4 Things the Winnipeg Jets Should Focus on in Final 12 Games – The Hockey Writers –

The Winnipeg Jets have just a dozen games to go before the playoffs. They have 100 points and 48 wins, but are by no means playing perfectly.

Here, we’ll dive into four things they should focus on over the last 12 so they can go into the postseason with momentum and the best-possible chance of making a deep run.

1: Hang On To First Place in the West

File this one in the “no duh” category.

Now 48-18-4 in head coach Scott Arniel’s maiden season as bench boss, the Jets have been near the top or atop the Western Conference all season. They currently sit 10 points up on the Central Division rival Dallas Stars for first in the West and the Central Division (the Stars have two games in hand.)

Holding off the Stars to finish first would grant the Jets a more-favourable first-round matchup against the second Western Conference wild-card team. They wold definitely prefer to play one of the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, or Utah Hockey Club — four teams battling for that second spot — rather than the Colorado Avalanche or Minnesota Wild, one of whom they’d have to face if they fell to second in the Central.

Related: Ranking Jets’ Potential First-Round Playoff Matchups

All sports teams talk about focusing on what they can control during playoff races and not on standings watching. While it’s obvious every team does watch the scoreboard during stretch runs, the Jets need to block out as much external noise as possible and dial in. They control their own fate in finishing first for the first time in Jets 2.0 history and took a big step toward doing so by defeating the Stars 4-1 on March 14 and upping their edge to 10 points instead of seeing it reduced to six.

The Stars have achieved 1.285 points per game this season. If they continue that pace through their final 14, they will end up with 108, meaning the Jets would need to go at least 4-7-1 over their final 12 to get 109.

2: Get Power Play Firing Again

The Jets’ power play owns a league-leading 30 per cent efficiency, but that number is more a reflection of past success than anything they’ve done lately because lately they’ve been awful. With a few exceptions, since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the power play has either cost them or almost cost them more games than it’s won them.

The power play has operated well below its…