'We weren't ready to go': Jets' playoff hopes take heavy hit in ugly loss to Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers players celebrate Travis Sanheim's (6) goal against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during second period NHL action in Winnipeg, Saturday, April 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG — In the moments after the final horn, for those Winnipeg Jets fans who stuck around to the bitter end of a 7-1 beatdown by the Philadelphia Flyers, the sounds of Bob Marley playing over the arena speakers echoed through Canada Life Centre.

The chorus of “Don’t Worry About a Thing” provided a stark, almost cruel symbolism for the Winnipeg Jets season that isn’t mathematically lost but is certainly starting to feel like only a matter of time.

“We weren’t ready to go,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “I’ll take responsibility for that. We were not ready to go throughout our lineup. Player one to 20 were not ready to go. They got the better of us.”

When pressed on why his team did not match the urgency of the moment, Arniel kept his answer brief.

“Don’t worry about it. That’s my (message) to the team. We will talk about that,” a visibly frustrated Arniel said. “I haven’t told them yet. We’ll have our discussion, we’ll go through our review of the game, and then we’ll talk about it when we get to Vegas.”

The Jets saw their once-promising push for the post-season take a devastating hit on Saturday night with the lopsided defeat to the Flyers — a game they desperately needed to win. With 82 points in 79 games, the Jets (35-32-12) entered the game needing points to keep pace in the Western Conference wild-card race.

Instead, the gap only widened.

Both the Los Angeles Kings, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers 1-0, and the Nashville Predators, who edged the Minnesota Wild 2-1, earned valuable wins. The Jets now sit five points back of the Kings for the final wild-card spot and four points behind the ninth-place Predators.

The frustration was palpable in the Jets’ locker room. Defenceman Josh Morrissey didn’t mince words about the performance in front of a sold-out home crowd.

“The message is no one wants to lose like that,” Morrissey said. “It was embarrassing in our own arena, but at the same time, what are we going to do, sit around and cry about it? We have three games left and a huge back-to-back, a tough road trip. Turn the page, fly there tomorrow, and get yourself ready to go and let’s bring it to the next game.”

Captain Adam Lowry noted the team was acutely aware of the stakes but simply failed to execute.

“It’s one of those ones whether we lost we lost 7-1 or 3-2, it’s critical points we lost,” Lowry said. “And now we know the situation we’re in that we pretty much have to pick up every point the rest of the way. Hopefully, we can get some help.”

Despite the magnitude of the moment, Arniel rejected the notion that the intensity of the playoff race caused his team to stumble. The Jets have been playing “must-win” hockey for several weeks trying to claw their way back into the playoff picture.

“If the intensity caught you or it’s too much pressure, then you’re in the wrong business,” the coach said. “That’s what this is. This time of the year, and the second half, this is what you play the game for, (to) get into these situations. We’ve handled them extremely well, until today. It just imploded.”

The Jets have three games remaining to pull off what feels like a miracle, starting Monday against the Golden Knights in Vegas. They then face the Utah Mammoth the very next night to conclude a back-to-back on the road, before returning home for the regular-season finale against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

“We need our next three games to be our three best of the year,” Lowry said.

Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press