Jets stress importance of work

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This article was published 21/02/2019 (2390 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAS VEGAS — Somewhere along the line, the Winnipeg Jets left their workboots either at home or at a jobsite far, far away.

Wednesday’s debacle in Denver showed in living colour all the talk of keeping it simple, sticking to systems and playing a full 60 is cheaper than dirt if the “try” factor isn’t the primary part of the equation.

A few players acknowledged Thursday the “something missing” in their game has been effort, plain and simple.

“We knew it was going to be a work day, for sure,” forward Andrew Copp said, describing the focus of the high-tempo practice at T-Mobile Arena, just off the Vegas Strip. “We went over parts of our game we needed to improve on, there were a couple of themes, and then at the end of the day it was more just our investment in the game as individuals but more importantly as a team.

“(Trying), that’s all it is. If you don’t show up ready to play in the NHL, it’s not going to be a good night for you. Obviously, there’s technical parts of the game, there’s systems we need to work on, how we defend. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if we aren’t invested and wired and ready to go.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice bristles any time the effort of his squad (36-20-4) is denounced, or even questioned in the gentlest of terms. The father bear instincts, understandably, kick in.

But even his captain, Blake Wheeler, pulled no punches in calling out the men in white Wednesday for falling far short in terms of how much energy and sweat was sacrificed in a pitiful 7-1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche.

The only player he excused from blame during a passionate oration to reporters was netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who shone in a scoreless first period but was left stranded down the stretch to face an inspired squad with playoff aspirations of its own.

Wheeler went as far as to say the squad simply “gave up” after 40 minutes of play, yielding five goals by the Avalanche in the final period. He said it was a gut-check moment, and he’d be the first to look himself in the mirror and demand more from the guy staring back.

Speaking after practice, veteran forward Mathieu Perreault said he steered clear of all media Wednesday night and hadn’t heard Wheeler’s blunt assessment of a team that has lost three straight games and has posted just five wins in its past 13 games (5-6-2).

He admitted it’s the team’s lowest point in two seasons.

“That’s just it. Individually, we have to asked ourselves if we worked our hardest (Wednesday), Perreault said. “Absolutely, you have to want it more. Face the battles and want them more. Lately, it hasn’t been there for us. I feel like I have more to give to this team, and everyone in this room should feel that way right now.”

Despite the slide, the Jets still clung to the lead in the Central Division after the loss. They still have 22 games left in the regular season to start resembling a club that’s prepared for an extended post-season run.

Maurice was fired up at practice, barking out orders but without malice, while offering plenty of encouragement during a fast-paced, one-hour practice. A rather open and honest video session preceded the skate.

The compete level, particularly on the defensive part of the game, was the general theme.

A year ago, the Jets finished second in the NHL standings, allowing the fifth-fewest goals against and the fifth-lowest goals allowed per game (2.63). This year, the team sits 13th in goals against through 60 games, as well as 13th in goals against per game (2.95).

“It’s an awareness of what the game demands, the demands after the all-star break, what we’re capable of doing. It’s an awareness of every shift and the value of playing on both sides of the puck with the same interest,” Maurice said, taking an off-handed shot at the club’s overt defensive miscues in recent games.

“(The commitment level to defence) would be the area of focus for us.”

Maurice tinkered with his forwards in the third period against the Avs, with ugly results. But he’ll likely go with a modified version against Vegas (32-25-5).

Top centre Mark Scheifele will go with his usual partners, Wheeler and Kyle Connor, Perreault joins centre Bryan Little while Patrik Laine flips to right wing on that trio, Andrew Copp reunites with centre Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev on the “TLC Line,” and Jack Roslovic moves down to play the middle between Mason Appleton and Brendan Lemieux.

Lowry’s line was one of the NHL’s premier shutdown units a year ago but has spent time apart this season due in some respects to Copp’s concussion problem.

“That’s the right spot for those men,” Maurice said.

“We change our structure and go back to something we understand a little bit more, and, hopefully, when (Nikolaj Ehlers) gets back, we stay healthy and get to a look we’ve seen before.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell