Hot or not

Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers

Talbot stood tall Monday against the Jets, making 44 saves in the Oilers' 3-1 home victory.

Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild

One of four Wild players who finished minus-3 in the team's 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, Koivu also took a minor penalty in the game and did not record a hit.

Are the Winnipeg Jets finished already?

@ESPN_Burnside: With the Pacific Division being as tepid as it is -- for those keeping score and waiting for them to emerge from their slumber, the Anaheim Ducks lost again Monday -- no one is really out of it in that division. And with the Eastern Conference still wide open -- another loss for the slumping Montreal Canadiens, for those wondering how much they miss Carey Price -- it's hard to discount anyone except maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, and even those teams just barely. However, is it time to put a fork in the Winnipeg Jets? The Jets were dumped 3-1 Monday night by the Oilers despite pouring 45 shots on Cam Talbot. Winnipeg is last in the Central Division now after the Colorado Avalanche surged past them into sixth place, but the real issue is the eight-point gap between the Jets and the second wild-card spot out West. That's eight too many for my liking. For a team with significant free-agent issues looming with captain Andrew Ladd and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, the playoffs look like a long shot, and the pressure on GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to get top assets in return for Byfuglien and Ladd will mount if they aren't under contract soon.

@Real_ESPNLeBrun: One glimpse at their goals against per game -- 26th in the NHL at 3.00 -- will tell you where the problem lies in Winnipeg. The Jets can score -- ninth in the league at 2.76 goals per game -- but they can't keep the puck out of the net even with a decent blue-line corps. Rookie goalie Connor Hellebuyck made his fifth consecutive start Monday, but was pulled after giving up three goals on 14 shots. Michael Hutchinson came on in relief and should be in goal Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames with the Jets desperately needing a win. They must get a win before the Christmas break, and then must string together more after the break to keep their season alive, but I'm not ready to write them off quite yet.

@ESPNJoeyMac: There are a few teams in the league you shouldn't write off just yet, including Winnipeg. On Monday, it wasn't so much a lack of offense from the Jets that was the problem as it was an outstanding effort from Talbot. But you're right, Pierre, overall goaltending has been an issue for the Jets. Earlier this season, I wrote how goalie Michael Hutchinson and Ondrej Pavelec would be a solid tandem, which could help the Jets' playoff push. However, Pavelec has been sidelined the past 12 games with a lower-body injury and Winnipeg has been relying on Hellebuyck. Like many borderline teams in the NHL, the Jets have the talent to earn a postseason berth, but they need many more consistent efforts moving forward in order for that to happen.

@CraigCustance: If the Jets were in any other division I might be willing to give them a little slack here, but it's hard to dig out of a hole in the Central. We've often seen teams that end a long playoff drought end up struggling the next season. Dallas went through it last season, the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche before them. It just seems like the natural progression comes with two steps forward and then a step back, and we're seeing that in Winnipeg. On the bright side, it may help make some tough decisions a little easier. If Byfuglien and Ladd aren't signed by the trade deadline, then they have to go, and in the long run that may not be a bad thing for the Jets. Byfuglien is the tougher player to replace because his skill set is rare and he's such an impact player, but he'll also net a bigger return. The future is still bright in Winnipeg, but the next couple of months might not be all that fun.

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