‘I’m proud of how everybody played,’ Stuart says

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This article was published 23/04/2015 (3826 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Without hesitation, Winnipeg Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler said the sweep by the Anaheim Ducks hurts but it will not tarnish his NHL season.

“You saw the crowd out there,” Wheeler said moments after the Jets dropped a 5-2 decision in Game 4 of their Stanley Cup playoff series. “I think we’re heading in the right direction. There’s no feelings of being gratified right now. We’re disappointed, don’t get me wrong. But I think the way this organization looks today compared to where it looked in September and October, we’re going in the right direction.”

It was the same sentiment from one of the team’s other veteran leaders, assistant captain Mark Stuart.

“We can definitely take a lot from this experience,” Stuart said, struggling at times to keep his soft, normally composed voice. “These young guys, especially, they played great. It’s really nice to see and that’s going to give them a lot of confidence and us as a team a lot of confidence going into next season.

“Overall it was extremely disappointing but it was a great experirence, especially to come back here and play two games and the crowd be the way it was. As a player, you never forget even if you come on the (short) end of it.”

 Wheeler made no excuses for the results in the playoffs, tipping his cap to the Ducks.

“They just seemed to have answers for everything we did,” he said. “It was the same thing all series. Any time we gained an inch, they came back with two. It was just one of those things. I think it was a good series, an even series. We obviously would’ve loved to go longer than four games, but they’re a good team and that’s how you win in the post-season.”

He agreed the Ducks’ quickness was a factor.

“Yeah, they were quick,” he said. “There wasn’t a whole lot out there for either side, there really wasn’t. There wasn’t a whole lot of offensive-zone time, there wasn’t a lot of cycling. It just seemed like when they got their looks, they made ‘em count.

“There’s something to be said for that, to capitalize on your opportunities, the comebacks that they made. That’s how you win. That’s how you get on a roll. They’re a team playing with a lot of confidence right now.”

The taste of defeat is almost always a step in the progress of teams with sights set higher.

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“I wish you didn’t,” Wheeler said. “But maybe, I hope so. We don’t have a lot of experience in these types of situations and maybe that was a factor in some of those games that we couldn’t close out. But as a group the strides we took this year, in a few weeks I think we’re going to look back and be pretty happy with where we sit today compared to where we were.”

Stuart also saluted the fans, who tried valiantly to rev up their team again in Wednesday night’s third period, then stayed to give them a rousing ovation after the final horn.

“I’m proud of how everybody played,” Stuart said. “We battled til the end and it was, even though we lost four, fun. The playoffs was so much fun. Our crowd was awesome again. Especially at the end there and we haven’t won and they’re still cheering for us.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for that.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca