Coming to their defence

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/03/2021 (1640 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If the Winnipeg Jets’ beleaguered blue-line had a slogan, it might just be this: greater than the sum of its parts.

Let’s face it, the days of Dustin Byfuglien striking fear into opponents and putting up big numbers and even bigger bodychecks are long gone. Other regulars in Toby Enstrom, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot and Dmitry Kulikov all found new hockey homes in recent years.

Josh Morrissey is the lone regular left from the magical 2018 run to the Western Conference Final, while the rest of the cast is very much a work in progress. But here they stand today, with a franchise-best 16 wins through their first 25 games of the 2021 regular-season.

And yet, there is no area of the team that gets dumped on more than the state of the defence. Fair or not, it’s the reality given the way this team is currently constructed, along with how they frequently play.

“Our strength of our team is our forward group, that’s no surprise. That’s not a slight to the defence or anything like that. It’s just how good our forward group is, we’ve got some really good players,” veteran pivot Dylan DeMelo said Wednesday following his team’s optional practice at Scotiabank Arena.

“I’ve been on some good teams in San Jose and I really think this is the best forward group that I’ve ever played on, top to bottom, with regards to skill. It’s evident every night, where there are plays that you’re like ‘holy moly, that’s a really good play.’ Our forward group is really strong, but if you ask any guy on the back end, we’d like to chip in a little more.”

The high-scoring Jets are at the bottom of the NHL right now with just five goals from blue-liners. The most recent came in Tuesday night’s 4-3 victory over Toronto, off the stick of Morrissey. It was his first of the year, joining Derek Forbort (1) and Neal Pionk (3) as the others to light the lamp from the back end

Winnipeg will try to make it two-in-a-row over first-place Toronto when they meet again tonight. There will be one lineup change, as defenceman Nathan Beaulieu is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering a hand injury blocking a shot in the second period on Tuesday. It’s another frustrating setback for Beaulieu, who had three different bone breaks last season as a result of stepping in front of speeding pucks.

“It bothers you, because Nathan’s a guy over the last few years of his career who’s kind of come in on those one and two-year deals. This is his livelihood, and he’s selling that, his willingness to do that is clearly on display. And every time he does and he takes a big injury it impacts his ability for next year. Heart and soul guy, he’ll drop the gloves to stand up for a teammate, he’s not getting out of the lane of a shot, and the price he paid for that is injuries that impact him personally,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice.

“And then he’s still willing to do that. So there would be a really good example of why we value his character and the importance of him in our room. He’s not going to generate a lot of offence but he’s a valuable piece of what we do.”

One of Logan Stanley or Sami Niku will immediately step into the lineup, likely on a third pairing with DeMelo. Forbort and Pionk remain intact as the top duo, while Morrissey and Tucker Poolman are the second.

Winnipeg currently ranks 13th in the NHL in goals against at 2.84, which is third best in the Canadian division behind Toronto and Montreal. A big reason for that is the play of Connor Hellebuyck in net, who was at his best Tuesday in turning aside 36 shots. Laurent Brossoit has been solid in spot duty behind him.

And while the advanced numbers suggest the Jets are still giving up far too many high-danger chances to opponents, coaches and players believe they are gradually improving in that department. Just maybe not in their most recent outing.

“I think we can certainly limit their chances a little bit more. Obviously they have a high-octane offence and really good forwards, and they’re going to get chances — that’s just the way it is. But we can certainly limit their chances,” said Pionk.

Although he’s not scoring a ton, Pionk has been racking up the points. He had three assists against the Maple Leafs and is now up to 21 points through 25 games. Only Tampa’s Victor Hedman, Montreal’s Jeff Petry and Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes have more among defencemen this season.

“It’s not a primary focus of mine. It’s nice to have those individual accolades but, at the end of the day, it’s about getting two points and pushing our way up the standings,” said Pionk.

Both Morrissey and DeMelo had strong nights Tuesday, which is a positive sign since both have struggled at times this season. Many believed they would be paired together, but Maurice has been loathe to do that, so far. However, they were on the ice at times against the Maple Leafs once Beaulieu got hurt and they were down to just five defencemen.

“I think I’ve settled in nicely. My ice time has fluctuated a little bit. I’ve had some nights where I’ve been up there and some nights where I’ve been a little less than what I’ve been used to in the past. But my game is in a really good spot. I’m doing a good job of closing the gap real well and making it hard for teams to get through the neutral zone. I think my stick has been really good,” said DeMelo, who has three assists in 21 games.

“I’d like to get some more shots through from the point and get some offensive game going. But after maybe a little inconsistent start, I’ve settled in really well and have done a good job. I like where my game is at. I feel like I’m in a real good rhythm. We’ve got a lot of games here, so it will be fun to continue to play and to continue to build the game.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg