Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice refused Tuesday to subscribe to the theory his team, stuck at 11-12-2, has simply had a human-nature letdown after clawing its way into the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring.
"There’s a completely different kind of pressure now, and an expectation, and maybe a little bit of forgetfulness that we were winning 5-0," he said Tuesday.
"I’m guilty of it, too. We’re 8-4-1 and I’m trying to figure out why we’re not 10-2-2. You’re always pushing for more, so be careful with how high you raise that bar too quickly."
Maurice intimated that some of the offensive things he started to ask his players to do this fall, building on the defensive proficiency they displayed for so much of 2014-15, may have caused the team to go into a stall.