#WinnipegJets #DaveLowry #PaulStastny #OttawaSenators
Is there any reason to believe the Jets can make the playoffs?
The Winnipeg Jets got off to a slow start in the first half on Sunday, going 1-1 to a 12-5 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
However, an impassioned speech from interim head coach Dave Lowry turned the tide, and the Jets bounced back in Game 2, beating the Senators 12-8 and taking a 3-1 lead in the final inning to end at 4 -3 wins.
“We got scolded after the first quarter,” said Jets veteran Paul Stastney, who scored in the second. “It wakes everyone up. We’ve needed this for a while, so it’s great to have it.”
Lowry said after the game that he had no shortage of criticism for his team after a slow start in a must-win game.
“I didn’t like our first period,” Lowry said. “I don’t like our hockey management, I don’t like the rhythm of our game, I don’t like the urgency of our game.
“With their support, we got answers in the second quarter, and in the second quarter, we did what we wanted to do at the start of the game.”
Sunday’s win puts Winnipeg seven points behind the Dallas Stars for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with nine games remaining on the season. Winnipeg won one in four games, which Lowry credited to Conor Helleback’s performance.
“It’s a goalie win,” Lowry said. “He gave us a chance in the first third. He was probably the only one who started on time. He gave us a chance to start and then made some big saves for us at the end of the game.”
The Jets will return to the ice on Monday night, when they face the Montreal Canadiens in the only game on the NHL schedule.
