Candy Duty Tonight

With it being All Hallow's Eve, there will be an uptick in the number of feral children running loose in my neighbourhood tonight. Ok, so they're not feral, but they are going to be searching for sugary treats on their annual Trick-or-Treat adventure. Being that HBIC Headquarters is located squarely in a neighbourhood with children, I will be watching the Jets and Wild battle while attempting to satiate the kids who appear on my doorstep.

While we're on the topic of the Jets and Wild, Winnipeg has a shot at moving into second-place in the Central Division tonight with a win. That's a sentence that I'm not used to writing, but we're one month into the NHL season and I can honestly say that the Jets have proven me wrong.

I spoke at length on The Hockey Show that the Jets should consider themselves lucky if they finish the first twelve games with a .500 record. A win tonight would guarantee that they finish no worse than .500, and they're already better than .500 in terms of poins percentage thanks to a couple of overtime losses. I also fully admit that my harping of how the Jets could be 2-10-0 in their first twelve games is also way off, so I'll fully eat the massive amount of crow that I deserve after the Jets have already put five wins on the board.

There are still 71 games in the NHL season after tonight's game against the Wild, so anything is far from being decided. That being said, the Jets have found some ways to win, they've received some decent support from AHL call-ups, and Connor Hellebuyck has been better than good in starting this season without a regulation loss and without surrendering what would categorized as a bad goal. While some may needle me by reminding me that the Matt Hendricks era in Winnipeg has yet to post a regulation loss, I will say that the Jets won't go 71-0-0 in their next 71 games.

They have been better, though, and that's encouraging after the team came out of the gates against Toronto looking like they wanted to be anywhere but on the ice. The consistency is what matters, and the Jets have found it as of late which is also encouraging. Another win against a division foe would go a long way tonight, so here's hoping the Jets can put together another solid game for an additional two points. They'll go a long way in a season where every point matters.

And with that, the wee candy seekers have arrived at my door. I'm off!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!