Jets hope Hutch will be clutch, gets start against the Kings

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This article was published 14/01/2017 (3166 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

LOS ANGELES — Michael Hutchinson will get his first start in net in eight games when the Winnipeg Jets face the Los Angeles Kings here at Staples Center Saturday evening.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice told reporters here Saturday afternoon that the change in net will be the only lineup change he is making after a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale Friday evening.

“We’re looking for a good road grinder here tonight,” said Maurice, whose team brings a two-game losing streak — and an unusual amount of drama — into Saturday night.

The team — which was called out in a very public way by Maurice this week following a 7-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at home on Wednesday — held a post-game meeting for almost 20 minutes at Gila River Arena Friday night following the loss to the Coyotes.

And then they scheduled another morning meeting for Staples Centre here on Saturday — a rare move for a team in the midst of back-to-back games. But that meeting had to be scrubbed after the club learned they would not have any space to meet at Staples Center because of an NBA game Saturday afternoon.

Maurice was asked Saturday afternoon if he was concerned about the confidence of goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who has given up six goals on the last 13 shots he’s faced and was lifted in each of Winnipeg’s last two games.

“Sure, in as much as I’m concerned about the team’s,” Maurice replied. “He had a couple tough nights. And he’s always been able to bounce back from them… He’s had a few where he’s been fighting the puck a little bit…

“It’s not a great position to play when you’re fighting the puck.”

Hutchinson relieved Hellebuyck in the first period of each of the last two games and was particularly effective in relief Friday night in Arizona.

While the Jets gave up four goals in just under 10 minutes in the first period Friday night to quickly fall behind 4-1 to the Coyotes, Maurice said he actually preferred his team’s effort against Arizona to the one they put forth on Monday when they defeated the Calgary Flames 2-0 at home.

“I didn’t think Calgary was a very good game to be honest with you,” said Maurice. “I didn’t think there was a whole lot of hop in that game. We competed far harder last night than we did in the Calgary game…

“Last night the effort level, believe it or not, was very, very high — to the point of a little bit out of position, a little bit over aggressive at times…”

Maurice referenced a pair of wins in Florida last week and the first period of what went into the books as a loss in Buffalo last Saturday in making the case things aren’t as desperate for his team right now as it might seem.

“And that’s a real important thing for our team to understand — while it feels like it today that you’re miles from being good, we’re a week away from having a stretch of seven periods that might have been our best and our smoothest of the year.”

League rules require teams to open their dressing rooms no more than five minutes after the final horn; the Jets kept reporters waiting for 17 minutes Friday night and captain Blake Wheeler was none too happy when he was asked after the game if the reason was a player’s meeting.

“What do you think? You think we were just silent in here with the door shut? Obviously there’s a conversation had between us. Obviously I’m not going to give you anything that was said in this room.”

Maurice confirmed a meeting took place. “It’s important that that happens. Because at the end of it, they’re in this together. So it’s important that they stay together.

“You don’t want an empty room. You can have a tough loss where your room gets empty. You have a couple and you need that room to stay together.”

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek