ST. PAUL, MINN. . For all their faults, you can at least say this about the Winnipeg Jets - it's rare they leave you with the impression that they're fooling themselves.

Wednesday was the latest chapter when captain Andrew Ladd stood in front of reporters and told it like it is.

"It's up to our top players to be our top players," Ladd said after the team's practice at the MTS Iceplex prior to a quick flight to Minnesota for Thursday night's game against the Wild.

"We've got to be there, night in and night out and when we're not it's not good."

There certainly has been a lot of hit and miss lately, as the team has lurched along in 10th spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference, always seemingly two or three games out of reach of a playoff spot. It has 58 points, four off the line heading into Wednesday's slate of games.

Ladd, for instance, hasn't scored in 11 games.

Sniper Evander Kane, who missed seven games with injury, has only one goal in his last 14 and one in 2012.

Blake Wheeler is scoreless in six, while Nik Antropov has no goals in 10.

And Dustin Byfuglien, while he has scored in two of the last three games, has, let's say, been visiting all corners of the ice.

"It seems like it's something different every game," Ladd said. "As a group, we've got to find a way to rectify all those things, to come together, just to have a good group effort. I think we're getting good efforts from some guys here, some guys other nights. It doesn't seem to be everyone all at once."

And that was drilling to the heart of the matter on Tuesday, when the Jets fell behind 2-1 to the New York Islanders early in the third period. They tried to push the throttle, and there was nothing there. The Islanders won 3-1.

"A lot of that had to do with our power play," Ladd said.

Jets coach Claude Noel was troubled, too, by the lack of response on Tuesday.

"I think they can learn it," Noel said.

"I don't think that's a reflection of our players. I think our players care deeply about results, care deeply about making fans happy here in Winnipeg. They enjoy playing here and enjoy performing here.

"But there are things that happen on a team that you get caught up in. You get disappointed. It's no different than some of the lessons you learn in your life.

"There are ups and downs. You don't want to get trapped into the downs."

One of the downs that's a trap lately is the team's lack of scoring. Tuesday it was 38 shots on goal but just one in the net.

"I think we're a group that's disappointed in our production," Noel said. "I think we recognize we're not scoring that many goals as a whole.

"I think some guys are expecting a lot more from themselves and that's the competitive fire we have. And that's why I like the players."