He's no longer staring at pucks right in front of him

 

 

Imagine thinking Helle isnt better this year than last. lol

We'll see how things go as he plays more but obviously he's better, the D is better and the back up is better.  But Helle is certainly better.  He made the effort to work on certain areas and it has worked out for him.

19 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Imagine thinking Helle isnt better this year than last. lol

We'll see how things go as he plays more but obviously he's better, the D is better and the back up is better.  But Helle is certainly better.  He made the effort to work on certain areas and it has worked out for him.

and he's got confidence.  Pretty big intangible all good goalies have to have.

Helle's glove-hand was a liability last year and it's a strength this year.  Huge difference.

Helle wasn't bad last year....the team in front of him was. 

6 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Helle wasn't bad last year....the team in front of him was. 

No, he was pretty bad.

47 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Helle wasn't bad last year....the team in front of him was. 

a fair bit of column A, a good chunk of column B.   neither's play was conducive to a winning formula.

Helle is better this year and so is the team.  It's not one or the other.  It's both.

52 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Helle is better this year and so is the team.  It's not one or the other.  It's both.

1 hour ago, Atomic said:

Helle is better this year and so is the team.  It's not one or the other.  It's both.

Agreed. A healthy and focused Myers, a more seasoned Morrissey, the addition of Kulikov, and a more concerted effort on team defense have all paid off where the team's defensive zone play is concerned. Couple that with the improvements Hellebuyck made to his craft and it's a cooperative interaction of multiple pieces working successfully together. A synergy, if you will.

My honest belief is that something has changed schematically for this team....I don't know enough to know what, but I think they're actually doing something different on the ice that's locking things up better and not allowing as much of a free for all for other teams. 

43 minutes ago, Noeller said:

My honest belief is that something has changed schematically for this team....I don't know enough to know what, but I think they're actually doing something different on the ice that's locking things up better and not allowing as much of a free for all for other teams. 

It is a combination of a bunch of things, all of which feed and drive each other.  

• With Myers / Kulikov as your 3rd paring D, you have an overall higher quality of defense out there and can spread the minutes around more, keeping players fresh.
   
• All the Jets "young" prospects aren't so young anymore and have a couple of NHL seasons under their belt.
   
• They are also way better offensively.  Compared to last year, the Jets are scoring on average .5 extra goal per game (3.5 vs 3.0) and letting in .5 goals less (2.6 vs 3.1).   
  
  Some of that is for sure attributed to better goaltending and better defensive play, but quite honestly a lot of that is the Jets coming out and scoring early.   Last year we were trailing in a bunch of games which forces you to open it up.  This year, I'm pretty sure they've played with the lead for way more minutes vs. trying to score and force it.  
  
  But even when behind, they no longer panic and try to force it like they would last year.  They have quietly built up a confidence and belief, that even when trailing, they play their game and believe they will score.  This team has never had that since they've returned.  Always been fragile, get them down a goal or two and they would fold like a cheap tent.  That attitude is now gone.

 

7 hours ago, Noeller said:

Helle wasn't bad last year....the team in front of him was. 

Price in his first full as in no AHL time year was 905 save percentage and 2.83 GAA. 

Helle was 907 with a 2.89 GAA

So i guess those who thought Helle was bad... Prob would say Price was also 

 

1 hour ago, Rich said:

It is a combination of a bunch of things, all of which feed and drive each other.  

• With Myers / Kulikov as your 3rd paring D, you have an overall higher quality of defense out there and can spread the minutes around more, keeping players fresh.
   
• All the Jets "young" prospects aren't so young anymore and have a couple of NHL seasons under their belt.
   
• They are also way better offensively.  Compared to last year, the Jets are scoring on average .5 extra goal per game (3.5 vs 3.0) and letting in .5 goals less (2.6 vs 3.1).   
  
  Some of that is for sure attributed to better goaltending and better defensive play, but quite honestly a lot of that is the Jets coming out and scoring early.   Last year we were trailing in a bunch of games which forces you to open it up.  This year, I'm pretty sure they've played with the lead for way more minutes vs. trying to score and force it.  
  
  But even when behind, they no longer panic and try to force it like they would last year.  They have quietly built up a confidence and belief, that even when trailing, they play their game and believe they will score.  This team has never had that since they've returned.  Always been fragile, get them down a goal or two and they would fold like a cheap tent.  That attitude is now gone.

 

these 2 points I think are very accurate.  We now score first in a lot of our games... takes the edge off of the guys for some reason it seems and when they get tied up or even go down one, they keep on an even keel.   It does seem that once we score first tho, we do play better then last years teams.. no panicky play, no over-tightening of the sticks, etc. 

Ditto to the second point, we seem to keep our heads on straight and not lose focus.. I think this team has matured a fair bit over the last year.. with the youth movement getting more acclimated to the NHL game and its every-day grind.. knowing they are capable of scoring at any given time, from all lines... also helps, i'm sure.   the panic that used to consume the team tho, leading to 2-3-4 goals against without a hitch seems to have evaporated.. *knocks on wood*