December was a good month for the Winnipeg Jets. They managed to shoot up the standings in the Eastern Conference, from No. 13 on Dec. 1 to being tied for sixth spot on Dec. 31.
The Jets played all but two games during December in the friendly confines of the MTS Centre. Winnipeg crowds cheered them on to an 9-1-1 record at home in the month.
It’s a good thing the Jets were able to capitalize on the most favourable portion of their schedule, as they hit a travel-heavy segment through most of January and February. From Jan. 4 to Feb. 16, the Jets play 15 of 21 games on the road as they travel up and down the eastern portion of North America.
With all but two games scheduled against Eastern Conference opponents, the Jets have an opportunity to solidify their playoff position, or risk falling back out of playoff contention. Some key South East divisional match ups to look forward to include Jan. 21 at home against the division leading Florida Panthers, and Feb. 9 on the road against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Winning on the road hasn’t been particularly easy for the Jets, who ended 2011 with a 5-8-4 road record. They will need to improve on that record to start the new year if they want to remain in playoff contention when March rolls around.
