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TSN Hockey Analyst

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It wasn't long ago it seemed like Ondrej Pavlelec was going to be done in Winnipeg. Michael Hutchinson had played eight straight games and 14 of 18. He was pushing through, playing in the big games, and Paul Maurice was sticking with him, seemingly putting all his eggs in the Hutchinson basket.

That was two weeks ago. On March 10, Hutchinson got another start on the road against a very tough St. Louis Blues team, the start did not go well. Hutchinson allowed four goals on seven shots and was lifted in favor of Pavelec, who hadn't played in roughly three weeks.

He came in and slammed the door shut, his team rallied around him and tied the game 4-4, but with just over a minute left, a shot from centre ice beat him for the game winner. Another long bomb shot going in this season – we have discussed those in previous articles so I won't go there – it was a crushing blow, cost the Winnipeg Jets two big points in the standings, and by all accounts, cost Pavelec an opportunity to play regularly again for the Jets.

Any time a goal goes in like that every goalie around the world feels bad, especially if it's a game-winning goal, and given the circumstances surrounding it with Pavelec not having played in a while and losing his job to Hutchinson, and the team in a dog fight for a playoff spot; it all seemed to come crashing down.

I remember calling into the Hustler and Lawless show the day after and all the talk was how it was a bad goal and a crushing goal; I can only imagine how the callers and fans felt about Pavelec at that moment. One thing was quite certain which we can all agree on, it didn't seem like Pavelec was going to get another opportunity to start a game anytime soon.

But the game is strange that way, Hutchinson started the next game and was just average in a loss, and Maurice decided to go back to Pavelec to see if he could make amends for his blunder in St.Louis. And so far he has responded with outstanding efforts in winning five straight.

This is a real tough thing to do mentally, especially in today’s world of social media, instant information, blogs, newscasts, and general overreaction in most markets on a daily basis. I often marvel at the mental toughness of athletes with the resilience they show in getting through a tough time in a short amount of time within a season.

I would say that Jets goaltender coach Wade Flaherty would have a lot to do with the stabilization of his game. The one thing I have noticed in this streak is that Pavelec hasn’t been out of control with his movements, he’s given himself a chance to make a second save if there was one. It has shown not only in the results with wins, but with his confidence in the net, and the Jets need him to continue to feel great about his game if they are going to battle down the stretch and get into the playoffs.

The most impressive thing about all of this is how quickly a player’s fortunes can turn within a season. The most important part has yet to have played out. As we inch closer to the playoffs, we will see how long Pavelec can keep this up.