Despite struggles, the Jets battled through a tough road swing, snatching two hard-fought wins against Canadian rivals while falling to all four U.S. clubs.
It was not the road trip that the Winnipeg Jets envisioned when they circled the two-week November stretch when the schedule dropped in July.
Six games in some of the league's westernmost cities, including four stops in the United States, and two all-Canadian matchups with Vancouver and Calgary (as much as the game production team in charge of the anthems at the Saddledome thought the Jets were of the New York variety).
The trek opened with a three-game stretch in California. It then moved up to Vancouver, before hopping the border again for a test with Seattle. Winnipeg then made that eventful stop in Calgary on Saturday - fifteen days and six games later, the Jets returned home with four losses and two wins - a far cry from hopeful early-season expectation.
The American clubs caused Winnipeg significant struggle, as the Jets went 0-4-0 and were outscored 14-5 in the process. Winnipeg put up more than one goal just a single time in those four losses.
Sneaking by Vancouver with a 5-3 empty-net win, and then earning the extra point in Calgary on a shootout victory were the Jets' two victories. Anything but decisive.
The team has come home with an 11-7-0 record and sits third in a very crowded Central Division. Colorado remains comfortably in first place (12-1-5), while the 12-4-3 Dallas Stars remain five points up on the Jets. Chicago is tied at 22 points with Winnipeg, while Utah (21) and Minnesota (20) sit just behind.
It wasn't much of a trip for Winnipeg's personal statistics either. Mark Scheifele - who was among the league leaders in both goals and points as the calendar flipped to November - did little to see his numbers remain with the big boys.
Linemates Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi also took a hit in production. Connor Hellebuyck did look sharp at times, but his teammates did little to help his situation in goal. He was not playing at Vezina and Hart Trophy calibre, that's for sure.
The lone bright spot was the continued play of Josh Morrissey (eight points in the last five games), who has once again put together a strong bid for the early-season Norris Trophy voters. His spot on the Canadian National Olympic Team is much more solidified than that of Scheifele, but both players understand the task at hand.
Connor is much like that of Scheifele, while Hellebuyck and Morrissey share similar favour for the best-on-best spectacle this February.
Winnipeg returns home on Tuesday for the first test of a three-game homestand. The Jets will host Columbus, Carolina and Minnesota on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, respectively, before packing their bags once again and heading back on the road through Washington, Carolina and Nashville.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time from Canada Life Centre on both Tuesday and Friday. Sunday's matinee vs. Winnipeg's nearest geographical rival will see a 3:00 PM start time.