Jets are trying to get back to basics

The Winnipeg Jets are 0-3 and are the only NHL team without a point. The feeling in the locker room after practice today was that the team is aware of their mistakes and need to keep it simple and get back to basics.

Bryan Little:

“We’re trying to make plays at the blue line and turning pucks over, instead of just getting the puck in and taking our shots. We’re getting too fancy, we’re making too many mistakes and that’s something we’re trying to cut back on.”

“You haven’t won a game in the season, you’re trying to do a lot more than you’re supposed to, that’s where the mistakes happen. It’s cliché but we have to get back to basics and not make any mistakes like we have been.”

Ondrej Pavelec:

“Turnovers (has been the biggest problem), it’s about how the team plays defensively, everybody has to come back (and play defense), especially in this league, the turnovers kill us every game, the last three games, they (have) kill(ed) us, we had a great start in Chicago, but we started to turn the puck over and it ended up in our net.”

“We made a lot of mistakes, if you make that many mistakes in this game, you have no chance to win.”

Blake Wheeler

“We need to try to outwork the other team, and that going to be a challenge in itself, this team is a championship caliber team, and they know how to bring it every night.”

“I think a lot of the mistakes were making are the little ones you don’t expect to see at this level, and are the ones that are hurting us the most. If we can just be a more north south team, a little more blue collar, getting pucks in deep, not trying to be so pretty and trying to get the job done, sooner or later we’re going to get our confidence up and we’re going to be able to make some of those plays we can make.”

“That’s the way we need to play, we just need to buckle down and do the little things well, and not worry so much about how it looks. If we’re trying to outcompete the other team and outwork the other team, doing smart plays, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win. If we’re doing that, we’re going to get some success and we’ll get our confidence up, from there we’ll be able to make some plays that we’re capable of making.”

Tobias Enstrom

“I think you have to start making it a bit easier on yourself and try to get pucks on net and score those close goals, after that hopefully everything will keep going.”

“We have to start playing the game the right way, keep it simple, get the puck deep and go from there.”

While it appears the Jets’ are aware of their problems, and how they can be resolved, it is up to them to execute. The Jets have a tough match up tonight against first place Pittsburgh and hope to get their first win of the season.