Maurice wants his team to stay out of the penalty box

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This article was published 28/11/2016 (3230 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Paul Maurice has been fretting over his team’s penchant for penalties and it’s not hard to understand why. 

The Winnipeg Jets were the 12th-most penalized team in the NHL (10:27 minutes per game) heading into tonight’s action and had been whistled for the third-most minor penalties (95 in 24 games). Most recently, careless stick infractions have been on the rise.

“We’ve taken more stick penalties than we can take,” the Jets’ head coach said after practice Monday morning.

“And you get on runs, like Mark Stuart gets a four-minute (high-sticking minor) in the third (Sunday afternoon vs. Nashville) and we had a stretch where we were very good at it.

“As a team, I know we’re trending in that direction — better with our sticks, not as many undisciplined stick penalties. It’s caused problems here in the block (of games). It’s been one of the things that’s gotten away from us,” Maurice said. “You’d see it back under control when you’re fresh and a half step ahead of where you are when you’re tired, your stick’s in the right spot, you just don’t put yourself in a position for that to happen.”

Captain Blake Wheeler is well aware of the strain it puts on the club’s penalty-killing units.

“It’s kinda been an issue the last couple of years,” Wheeler said.

“We have a tough time staying out of the box. There seems to be a bit of a disconnect between us and the officiating at times. We have a young team, sometimes we get a little bit passionate out there (and) lose control of our sticks. It’s part of maturing as a team.

“Discipline is always preached within our room. It’s part of who we are. We play hard but we play clean and things are going to happen out there.”

Blue-liner Ben Chiarot was confident the problem will be ironed out. 

“Every team goes through a time when they’re taking more penalties than they want to,” Chiarot said.

“There’s some cheesy ones and things that don’t usually happen. I mean, Stu turns around and his stick catches someone in the face… There were some in Nashville (on Friday) we obviously can’t take — undisciplined ones we can’t take. But the ones last night I wouldn’t say we had a problem with.”

Goals will come, Ehlers says

Nikolaj Ehlers is on a healthy pace in his sophomore pro season, with 19 points in 24 games, but the Danish winger admitted Monday he’s being encouraged by the Jets coaching staff to shoot more often.

Although he has only four goals so far after sniping 15 times in 72 games as a rookie, Ehlers doesn’t seem worried.

“I do pass it a lot and sometimes I should probably shoot instead,” said Ehlers, who prefers to play a more diverse game. 

“I think I can do both and that’s what I want to do. Of course, the puck hasn’t gone in the way I want it to this year, but we’ve played (24) games this year. I’ve got lots of time. It’s my second year but I think that if I can pass the puck to a guy who’s in a better position than me, then I’m going to do that.”

Top-four role for Chiarot

Normally, Chiarot must content himself with the kind of playing time normally handed out to third-pairing defencemen.

That’s changed suddenly with an injury to veteran Tyler Myers and the absence of Toby Enstrom, who remains in Sweden while he attends to a family matter.

Chiarot logged 21:56 and 24:03 of ice time in a pair of games against the Predators.

“It’s obviously not great that those guys are out but for myself, it’s a chance to show I can handle the big minutes and the team can be successful with me in that role,” said Chiarot.

Noteworthy 

Nic Petan, who suffered a lower-body injury Sunday, did not practise Monday and has been ruled out of tonight’s game, made a very positive impression since being recalled from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

“Nic Petan’s been great, really,” Maurice said.

“What’s been interesting is the players that have come in — when some of these veteran guys come back — some of these guys have earned spots. It may change the way we look going forward.”

Meanwhile, centre Mathieu Perreault practised in a non-contact jersey Monday and could be getting close to returning to the lineup.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14