FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Can the Jets finally win one for their moms? I was on the first-ever trip back in 2020 when the team went 0-3 through Carolina, Columbus and Chicago, so the pressure is on this time around to have a better showing.
Don’t disappoint them (again), fellas!
A tip of the cap to Pionk, who has gone from an undrafted college free agent to a valuable contributor on one of the NHL’s best teams who hits a magic milestone tonight. As Arniel told team media earlier today, Pionk is both a quality hockey player and human being.
“He’s a leader in our room. Loves being in Winnipeg. They just had their daughter born there this summer. He just takes a lot of pride in being a Winnipeg Jet,” said Arniel.
“He’s a real good all-around defenceman who can play an offensive game. He’s a great first pass defenceman, obviously our second power play he’s a big part of that. But we also love the fact he has that little bit of an edge to him and he has a tendency to disrupt the opposition and get under the skin of lots of players. I just like his compete and he’s having a great start to the year. Hopefully it continues.”
Pionk, 29, already has 24 points (4G, 20A) in 32 games which has him on pace to shatter the career-high of 45 points (6G, 39A) set in 71 games during the 2019-20 season, which was his first with Winnipeg following the Jacob Trouba trade. The big question now is whether this is Pionk’s final season with the Jets, considering he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next July 1.
Pionk, who has battled plenty of injuries and issues including the tragic death of best friend Adam Johnson last year, told Mitchell Clinton it’s special to have his mom around to see him hit the 500 game mark.
“It’s pretty cool because she was there from Day 1 and brought me to a lot of practices, I’m sure tied my skates a few times,” he said. “To get to this point is pretty special”
Winnipeg Jets defenceman Neal Pionk will play his 500th career game tonight against the Sharks. (LM Otero / The Associated Press files)
KEN SAYS: Special teams were at the forefront on Saturday, but the time has come to praise Jets captain Adam Lowry, who is already up to eight goals after burying the sneaky pass from behind the net made by Nino Niederreiter. We talk often about Lowry’s ability to do a good job against the most skilled players on the other team and his willingness to do what it takes on the penalty kill, but the 2011 third-rounder is knocking on the door of hitting double digits in goals before the season hits the midway point and that’s impressive.
What makes that number even more impressive is that none of those eight goals have come on the power play, which means he’s in prime position to eclipse the 15 he scored during the 2016-17 season.
Winger Alex Iafallo has seen plenty of the Sharks over the course of his career from his time with the Los Angeles Kings and has produced five goals and 18 points in 29 games. Three of those eight goals are game-winners, including one in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres, so they’ve fallen under the category of timely goals as well.
The Sharks have dropped four of five games after earning a 2-1 overtime win over the Washington Capitals, but they’ve played a more exciting brand of hockey since 2024’s first overall pick Celebrini returned to the lineup. Celebrini is nearly a point per game player (20 points in 21 games) and is squarely in the Calder Trophy discussion, even though he missed time.
Plenty of heads turned when the Sharks went out and signed former Jets winger Tyler Toffoli to a big-ticket contract on July 1, but to his credit he’s already up to 12 goals (which leads the Sharks) and 20 points in 33 games.
Lastly, when it comes to the Sharks, leading scorer Mikael Granlund (11 goals, 32 points) is the type of versatile centre that will be in demand on the trade market since he’s on an expiring contract. Granlund has ample experience in the Central Division and the playoffs, so he’s a guy to keep your eyes on in this one as well.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS:
- Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
- Perfetti-Namestnikov-Chibrikov
- Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
- Barron-Kupari-Iafallo
DEFENCE:
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Fleury-Pionk
- Stanley-Miller
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Heinola, D Coghlan
INJURED: D Samberg (broken foot), F Ehlers (lower-body), F Gustafsson (concussion)
SAN JOSE SHARKS
FORWARDS:
- Goodrow-Granlund-Zetterlund
- Kovalenko-Celebrini-Toffoli
- Eklund-Wennberg-Smith
- Grundstrom-Sturm-Kunin
DEFENCE:
- Walman-Ceci
- Ferraro-Liljegren
- Mukhamadullin-Rutta
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: F Kostin, F Dellandrea, D Thrun
INJURED: F Couture (groin)
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo, to team broadcaster Mitchell Clinton about Neal Pionk playing his 500th career game tonight:
“I was not aware. We’ve played so many games, I don’t even know the days of the week sometimes. It’s just game day, practice day, travel day. That’s a great accomplishment. A guy who was undrafted, he’s had to work hard to kind of get himself into the position he’s in. He’s an amazing teammate, an amazing player for our group who does a lot for us. Both ends of the ice. He’s having a great season so far. It’s great to see him reach that milestone.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Mike has filed a story on Kevin He, the Jets prospect who made history earlier today by becoming the first Chinese-born player to ever sign an NHL contract. The piece includes comments from He and his very excited general manager with the Niagara IceDogs. You can find it online at winnipegfreepress.com and in Wednesday’s print edition. With tonight’s late puck drop, the Jets vs. Sharks game story will be on our website only.
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