BOSTON – This was supposed to be the stretch where the underlying numbers finally caught up with the Winnipeg Jets.

A home-and-home with the defending Stanley Cup champions, a home game with the surging Toronto Maple Leafs, followed by a four-game road trip that included three games against the Eastern Conference – including a date with the injury-ravaged Montreal Canadiens, a rematch with the Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins.

Well, that eight-game block came to a close on Thursday night and the Jets actually found a way to survive, managing a record of 3-3-2.

Despite a 5-4 loss to the Bruins to wrap up the four-game swing, the Jets arrived back at home in the wee hours of the morning still in possession of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Were it not for giving up a pair of goals in a 33-second span during the third period against the Bruins, the conversation would have carried an even more exuberant tone.

Instead, there was a bit of lamenting for what could have been, while still managing to see the bigger picture – which includes a record of 24-17-4.

“There are some things that we did well that we want to take forward. And there are some things that we need to clean up for sure if we’re going to be a contender,” Jets forward Andrew Copp said. “I feel like we’re peeling our way out of a little bit of a funk. We need to bunker down for these next six and then, enjoy the break.”

The Jets have six games to go before the NHL All-Star weekend and player break arrives – including a three-game homestand that features games against the Predators, Canucks and Lightning and a three-game road trip with tilts against the Blackhawks, Hurricanes and Blues Jackets.

Yes, there are 37 games remaining and plenty of points up for grabs for the Jets, but it’s not an exaggeration to suggest this next block – including home games on consecutive days against the Bruins and Blues coming out of the break – could be pivotal in determining whether Winnipeg finishes above or below the playoff line.

Here are six observations from the six-game block that just wrapped up:

Smouldering Scheifele

A remarkable hot streak has vaulted Jets centre Mark Scheifele into 12th place in the NHL scoring derby ahead of Friday’s action.

And this isn’t any run-of-the-mill heater either.

During the past 18 games, dating back to Dec. 5, Scheifele has recorded 13 goals and 27 points.

Only Leafs centre Auston Matthews has more goals during that stretch (15), and only Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers and Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers have more points (28).

The Jets’ top guns have been doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the offence and Scheifele is certainly doing his part.

As the midway point approached, it looked like my prediction of Scheifele reaching 100 points for the first time in his career was going to be a bit ambitious.

That’s still the case, but with 52 points in 45 games, it’s back to being a legitimate possibility.

And while Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck remains the Most Valuable Player for his team during the first half, Scheifele has narrowed the gap considerably and would be a slam dunk for second in the voting.

Copp’s speedy recovery

(Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

By pushing himself during rehab after his injury, Andrew Copp was able to fast forward his recovery timeline by a few weeks and he didn’t need long to make an impact in his return to the lineup.

And he wasn’t about to be eased into things either, playing just over 17 minutes in Monday’s game against the Canadiens.

Those numbers were on the rise against the Maple Leafs, thanks in part to his promotion to the second line with Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Yes, there was an uncharacteristic turnover that helped lead to a goal from the Maple Leafs, but mistakes happen – even if they are few and far between for Copp.

Copp remained on the second line in place of Jack Roslovic on Thursday, taking 27 shifts for 21:26 of action, delivering a nifty redirection for his seventh goal of the season.

The Jets power play scored twice, including Copp’s marker with the second unit.

Copp also delivered a classic line when asked about the significance of recording his 100th NHL point in Thursday’s game on an impressive redirection of a point shot from Josh Morrissey on the power play.

“The next hundred better come a hell of a lot faster than the first 100,” said Copp.

The versatile forward recorded that 100th point (43 goals and 57 assists) in his 330th NHL game.

As for Roslovic, outside of his three-assist effort against the Colorado Avalanche on New Year’s Eve, he’s working his way through a substantial dry spell – going without a point in the 10 games around that one, dating back to Dec. 19 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Roslovic went through a stretch where he was rolling and if he wants to remain as a top-six forward with this group, he needs to find a way to chip in a bit more offensively.

On Thursday, he had the fourth-lowest ice time among forwards (11:45), was on the ice for two goals against and managed only one shot on goal and two shot attempts.

Roslovic has the potential to be a 20-goal guy, but right now he’s working his way through a rough patch.

Laine’s lighting-quick release

The wide-open nature of the three-on-three overtime in the game against the Maple Leafs, which included a two-on-zero rush for Patrik Laine and Roslovic and a breakaway for Scheifele among the offensive outbursts, attracted plenty of attention.

But one of the most impressive highlights occurred during the shootout when Laine ripped home a snapshot past Maple Leafs goalie Freddie Andersen from long distance.

Needing to score to extend the penalty-shot contest, Laine casually skated in and beat Andersen cleanly to the blocker side with a blast that went bar down.

