Six shooter

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This article was published 21/03/2016 (3487 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Alex Burmistrov was an international man of mystery when he first crossed the pond to play junior hockey, a first-rounder who cracked the National Hockey League at 18 because of his seemingly endless offensive upside.

Instead, what came next was an “enigma” phase and a fallout with his coach that saw him portrayed either as a victim or as immature. He retreated to Russia and the KHL for a couple of winters and then returned to establish himself as a reliable defensive player.

And now Burmistrov is teasing again with a recent flash of wizardry that has fans, media and the Jets coaching staff wondering what they have here with this gifted Russian, even after more than 300 pro games, 265 of them in the NHL.

What’s the old Mel Brooks line about it taking him 25 years to become an overnight success?

“Since my first year in the league I’ve never really had an opportunity to play in an offensive role,” Burmistrov said Monday. “My first year gave me a lot because I played in a shut-down role and I played against big guys. But when I got to Winnipeg it seemed like in the first 10 games or so I played in an offensive role but, for some reason after that, I stopped playing that.

“Nobody gave me a chance. The last 15 games the team has given me a chance… I like it. I want to be one of those guys. I know I can play in the defensive zone, but I love to be in the offensive zone and have the chance to score goals.”

Those in the Burmistrov camp will say he was pigeonholed early as a capable defender and — with grinders and worker-bees as linemates — has had little opportunity to flash his offensive skill. But he also has had a tendency to make the simple play look complicated over his days as a Jet, casting him as a difficult fit for linemates who watched him dangle but often had no clue what he was going to do next.

Things have changed lately, however. And as much as players like Mark Scheifele have benefited from increased minutes and responsibility due to injuries to teammates, Burmistrov is trying to change the notion his ceiling is limited to a bottom-six checking-line forward.

Not surprisingly, with the increased icetime has come increased confidence. That formula also means more shot attempts, long a prominent knock on the young Russian.

“My whole career, this has been in my head: ‘I’ve got to shoot more’ because I can shoot,” Burmistrov said. “Everybody kept telling me that. This league, this is the biggest thing — your confidence. If you don’t have confidence it’s really tough to play in this league. I’ve been working on it, trying to keep myself positive all the time.

“My goal is to show them I can be a top six guy on this team. That’s what I’m concentrating on right now.”

He’s turning heads, but the reality is the Jets’ top six for next year could have some talented new faces Burmistrov will have to battle. There is Hobey-Baker candidate Kyle Connor, who is chewing up the NCAA with Michigan, a potential top-three lottery pick and a healthy Nikolaj Ehlers — who could return as early as Thursday — and Bryan Little.

Jets coach Paul Maurice, asked Monday what Burmistrov could become, suggested that with his defensive foundation and ability to kill penalties — plus the offensive flair he’s flashed, particularly of late — he could continue to morph into a reliable two-way player who can move up and down the lineup because of his ability to play wing or in the middle.

“There’s enough offence there that he can play with skilled players and help them and be a part of that,” Maurice said. “At the same time, that won’t be the defining element of his game.”

“My goal is to show them I can be a top six guy on this team. That’s what I’m concentrating on right now.”

But there’s another factor at play here and it relates to Burmistrov’s confidence, a topic that comes up every time he analyzes his own game. That confidence isn’t just his own, but the faith his coaches have in him as well. Part of that is a European influence that Maurice touched on Monday.

“It’s a puck possession game over there. The best way to describe it is I had Evgeni Malkin in the KHL (when he coached Magnitogorsk Metallurg during the lockout-shortened NHL season),” said Maurice. “Almost every forward on my team wanted to play exactly like Evgeni Malkin. So the fourth-line left-winger was playing the exact same game… and not particularly well. That’s fine, that’s the way that’s game played: everybody’s holding onto it for as long as you can, you want to beat guys and there’s lot of ice over there.

“But you come here and there’s a threshold as to when you’re allowed to make those plays.”

It’s a perfect analogy as it pertains to Burmistrov’s game. Maurice explained the NHL’s elite will make those Malkin-like plays seven out of 10 attempts. The key for a player like Burmistrov is to make sure that ratio stays above 5:5.

“Anything below that and you’re encouraged NOT to make those plays,” said Maurice. “Confidence comes from when the coach stops beefing you for making plays that go south. You have to be able to make plays. Good players make plays, they turn pucks over making plays. The really good ones just complete the play enough times that you forgive the two or three times.

“Confidence is making a mistake and the coach puts you back out on the ice. (Burmistrov) is looking for that confidence. He’s playing better, so I have more in him now.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait