Jets finding rough times in '08-09 season

It’s easy to look at the standings and realize that the Metro Jets haven’t had the easiest of times early on in the Central States Hockey League season.

After all, the Jets’ 3-13-0-1 record is good for 11th overall in the 12-team CSHL.

But Metro head coach Jamie Hayden isn’t about to give up hope that the season can’t be salvaged and pointed to the obvious, while being blunt about the team’s situation.

“The past two games, we haven’t been competitive,” Hayden said. “Last year, our record wasn’t very good, but we must have lost 15-20 games by two goals or less. We weren’t getting blasted like we are this year. It’s all mental preparation where the guys aren’t ready to go when we get on the ice and it snowballs where we get down by two, three, even four goals and they get the ‘Ah, here we go again’ feeling. That needs to change.”

That said, Hayden wants the players to take ownership of the team and to start showing a sense of pride each time they put on a Jets jersey, even if the team’s next four games are against three of the top teams in the CSHL (at Dubuque, home vs. St. Louis, at Toledo) and the Jets haven’t beat any of those teams yet this season.

“We have a lot of guys who are great practice players, but when the games start, for whatever reason, they just can’t go,” said Hayden. “All of our systems are very basic and nothing, I think, that is above their ability. Every one of our players needs to look in the mirror and figure out what they’re bringing to the table or what they’ve done so far or recently. They have to make those changes individually.

“But until those changes are made or corrected, we’re not going to look too impressive out there.”