Jets falling out of playoff chase

And that will just about do it for the Jets.

The Jets kicked off a critical stretch -- in which they will play 12 of 15 at home -- with a demoralizing 3-1 loss to the Islanders. It was a game they had to win, and they failed to do so after once again being unable to score more than two goals for the ninth time in their last 10 games.

"That was a team we had to beat, especially at home," left wing Evander Kane said.

The Islanders climbed to within two points of the Jets (26-26-6), who remain four points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference but have played two more games than the Maple Leafs.

The Jets are also seven points out of the top spot in the Southeast Division, but they have played three more contests than the Florida Panthers.

If the Jets can't beat a team beneath them in the standings on home ice, their postseason hopes are all but dead. Teams have trouble moving up at this time of year anyway, and losing at home to worse teams makes it impossible.

Head coach Claude Noel said it's easy for players to step onto the ice when they're winning, so the character of players is going to come out over the next two months.

"You're going to see what you got," Noel told reporters.

Winnipeg will travel to Minnesota for a game with the Wild on Thursday, and then it will have an eight-game home stand.

And if the Jets keep playing like they did on Tuesday night, when they fired 38 shots on net but didn't have many good scoring chances, they will likely be sellers at the trade deadline.

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