The Whiteboard: Jets pay for neutral-zone turnovers

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This article was published 03/11/2015 (3617 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Early in the second period — the Jets already trailing 3-0 to the Montreal Canadiens in what turned out to be a 5-1 loss Sunday — defenceman Tyler Myers gains possession of the puck behind his own net. With no pressure from Montreal, Myers carries the puck up the right side, beating one defender before a second forces him to dish the puck up the boards.

Next, a puck battle ensues just before the centre line, with Drew Stafford and Alex Burmistrov of the Jets against Montreal defenceman Nathan Beaulieu, who makes a nice pinch on the play. Beaulieu is able to get to it first and quickly chips the puck up the boards, leaving four Jets behind the puck — Nic Petan and Myers were both caught up-ice on the play — and the Canadiens heading in on a 3-on-1 break.

Montreal is not only able to gain the zone easily, but with a nice pass is able to get off a quality shot on net, which in turn creates a quality rebound that is finished by forward David Desharnais, who puts the Canadiens up 4-0, all but ending the game for Winnipeg.

J.P.’s FIRST THOUGHT:

Turnovers in the neutral zone — coaches hate them and they drive players crazy because (when they’re costly errors) it can cause them to lose playing time. What it does is take momentum away. The Winnipeg Jets are headed one way, then a turnover of the puck in the neutral zone. The other team can then counter with their attack. Now, you’re defending. With bad neutral-zone coverage, you can spend your whole night in your own zone when the pressure keeps coming. It’s something you don’t want to do. We saw a lot of that against the Montreal Canadiens the other night.

J.P. ON THE PLAY:

Tyler Myers has the puck behind the net with full control. He comes out, which is a good play because they had given him a gap. He comes up, turns over the puck in the neutral-zone area. Montreal comes in with a little chip play along the boards and that makes it a 3-on-1 with the Jets defending. That’s tough. It creates a rebound, which creates a goal and that’s how turnovers cost you and that’s what makes coaches go crazy.

THE PAINFUL TRUTH (J.P.’S LAST WORD):

Any turnover in the neutral zone will always hurt a team. You have to get that puck out to least the hash marks of the opponent’s end, if not all the way into their zone so you can get in on the forecheck, as I’m sure the Winnipeg Jets would have liked to do.

These turnovers always hurt because they come right back down your throat, and, in this case, into the back of your net. By getting the puck deep, you also allow for a shift change, which can get fresh guys out on the forecheck without having to defend right away. By the Jets having to defend right away, they’re expending their energy in the defensive zone, a place on the ice where you don’t want to be using it.

J.P. Vigier, who grew up in Notre Dame de Lourdes, is a former NHL winger (Atlanta Thrashers, 2000-07) who finished his career in the Swiss league. He does Jets analysis for both TSN 1290 and Radio Canada and teaches power skating and skill development for kids of all ages (jeanvigier11@gmail.com).

— Jeff Hamilton / @jeffkhamilton