The Winnipeg Jets, under their new head coach Paul Maurice, came out like a team on a mission Monday night.
Maurice was named the Jets’ new coach after Claude Noel was fired on Sunday. In Maurice’s debut, the struggling team before him skated all over the Phoenix Coyotes and earned a 5-1 victory on home ice.
The enthusiasm with the Jets’ raucous fan base came back, for one night.
Standing O from the MTS Centre crowd after a flurry from the #NHLJets power play. This is the loudest it has been in a while. A long while.
— 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 (@DarrinBauming) January 14, 2014
"Maurice" chant rings out briefly. #NHLJets
— 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 (@DarrinBauming) January 14, 2014
The win improves Winnipeg’s record to 20-23-5. The Jets remain at the bottom of the Central Division, so there’s no room for complacency after just one effort like this.
That is why Maurice canceled the team’s day off scheduled for Tuesday. Instead, they’ll practice, as per Darrin Bauming of TSN 1290 Radio.
“I felt the energy on the bench, the compete on the bench, the way they treated each other on the bench. It was good,” said Maurice, as per the Jets’ Twitter account.
But then, he added: “It’s one game. Tomorrow we’ll go to work like today never happened.”