(Before I go on here, I want to make clear that I am not taking a shot at all Jets fans with this piece. Jets fans are amazing. I'm taking a shot at the people who are ready to give up on players when they have one bad game, or even one bad play. The "fans" who think that they know how to run the team better than the professionals who actually do it. This is a challenge to their loyalty to the Jets. Are they really fans? Maybe, or maybe they're just getting worked up over nothing....thanks).
So, I live in Winnipeg, and naturally, I find myself cheering for the Jets on a regular basis.
However, despite their injury plagued blue line, horrid play from their forwards, and less than stellar play from Ondrej Pavelec, there's one thing that is making me more upset than any of that.
And that is some of the "fans". I surround these "fans" in scare quotes because, I'm not so sure they're true fans.
First, it's important to keep in mind we didn't buy an all-star franchise with 50 goal scorers and 100 point getters. We got a team with grinders, who periodically heat up and score some goals every now and then. To be fair to the Jets though, we have potential. Kane, Burmistrov, Schifele, and Trouba could one day be very important players for this team, but they are all still young.
The Jets have said from the get go, they want to be a team who will build and improve though the draft. Meaning, they are not going to come here and become a power house within 2, 3, even maybe upwards of 6 years.
Take a team like Nashville for example. Founded in 1998, didn't even make the playoffs until the 2003 season. And now they're one of the premier franchises in the NHL. They were patient, and they managed their players right. The Jets are trying to do the same. We got a franchise that traded Ilya Kovalchuck, and Marian Hossa. A team that made some horrible draft choices. It's easy to say that the Atlanta Thrashers were a poorly, poorly, horribly, and any other bad descriptive word managed team.
Basically, all this is leading to my message to Jets fans, which is this;
CHILL OUT!
Dustin Byfuglien is fat and out of shape some say, and yes, it's impossible to deny that Buff is on the larger side. But he's our best damn player, and most times, the only one who looks like he wants to score a goal, so leave him alone.
As for Peluso's penalties, I may be one of the few defending the young man. And here is why; Anthony Peluso was brought in so he could fight, and maybe take a bit of that load off of Thorburn's shoulders. Zach Rinaldo (Philly's fighter) knew full well that this was an eager young enforcer from the minors who was looking to go toe to toe with Philly's heavyweight and make a good impression on the fans, hence, Rinaldo goading him into a penalty by making him think he wants to drop the gloves, and skating away. And as for his second penalty, I don't know how with two refs on the ice they missed the hit from behind on Burmi by Rinaldo, but they see the retaliation that happens a split second later. Peluso was right in standing up for his teammate on that one. The refs blew that call, like a few others from last nights game that I won't get into.
Even just listening to the TSN 1290 Post Game show shows me that these so called "jets fans" who call in are throwing this team under the bus even though they are only a season and a quarter into their tenure in Winnipeg. And as I said before, we didn't adopt the Pittsburgh Penguins, we're not an all-star team.
"Trade Tobi Enstrom", one guy said. Yeah, that's a great idea, let's trade the leading scorer on our team, and leading scorer amongst all defensemen in the NHL. I'm not going to sit here and say that Enstrom is as good as Erik Karlsson (of the Ottawa Senators), but when Karlsson had a bad game last year, did the Sens fans scream and cry for him to be traded? No, they didn't.
There's going to be give and take with Tobi Enstrom. He's creative on the offensive side of the puck, and he plays his position well. But if you put a 6'2-6'5 forward up against him, he's going to lose that physical battle. Which is why Big Buff compliments him so well. Basically what I'm saying, is lay off Tobi. Who can we trade him for that would be better than him? Think about it.
The next problem is people saying we need to as one post game show caller put it to "trade Kane and Ladd and get some guys who can score goals". Yeah, that's a great idea. How about we go to Pittsburgh, and say "hey, here's Ladd and Kane, give us Crosby and Malkin". I don't see that going over well with the Pens.
People need to realize that it's not that easy, we can't just trade two of our best players, and expect to get a 40 goal scorer in return. We can, however, get one through the draft, if we pick him, and groom him for the NHL properly. If we get him, then our GM looks amazing, if we don't, then that's on him and our scouts.
Basically, I think people should lay off the trading talks. What good is all this negativity amongst the fans doing for this team? None. It's managing to throw our team under the bus, but that's about it.
I'm not saying fans don't have a reason to be upset, because they do. In a hockey crazed town like this, it's only expected that the fans will be upset if their team is losing. And I wouldn't expect otherwise, because the Jets fans ARE ABSOLUTELY THE MOST DEDICATED FANS IN THE NHL!
It's okay to be upset, because the Jets are struggling, and sometimes, they are the most frustrating team in the NHL, but I don't understand why we feel that we are better at running a hockey organization than the professionals who actually know how to do it. It doesn't make sense.
And truthfully, in the heat of the moment, everyone will say some things that they don't mean. Every now and then I will chime in with a "Dammit Hainsey", or a "for god sakes Kane" but do we really think we know how to run a team better than Kevin Chevaldayoff? Cause it seems that way.
As fans, we will be upset when our team loses, and we will feel glorious when they win, because we are passionate, and we sure as hell love our team. But stop throwing our players under the bus when they have a bad game. Let's remember that they are human, just like the rest of us, and they will make mistakes. There are a lot of problems with this Jets team. Inconsistent goaltending, the streakiest forwards in the NHL, a banged up blue line, and the fact that they can't seem to close out a game to save their lives, but what good will it do for us to throw them under the bus after every game? Be patient with them. Be upset when they lose, be happy when they win, and keep hold of your opinions, as I am doing with mine. Because everyone is entitled to one. But stop bashing our guys! It doesn't help.
RANT OVER! GO JETS GO!
TWITTER! @burnsy004
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