Better defensive play paying off, key to remaining regular season games

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This article was published 17/03/2019 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The toughest part of the schedule is now in the rear-view mirror. But the Winnipeg Jets can’t afford to take the foot off the gas as they navigate the road ahead.

Winnipeg survived a stretch of eight straight games against playoff opponents with a 5-3-0 record, including consecutive wins over Boston and Calgary at Bell MTS Place. That’s even more impressive considering a couple key pieces on the blue line, Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey, remain out of the lineup.

“You’re going to miss guys like those two. But, at the end of the day, injuries are going to happen. They happen to every team. You have to step up your game, or have guys step into different roles. You want them back as quick as possible, but we have to give it our all every game. That doesn’t change, regardless of who is in and who is out,” forward Mark Scheifele said following Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Flames.

The Jets enjoyed a day away from the rink Sunday as they flew west to begin a three-game road trip tonight against the lowly Los Angeles Kings, who sit in the Western Conference basement. Then, it’s a date with the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday followed by a clash in Sin City with the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

Winnipeg (42-25-4) begins the week on top of the Central Division, one point ahead of Nashville with 11 games left in the regular season. The Predators (41-27-5) have just nine games left, including a meeting with the Jets this Saturday at Bell MTS Place.

An encouraging sign this past Saturday was Winnipeg’s increased attention to defensive detail. They held the high-flying Flames to just the one goal on 28 shots, while blocking 17 shots on the night.

Following the game, players spoke about the need for stronger play in their own end, especially with less than three weeks to go until the playoffs.

“So, we were committed to defend hard and we got the results out of it, we got two points, so we’ve got to keep doing that,” said forward Mathieu Perreault, who scored the game-winner on the power play.

In the past eight, the Jets had wins over Nashville, Columbus, Carolina, Boston and Calgary mixed in with close defeats by Washington and San Jose, and a no-doubter to league-leading Tampa Bay. All eight of those clubs are currently in playoff spots, with the Flames, Capitals and Lightning all leading their divisions.

Of the remaining 11 games left, only five are against teams currently in post-season position — Vegas, Nashville, Dallas, the New York Islanders and Arizona. 

Defenceman Joe Morrow, out since Feb. 14 with a lower-body injury, is nearing a return to full health. He shed his non-contact jersey for Saturday’s morning skate and could be an option on the road trip. However, whether he can get back into the lineup remains to be seen, especially with the Jets having won a couple straight games.

As for Byfuglien and Morrissey, neither are skating at this time. Byfuglien appears to have suffered a recent setback as he recovers from his second ankle injury of the year, suffered on Feb. 14, while Morrissey remains on track to return in early April from a shoulder injury sustained Feb. 24.

Head coach Paul Maurice said last week “it’s possible” both players could return to action before the regular season ends on Apr. 6.  

It should be noted the Jets didn’t fare well the last time they visited Staples Center. Winnipeg was beaten 4-1 by Los Angeles back in December despite the big disparity between them in terms of overall skill and points in the standings. A similar letdown, especially this time of year, needs to be avoided.

Expect Connor Hellebuyck to start against the Kings, fresh off winning his 30th game of the season against Calgary. Hellebuyck and backup Laurent Brossoit will likely split the back-to-back games in Anaheim and Vegas to end the road trip.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg