It is okay national media, the Winnipeg Jets have always been better off underrated when they have something to prove. Besides who doesn’t like proving to the world that the best National Hockey League (NHL) team resides in Winnipeg? Many Jets fans are fighting within their circles to get the good word out about how good the Jets are. But staying under the radar regarding how good Winnipeg truly is the perfect storm. It lights a fire in the player’s stomachs to prove to everyone what fans in Winnipeg already know. Further, it brings the fanbase together in unison for the greater good. The greater good is the Jets being a Stanley Cup contender.
Less Pressure is a Good Thing
Pressure creates diamonds. But in a league where 31 teams go home disappointed the nay-sayers are bound to be right a whole lot of the time. This is exactly why a multitude of players have teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens on their no-trade clause. While the five other Canadian NHL teams have similarly harsh media critics/reporters. It has to be a breath of fresh air for Jet players to no longer be required to answer the same cookie-cutter questions about why the process isn’t working. For this reason, the Winnipeg Jets are better when being underrated.
Flash forward to the present day and the local media are going to bat for the Jets and writing success pieces on how good they are. While a lot of this has to do with the great play from Winnipeg and a ton of victories. It doesn’t hurt to have the local media on your side going against the national media. Furthermore, underrating the Jets combined with great play has brought all kinds of Jet fans together on social media. The point being with less pressure the vibes around the team and fanbase are immaculate.
Underdogs Fight Harder
An underdog fights harder and the Jets have thrived playing the underdog role for a while now. It started in the off-season when everyone thought they were hooped when it came to trading Pierre-Luc Dubois. It continued when the national media reported Connor Hellebuyck wouldn’t be re-signing. Heck, even at the start of the season when Hellebuyck and the team got off to a slow start a lot of people doubted them. The point being you do not back this team into a corner as they will come out swinging and win. The Jets are better with a chip on their shoulder and when people underrate them.
On the contrary, an overrated team has to deal with embarrassment and ridicule. This is another reason why the Jets play better when people underrate them. For this reason I would love for all of the national media to continue to rank the Jets behind teams they’ve continuously beat in the power rankings. It benefits the Jets when they are always ranked behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Canada is a hockey hot bed and being behind all three of these teams helps keep Winnipeg under the radar.
Winnipeg is Thriving Underrated
The Jets are currently 15-1-2 in their last 18 games while missing Kyle Connor for the majority of that time. But unless you live in Winnipeg you wouldn’t know that. This is because the Oilers finally are in a playoff spot and the Maple Leafs finally have a goalie who has gone three games without costing them two points in the standings. That’s okay, because Winnipeg is currently the hottest team in all of sports and they, themselves know it. This is because the Jets play better when people underrate them.
Main Photo: Terrence Lee-USA TODAY Sports
