Challenges loom ahead of playoff run

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/03/2018 (2727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He has already shut down defenceman Toby Enstrom for the rest of the regular season because of a lower-body injury and he doesn’t intend to rush back Jacob Trouba, despite the blue-liner being cleared for contact earlier this week after completing the NHL’s concussion protocol.

But that’s as far as Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice said he’s prepared to go, for now, in potentially shielding his players from harm as they hit the final stretch of the regular season. With seven games remaining before what the Jets hope will be the start of a long playoff run — and with the team firmly entrenched in second place in the Central Division — Maurice is pushing the pause button on any more safety-first moves.

Ask him another day, however, and there’s a good chance he gives you a different answer.

“Because it changes daily, I’m going to say I don’t anticipate it right now,” Maurice said following Tuesday’s morning skate, ahead of the Jets’ tilt against the Boston Bruins at Bell MTS Place. “There is nothing in our lineup that hasn’t been there all year and they’ve managed it and they’ve handled it fine. There is no one guy that I’m targeting right now. That could change in practice tomorrow. But no, I don’t have a hard list where this guy has got to come out.”

The challenge for Maurice is to strike the proper balance between keeping intact a consistent lineup and possibly disrupting that momentum by preserving bodies for when the stakes are much higher.

Winnipeg (46-19-10) is currently on a five-game win streak and is still in reach of snatching first place in the division from the Nashville Predators, who, heading into Tuesday’s games, were five points ahead of the Jets. After the Bruins, the Jets play five of their remaining six games against teams below the playoff line. Nashville (48-16-11) will play four of its final six games against teams above the line.

If the Jets are able to catch up to Nashville, it could possibly mean winning the Presidents’ Trophy, awarded to the team with the best overall record in the NHL. Nashville is currently atop the league standings, with 107 points, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have 106.

“What we’re thinking about is we would like home-ice advantage in the first round if we can manage that — that’s important to us,” Maurice said.

Maurice followed by listing off his club’s priorities in these final games, noting staying consistent in style of play is at the top of the list. Second on the list is the importance of rehabbing his roster for the playoffs.

At this point in the season, every player is dealing with something. Of the six seasons since the Jets relocated from Atlanta — five of which ended without playoff hockey — every one of them has ended with a line of walking wounded. It’s a regular occurrence to hear stories about how some players battled through severe sprains and, in some cases, broken bones. All could likely use a rest from what will have been a gruelling 82-game season.

“We got, I think, seven guys who have played every game. Playing every game is a real important badge of honour for a lot of these players,” Maurice said. “It’s not something they take lightly, so we’ll look at that as well. But so many of our players have had five, six weeks off during the season with injuries, so they want to play and they need to play.”

Adam Lowry has missed long stretches this year. The centreman lost nine games early in the season with an upper-body injury and later suffered a shoulder injury that put him out for another eight. When he returned almost four weeks later, he re-aggravated the injury in his second game back and missed 19 more games.

So for Lowry, it’s more about finding his feet than resting his body. The same could have been said at different times over the season for Mark Scheifele (21 games), Dustin Byfuglien (12 games), Brandon Tanev (16 games), Trouba (23 games) and Enstrom (32 games).

“I think you have to take a good look at the big picture, but at the same time you almost want to go into the playoffs rolling,” Lowry said. “It’s not about taking a week off and then you’re rusty for the first game of the playoffs. For our team, we know we have great potential to do something and we really haven’t had a healthy lineup all year.

“With the potential we have, it’s important to make sure that everyone is healthy. But sometimes it’s making sure that on off days and practice days that you’re doing what’s necessary, so that for the games we can manage it and you’re not taking any unnecessary risks.”

Maurice said with the team’s current position in the standings, it takes little to convince his players the importance of taking care of their bodies — something that isn’t always easy throughout the year.

“Now they can see a reason to get the extra sleep, make sure they’re eating right, to take care of themselves,” he said. “They know, even if they haven’t played in the playoffs in the NHL, they’ve played in the playoffs somewhere and so they know the physical demands. It makes it much easier to focus your team.”

Tyler Myers echoed many in the Jets room when he said unless there is something that has been nagging him for a while or preventing him from being 100 per cent on the ice, he wants to play. He also acknowledged the benefits of managing one’s health, but said he has complete trust in the coaching staff to make the right decisions.

“A lot of teams have done it (rested players) in the past and I’m sure there will be some that do it this year. And it can be a good thing,” Myers said. “My personal opinion is I like to play, I would like to finish out the season. Either way, I’m not worried at all of whether we’ll be prepared going in.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton