Jets' Come-From-Behind Win Reflects Winnipeg's Rebound

After two periods, they were down 1-0 and outshot 19-16 by the visiting Boston Bruins. Then halfway through the third, Jets winger Blake Wheeler struck on a power play to tie the game; less than a minute later, the NHL’s shots leader, Evander Kane, would score the game-winner. Wheeler’s second of the game into an empty net would seal the comeback for a 3-1 victory Tuesday night. It’s a story that the Jets, and Winnipeg in general, is seeing more of lately.

It’s more than just a win; it’s more than just the Jets retaking the lead in the Southeast Division. It’s a reflection of the heady times the ‘Peg is experiencing. When the Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996, things were as about as low as they could get. Then up stepped Mark Chipman of the Birchwood Automotive Group; he helped move the Manitoba Moose from Minnesota, with a plan to build a downtown arena and get an NHL team back to the city. Bringing in one of the richest men in Canada, media mogul David Thomson, and building the MTS Centre on the old Eaton’s site helped get the league to approve the move of the Atlanta Thrashers to the capital of the Keystone Province.

The rise of the Jets now has Chipman talking about bringing the outdoor Heritage Classic game to the ‘Peg. That kind of get-it-done mentality is being reflected outside the hockey rink, too: after the snow melts, the Winnipeg Goldeyes will begin their defence of the American Association AA baseball championship. Major-league mixed martial arts is also set to make its debut with UFC 161 coming to the MTS Centre June 15.

Some spinoff effects are even being felt in the broader local environment: the long-dormant commercial real estate market has shown more signs of life than it has in years. The residential market has also been slowly on the rise since the dark days of the mid- to late-1990s: in 2012 the average house price is $270,000, more than triple the $86,000 average price in 1996.

But before Winnipeggers start echoing revered sportscaster “Cactus” Jack Wells’ words (“And it turned out nice again!”), there is still a long way to go and much work for the Jets to do. For one thing, before Tuesday night they were 1-7-0 when trailing after two periods. For another, top defenceman Tobias Enstrom is inching his way back into the lineup, but all it would take is another well-placed hit to put him back on the injured list — yes, that case could be made for any player, but Enstrom is already small (5-foot-10 and 180 pounds) and he broke his collarbone last Halloween and was out for 20 games.

Prior to the latest injury, Enstrom was one of the top-scoring defenders in the league: two goals and 11 assists in 13 games. This time he’s missed a month, and his absence has also been felt on the blueline: goaltenders Ondrej Pavelec and Al Montoya still have to deal with too many shots. The club also has to avoid the kind of late collapse they experienced last season.

Having said all that, things are looking up for the Jets. The win over Boston showed that they — like the city itself — can rebound. By the time the snow returns in the fall, the team will be in the newly-realigned Central Conference (or whatever it will be called) and they will no longer have one of the worst travel schedules in the league. Perhaps by that point, young centre Mark Scheifele will become a mainstay as well.