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Ladd on Winnipeg’s scoring woes: “We probably could use some help”

Andrew Ladd

Andrew Ladd, captain of the former Atlanta Thrashers, talks to the media, Thursday, June 9, 2011, after arriving at MTS Centre, the home of the new NHL franchise in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Woods)

AP

It seems the Jets reached a new low following a 3-1 loss to the Islanders on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t that their offense fell to 25th in the league (it had been 24th coming in.) And it wasn’t that their power play went 0-for-3 on the night (now 2-for-25 in its last 10 games.)

No, the low point was Jets captain Andrew Ladd asking the front office to make a deal for more offense.

Asking publicly, no less.

“With the troubles we’ve had scoring, if it’s not going to come from within this room, we probably could use some help, there,” Ladd told the Winnipeg Sun. “We’ve got a great goaltender, we’ve got D that can move the puck and play both ways.”

It’s a pretty bold statement from the guy that led the Jets (then the Thrashers) in scoring last season with 29 goals and 59 points. Ladd’s since been surpassed by a number of teammates -- including RW Blake Wheeler, who currently leads the team in scoring -- which is fine, because Ladd isn’t a gifted scorer by trade. He’s a grit guy, a heart-and-soul guy...who recognizes that if he leads the team in scoring one year and Wheeler the next, something might be wrong with the team.

Speaking of things wrong with the Jets, check out head coach Claude Noel’s post-game reaction:

“The best players aren’t even executing passes that are simple plays,” Noel said. “Maybe we just gotta get new guys out there.”

Noel called his team’s effort “decent” in the first period, the power play “demoralizing.”

But his biggest headache might be the way this team got its collective want-to sucked right out of it when the Isles grabbed a 2-1 lead, a minute and a half into the third period.

“We had no life,” Noel said. “What is that — belief system?”

It’s not the first time the Jets threw in the towel far too easily, and too early.

It’s not even a conscious thing. But deep down, they seem to know they can’t come from behind.

“Am I discouraged?” Noel repeated a question. “How do I look? I’m not real happy. It was a big game against an opponent we should have been able to beat.”

Despite Ladd’s and Noel’s comments, Winnipeg just doesn’t look ready to become a trade deadline buyer. Even though they’re just four points out of eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Jets haven’t been able to make up any ground on the likes of Ottawa, Toronto and Washington, despite the fact all three have been bad-to-mediocre-at-best lately.