No points for pretty in NHL

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This article was published 04/04/2015 (4127 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Back in the day, your Grade 5 teacher would have rapped your knuckles for turning in such a dog-eared and messy book report, before grudgingly giving you a passing mark because it was handed in on time with sufficient content.

The Winnipeg Jets turned their noses up at any such admonishment Saturday afternoon and took their 5-4 win without even a pinch of guilt.

Sloppy, scary, call it what you want, but it was two points and it pushed the Jets to 92 for the season and a little closer to the playoffs. At this moment in the season, that is all that matters. No points for artistry and none lost for messiness. Take two for winning, grab a shower and move on to the next date.

The verdict is still out on how many points it will require to the reach the playoffs in the Western Conference. The only thing the Jets know right now is they will certainly qualify if they win out.

Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks kept that equation in place with four games left on the schedule. The best guess right now is 98 points will gain a playoff spot, and if that’s accurate, the Jets need to win three of their final four matches.

Winnipeg didn’t have the structure or the attention to detail Saturday which they’ve had when at their best this season. They’ll want to nail that down before Monday’s match with the air-tight Minnesota Wild.

The Canucks found seams and stretched the Jets in the neutral zone. Vancouver had a number of breakaways, a trend we’ve seen lately as opponents have found ways to get behind Winnipeg’s defenders. There’s a book out there on the Jets and the coaching staff needs to close this loophole.

Another fine crowd at the MTS Centre was in full voice when the Jets took an early 2-0 lead. The place got a little quiet after the Canucks evened the score.

The Jets surged ahead again and held leads of 4-2 and 5-3 before Alex Burrows scored with just over two minutes left in the game to make it 5-4.

With goalie Eddie Lack out for an added attacker, the Canucks hit the inside of Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec’s post.

That drew squeals and gasps in the stands. The next four games will be an emotional roller coaster for Winnipeg fans.

This city hasn’t seen NHL playoff hockey since 1996 and the pent-up demand is now palpable. One fan commented Saturday afternoon his “divorce was less stressful than this game.”

The Jets are adjusting to the pressure of these games and so are their fans.

Thin blue-line: The absence of Dustin Byfuglien was in plain view Saturday as the pairing of Jay Harrison and Adam Pardy struggled against the quick and inventive Canucks.

When Toby Enstrom had to leave the game in the third period, the Jets went with two pairings — Mark Stuart and Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers and Adam Pardy.

If Enstrom is forced to miss any games, Keaton Ellerby or Ben Chiarot could draw in. It draws attention to the Byfuglien suspension (he’s out for three more games) and the terrible timing of his misdeed.

Trading places: GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s deadline deals continue to pay dividends.

Myers, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, logged 27:06 in ice time Saturday and picked up an assist.

Lee Stempniak, who the Jets picked up from the New York Rangers in exchange for minor leaguer Carl Klingberg, had two goals Saturday and now has five goals and eight points in 14 games since arriving in Winnipeg.

Jiri Tlusty cost a third-round draft pick to be brought over from the Carolina Hurricanes, and has helped transform the Jets’ fourth line from little-used to useful.

Centre Jim Slater scored a goal Saturday and along with Tlusty and Chris Thorburn, the group had an effective game, logging close to eight minutes and finishing the night plus-1 as a group.

Cheveldayoff’s work kept the Jets alive when they were besieged by injuries and now is providing them with added depth and the ability to roll four lines — a first since the team relocated from Atlanta.

Three bananas: Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec picked up a flu last week and in the 72 hours prior to Saturday’s game ingested nothing but three bananas.

“I felt good before the game and for most of the game, but in the last two minutes, I could barely stand,” said Pavelec.

Pavelec has now won seven of his last nine starts. His save percentage, however, has been below .900 in his last three games and he’s allowed 11 goals over the last 180 minutes.

Lumping Ladd: Jets captain Andrew Ladd is playing a brutally physical brand of hockey right now. Ladd is hitting everything that moves and by late in Saturday’s game the Canucks wanted nothing to do with him, moving the puck very quickly whenever he approached on the forecheck.

Ladd’s offence has dried up a bit as he’s gone eight games without a goal, but he’s continued to be a presence. Don’t be surprised if Ladd gets on the board again soon now centre Bryan Little is back and looking his old self. Ladd still leads the Jets with 61 points from 24 goals and 37 assists.

Nobody asked me: With Byfuglien out, breaking up Myers and Enstrom seems like a good idea. The Jets started the game with the following three pairings: Myers and Enstrom, Trouba and Stuart and Pardy and Harrison.

Splitting up Myers and Enstrom would enable the Jets to ice three pairings with more balance. Head coach Paul Maurice is going to find himself dropping to just four D at times over the next four games when Pardy and Harrison are overmatched. The longer the Jets can go using six D, the better. Running just four is a last resort and puts a lot of pressure on those players.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter:@garylawless