Memories of last spring linger, no longer haunt

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This article was published 19/03/2016 (3540 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been 11 months since the Anaheim Ducks sent the Winnipeg Jets out of the NHL playoffs without a single win.

On the occasion of the Ducks’ only visit to the MTS Centre this season, Jets head coach Paul Maurice was asked Saturday how much last spring’s playoff result still matters or motivates him today.

“Only insofar in that we competed in that series as hard as we possibly could and didn’t win a game,” Maurice said. “There were stretches where we had control of the game and the lead is a probably more accurate way of putting it.

“But it was part of the movement to youth. I think we had maximized that group, got an awful lot out of them, played very hard and we needed to get a skill-base change and we’re doing that through young players coming in.”

Some of the Jets who participated last spring are still thinking about it.

“A little bit,” said forward Mathieu Perreault. “But at the same time, we’re just trying to get our game back on track. The last two weren’t very good for us. We’ve talked about special teams being a part of that and we have to make sure we’re strong on both of them.”

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On Saturday, the Jets had a special guest participate in their practice at the MTS Centre.

Ten-year-old Connolly Gamble of Calgary, with the help of Make-A-Wish, skated with his favourite NHL team.

“A remarkable young man,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry, who was Gamble’s next-door stallmate for the day in the team’s locker-room. “It’s a privilege to share the ice with him today.”

Gamble has been diagnosed with a tumour at the base of his brain stem and can no longer play sports. His two triplet brothers were able to join the on-ice fun when Connolly and the Jets were done practice.

“He’s been through a lot,” Lowry said. “Luckily, it’s not life-threatening at the moment, just life-altering. But to see a smile on his face today, to see the joy he got just hanging around the team, being on the ice and being able to share that was something special.”

The Gambles also attended Friday’s game at the MTS Centre and will take in Sunday’s against Anaheim as well.

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Maurice was asked Saturday about forward Alex Burmistrov. He shared his theory on why he thinks the 24-year-old Russian’s season is finally going in the right direction.

Maurice believes Burmistrov’s first 30 or so games were a major adjustment period, and to be expected after the team’s 2010 first-round pick went back to Russia for two seasons in the KHL.

“He moved down the lineup while that happened to a point where might have stagnated for a while,” the Jets coach said.

But of late, Maurice insists Burmistrov is finding his way. Partly due to shooting more (he’s up to seven goals and 18 points) and partly due to joining the penalty-killing unit with Andrew Copp.

“He feels like he’s a part of it, moving at a completely different pace than he was from the start and that, from experience, is to be expected,” Maurice said. “He’s grown, he’s getting quicker, he’s starting to make more happen with the puck, he’s more offensive-minded. The change would be that he’s much quicker than he was at the start and his risk profile with the puck has changed and he’s making far better decisions with the puck.”

The coach said more shooting is not the “aha” moment in all of this, but: “I think that’s the message he got from his wingers.”

“They want the puck at the net. The European game, the puck possession and you use your wingers, there’s times here they don’t want the puck back. That’s where Matty Perreault’s positive influence (comes) on a player. Because Matty’s a skilled, puck-moving player… I think Matty’s encouraged him to shoot the puck because there’s times there’s nothing left to do but shoot. And he’s got a good release. He gets it under the bar.

“Just ask our goalies, he gets it up high all the time in practice.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca