Jets no more a two-line wonder, and that’s why they’re winning

Opinion

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This article was published 07/04/2015 (3819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The work isn’t over yet but it has been wholly impressive when one accounts for who the Winnipeg Jets have beaten in this march towards the playoffs.

Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the St. Louis Blues, which pushed the Jets to 96 points, gives the team victories in nine of its last 12 games and seven of those wins have come against playoff teams.

No one will be able to say the Jets backed into the playoffs if they get there, and while the talk about them being a tough out in the post-season is still premature, it is beginning to ring more and more true.

This win over the Blues featured a four-line attack with the winning goal coming from bearded grinder Chris Thorburn and another improbable shutout from Ondrej Pavelec.

Not too long ago, they were poster children for what snark purveyors deemed was wrong with the Jets. Not good enough and overpaid, said many about these two players.

Pavelec has been brilliant of late and is putting the final touches on a career season. Thorburn is what they call a glue guy and his teammates love him. But he’s also been an effective player for the last month or so as his linemates have improved and his ice time has increased.

They got it done Tuesday against one of the NHL’s toughest teams. The Blues are big, deep and physical. And successful.

The Jets, however, beat them at their own game in their own building.

Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock has been chatting the Jets up for a while now and on Tuesday prior to the game he said the best comparison for the Winnipeg team is the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

Hitchcock talked about the physically domineering aspect of the Jets’ style in wistful tones.

The Jets have a top-six group of forwards with lots of scoring punch. They’ve rounded into a nice group with the development of Mark Scheifele and the addition of Drew Stafford. But it’s the bottom six forwards that make the Jets so dangerous right now.

Winnipeg can saw off what the opposition provides in the top six with most teams.

Previously, however, they haven’t been able to compare with the third and fourth lines of better teams in the NHL.

That’s changed of late and it’s made the Jets a handful. Rookie centre Adam Lowry leads a third line with crafty Mathieu Perreault and Lee Stempniak, which is both dangerous and physical. Perreault isn’t a third-line player on many teams and Lowry seems to grow with every passing game.

These games seem to be made for Lowry and he loves the heavy going. As the intensity grows higher, so does his level of play. He’s not shy and has the ability to be physical without taking penalties.

The fourth line was a black hole for the Jets for long stretches of this season with Maurice keeping their ice time to a minimum.

But the addition of Jiri Tlusty to centre Jim Slater’s line has seen this trio flourish. Tlusty is a smart player and a good skater and along with Thorburn has provided Slater with good players to work. Slater has responded by pumping out six points in eight games.

Jets coach Paul Maurice has responded with trust, using them more often down the stretch.

It takes four lines to win at this time of year and beyond, and for the first time since the Jets returned to Winnipeg that’s a reality the team can meet.

Biggest off-ice contributor? Coach Maurice or GM Kevin Cheveldayoff? Chevy. Maurice has cooked the stew but when it came up a little light on flavour, Cheveldayoff added substance and spice. Tyler Myers, Stafford, Jay Harrison, Stempniak and Tlusty. Where are the Jets without these moves? Not in the post-season picture.

Maurice has done a fine job getting this team to where they are but he’s going to be in tough for the Jack Adams award. Cheveldayoff, however, is gaining momentum for the NHL’s GM of the Year award.

Executives around the NHL have been complimentary of Cheveldayoff’s work. He’s been patient and true to his plan and when the opportunity came to make meaningful changes to his team he struck swift and sure.

Surprise of the season: A three-way race here between Ben Chiarot, Michael Hutchinson and Lowry. But Lowry gets the nod.

All three have had major impact on the Jets this season. Chiarot didn’t make the team out of camp but when the door opened due to injury — he became a regular. Great example of draft and develop.

Hutchinson won the back-up job at the end of last season. But he’s been much more than that this year and at one point took the No. 1 job. His contribution to where the Jets are right now and the fact Pavelec isn’t over-worked and spent has been key.

Lowry was Maurice’s pet project. He stuck with him and kept him in the lineup when he was making the mistakes of a rookie.

Down the stretch he filled the team’s No. 1 centre role while Bryan Little was hurt.

Lowry is going to be a big player for the Jets in the future. Scratch that, he’s key right now and his role will only grow.

 

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @garylawless