Scheifele determined to raise his game

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/12/2014 (3946 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark Scheifele has some work to do on his game. And he’s honest enough to admit his offensive numbers aren’t where he wants them to be through the first chunk of the season.

But he does have the backing of a rather important figure as the work in progress continues: his boss, Paul Maurice.

“I don’t think it’s exactly where I want it to be,” said Scheifele when asked to assess his game. “I know I can be better. But the team’s winning and if the team’s winning everyone has got to be doing something right. I want to just continue to play my game, continue to work on my game in practices and continue to try and get better and better every game and get back to where I want it to be.”

Scheifele has just three goals and seven assists through 27 games this year. But he’s also worked with a variety of wingers, limiting his chance to develop chemistry.

While he was kept off the scoresheet in Friday’s 6-2 win over Colorado, his work did draw the praise of Maurice a day later.

“He was really good (Friday) night,” said Maurice. “He’s played with a bunch of different guys. I don’t think you can say that there’s a line that hasn’t worked with him. His game has still been good, but the difference between him skating like he skated (Friday) night… I mean you look at their first two periods of hockey — in the third things got a little bent out of shape — but their line was outstanding.

“(Bryan) Little’s line was really good. They also had three turnovers early on and one was in the back of our net. But, clearly, they beat the line across from them. But for zone time and for effort and quickness and hustle, that was as good as I’ve seen Mark Scheifele play in a long time.”

Scheifele spoke Saturday of working on moving his feet more to generate more space. Interestingly, he ranks just 10th on the Jets in shots and that number absolutely needs to grow.

“That’s the game he’s working to develop. Keeping his feet moving and intensity on the puck is a growth area,” said Maurice. “That’s a normal young man becoming a real strong pro, the consistency of the quickness in his game. I was very happy with his game (Friday), probably even more when I watched the video. That doesn’t happen too often. He was really good.”

Scheifele said the base of his game will remain his attention to detail in the defensive zone. And if he’s responsible in that end of the ice he hopes he can get his game going and, by extension, that of his latest wingers, Adam Lowry and Matt Halischuk.

For zone time and for effort and quickness and hustle, that was as good as I’ve seen Mark Scheifele play in a long time.”

“It’s being sound in both ends, being good defensively first and foremost and then when I get the opportunity offensively, show creativity, be a playmaker, be a shooter and do all that when I get the chance offensively,” he said. “But mainly you’ve got to think defence first.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter:@WFPEdTait