Winnipeg Jets Reporters: “Paul Maurice is doing an excellent job”

Sportsnet reporters think Jets fans expect too much from the team

By: Rachael Bishop

There was a massive uproar amongst Winnipeg Jets fans on the weekend who felt that Paul Maurice’s time as head coach had run its course.

Maurice, who has been head coach of the Jets since January 2014, has had plenty of regular season success during his time in Winnipeg, along with a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2018, and that lone trip has fans wanting more.

“I think Paul Maurice has done a very good job, but the problem for Jets fans, is that all they see is the run to the Western Conference Final, and there have been some bumpy blocks since that point, ” said Ken Wiebe, a Winnipeg Jets reporter for Sportsnet.ca on The Rod Pedersen Show on Monday morning via video call.

A fellow Winnipeg Jets Reporter agreed with the sentiment that fans have unrealistic expectations for the team.

“The feeling is with fans, that when they see the Jets heading out and controlling play, and steamrolling teams, scoring at ease, they think that is how it should be all the time, and they see that as the version of the Winnipeg Jets that should exist all the time. ” Sean Reynolds of sportsnet.ca and Hockey Night in Canada said on The Rod Pedersen Show on Monday morning, also via video call, “So, they think there is a failing leadership, and of coaching that is keeping the Jets from being that dominant source all the time, and it’s a debate. “

Perhaps fan worries are unwarranted. The Jets currently sit third in the North Division with 38 points in 31 games, just six points back of the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs in the North Division, heading into tonight’s matchup against Vancouver, hardly a panic-inducing record.

However, where the bigger concern should lie is with the play of starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

The reigning Vezina trophy winner has put up disappointing numbers thus far, with his save percentage a measly .911%, well off the pace of his .922 save percentage in his award-winning 2019/2020 season, or his average career save percentage of .916%.

Furthermore, according to Natural Stat Trick, his five on five high danger save percentage (a statistic that calculates the percentage of shots a goaltender saves from high danger scoring areas during five on five play) of .820% ranks 23rd out of 37 goalies that have played at least 500 minutes this season, meaning he is in the bottom half of all starting goalies at stopping the most difficult shots during five on five action-when most of the game takes place. Not bad numbers, but not the sort you would expect from a goaltender just one year removed from his Vezina trophy winning season, and a goalie who is often mentioned in hockey circles as one of the best and most consistent in the league.

For comparison’s sake, in 2019/2020, Hellebuyck was 11th amongst starting goaltenders in this category, just behind the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner, Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a goalie who, like Hellebuyck, is often mentioned as one of the NHL’s best. Vasilevskiy also leads all starters this season with a five on five high danger save percentage of .911 %.

Perhaps Hellebuyck cannot match those numbers, but one can argue he is certainly a better goalie than those with better statistics this season: Chris Dreidger of the Florida Panthers, Cal Petersen of the L.A. Kings, Jonathan Bernier of the Detroit Red Wings, Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, and Mike Smith of the Edmonton Oilers, just to name a few.

So, the real answer to the Jets success is in net, not on the bench. Winnipeg could have Scotty Bowman as head coach, but until Connor Hellebuyck plays to his capabilities, the team will not have any sustained success.