While many in the arena were blown away by the shot and release, Laine was just as nonchalant in skating to the bench as he was describing the play in question.

“I just saw an opening. I saw it from pretty far that he had the blocker side open. I tried to snap it quick, so he can’t move,” Laine said, who then allowed himself to relish the moment. “Yeah, it was a pretty good shot.”

Was it ever.

One of Laine’s other remarkable achievements during the six-game block came in the first meeting with the Maple Leafs when he managed a career-high 13 shots on goal and directed 17 shot attempts toward the net.

By chipping in another assist on Thursday, Laine is up to 15 goals and 41 points in 43 games this season.

The evolution of his game is real and he’s shown he can handle the top-line minutes.

Don’t be surprised if there’s a stretch around the corner where he starts to pour in a bunch of goals.

Kulikov shakes off the rust quickly

There was a welcome addition to the Jets blue line on Thursday, as Dmitry Kulikov suited up after sitting out the previous 18 contests with an injury.

It only took a few shifts for Kulikov to get back up to speed and he provided a steadying presence on the back end throughout the game.

Kulikov kept things simple and was moving the puck well, making smart decisions as he was heavily involved.

By the third period, he was bumped back up to the second pairing with Neal Pionk – who continues to log big minutes, including a team-high 23:14 on Thursday and 27:17 on Wednesday.

Kulikov was playing well before he was knocked out of the game on Nov. 28 by Anaheim Ducks forward Carter Rowney.

Reuniting Kulikov (who played 19:27 in his return while chipping in an assist) and Pionk should help provide a bit more balance for both the second and third pairings.

The return of Kulikov meant that Jets head coach Paul Maurice had to take out another blueliner and on Thursday, he chose to sit down Sami Niku as a healthy scratch.

Niku has played only two games since he was recalled for the first time since October, but sitting down for this game doesn’t mean he’s quickly found his way into the doghouse or that he’s going to spend an extended period in the press box.

If the Jets weren’t planning to keep Niku in a somewhat regular rotation, they would have simply returned him to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League instead of placing forward Logan Shaw on waivers.

The growing pains are a fact of life for most young players, but Niku needs to be playing, so if he’s not going to be in the Jets lineup, he’s better off getting 20-plus minutes per game down on the farm.

Brossoit must be better

(Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The job of an NHL backup is rarely glamorous and often features an incredibly difficult task, whether that’s facing a tough opponent on the back end of games on consecutive days or going long stretches between starts.

But that’s part of the deal and contending teams need a backup goalie that gives his team a chance to win on a regular basis.

After a breakout season in 2018-19 that included a record of 13-6-2, a goals against average of 2.52 and a save percentage of .925, Brossoit has come back to earth a bit.

Numbers don’t tell the whole story and while they’ve been skewed by three starts in particular (seven goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, six goals against the Canadiens and five more against the Bruins), a goals against average of 3.65 and a save percentage of .889 isn’t good enough.

No, his workload hasn’t been the same as last season – Thursday was just his 10th start and 13th appearance of the campaign – and it’s obviously a challenge to try and find a rhythm right now, but Brossoit is having a difficult time reaching that level.

This isn’t an attempt to pin the 5-4 loss on the goaltender either, as the quality of high-danger chances surrendered was high and none the goals against were of the muffin variety, but Brossoit needs to elevate his game in the coming weeks.

Even if those starts are few and far between.

Hellebuyck is going to continue to be a workhorse, but if Brossoit is going to get close to the target of 20 starts, he’s going to be busier during the second half.

He’ll increase his chances of being tapped on the shoulder a bit more often if he can play just a little better.

Brossoit will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and he’s determined to finish the season off on a positive note – whether it’s just improving his bargaining power to remain as the Jets backup in a place he’s comfortable or if he chooses a situation that could provide a bit more of a job-sharing scenario on the road to challenging for a No. 1 job.

Appleton settling in

Forward Mason Appleton didn’t want his season to be defined by the unfortunate injury he suffered while playing football on the afternoon before the Heritage Classic in Regina.

Since returning to the fold after a two-month absence on Dec. 17, Appleton has been steadily improving and he’s back up to full speed and contributing to both the new-look fourth line and to the penalty kill.

In Wednesday’s game against the Maple Leafs, Appleton scored his first goal of the NHL season (while shorthanded) to snap a drought that had reached 29 games at this level.

Going into the campaign, Appleton was a guy who I thought could help fill the void left by the departure of Brandon Tanev.

Appleton is skating well, getting involved physically and is a guy who could eventually work his way into becoming a double-digit goal scorer.

Although the fourth line has played more since the arrival of Nick Shore, remaining in the mix on the penalty kill (mostly with Connor), should allow Appleton to keep his ice time in the 10-minute range.

Eventually, he’s a guy who could be a fit with Copp and Lowry as well.

(Top photo: Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)