Bad blood flows

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This article was published 27/09/2023 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether it’s a heated playoff battle, a regular-season match-up or a low-stakes exhibition meeting, the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames typically don’t like seeing each other.

That was certainly the case on Wednesday night at Canada Life Centre, where what might have otherwise been a sleepy late-September affair had no shortage of bad blood to get the collective juices flowing.

“Guys just trying to make teams I guess,” Jets forward Jansen Harkins said of the surliness. “There’s a lot of good players out there, a lot of tough guys out there trying to make a name for themselves. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

In the end, the visitors skated away with a 3-2 shootout victory. Veteran Calgary forward Andrew Mangiapane was the only player to light the lamp during the breakaway contest.

There’s plenty to talk about from this one. Let’s get right to it.

1) Cole Perfetti seems to always have a target on his back when he’s facing Calgary during the preseason

Last year, for example, the Winnipeg forward was on the receiving end of a couple hellacious hits from hulking defenceman Nikita Zadorov that had the Jets seeing red.

The big Russian went at him again on Wednesday a couple times, but that ended up being the least of Winnipeg’s worries. Instead, was Calgary forward Martin Pospisil delivering a blatant elbow to Perfetti’s head late in the second period that injured the 21-year-old and sparked a melee.

“That was a cheap shot. That was a deliberate head shot, so I hope it’s looked at even further,” said Jets coach Rick Bowness. “But good on the refs, to take a look at that and get the call right. You want to get that stuff out of the game completely, and that’s what they have to do.”

Pospisil was given a five-minute match penalty that was upheld on review, along with a five-minute fighting major. He’ll be getting a call from the NHL department of player safety later this week.

Jets defenceman Logan Stanley, coming to his fallen teammate’s defence, got two for instigating along with five for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct, while Jets forward Jeffrey Viel also got a 10-minute misconduct.

“It’s our rink and for someone to take a cheap shot at one of our key guys, you have to respond. I love what Logan did,” said Bowness.

“Some of the penalties tonight, you don’t have to take. But to me, if we take a minor doing that, our penalty kill will go out there and kill that. That’s a good minor to take. Nobody can come into this rink (and do that). We’re a family and if they go after one of us, you’re going to go after all of us. Logan did the absolute right thing and then it’s up to the penalty killers to do the job and they did.”

As for Perfetti, he didn’t return to the game. That’s a worrisome development considering he’s already suffered three significant injuries during his first two professional seasons and has a huge opportunity — the second line centre spot — staring him in the face this year.

The Jets would only say he will be evaluated further on Thursday morning, but stressed that he is not currently in concussion protocol.

2) The animosity got going early in this one

Jets defenceman Tyrel Bauer and Flames forward Adam Klapka dropped the gloves just 80 seconds into the game and had a spirited tilt at centre ice. There was no obvious issue leading up to the bout, but it’s worth noting there is a history between the pair.

Bauer, 21, and Klapka, 23, squared off last season while both were playing for their respective American Hockey League clubs, the Manitoba Moose and Calgary Wranglers.

Judges might have scored the first one in favour of the mammoth six-foot-eight Klapka, an undrafted winger from the former Czech Republic. Bauer, a sixth-round pick by the Jets in 2020 and no slouch himself at six-foot-three, definitely took the sequel.

“(Bauer’s) an animal,” Harkins said. “First shift, we’re down in the zone and I hear the whistle. I didn’t really know what was going on. I turned around and wasn’t surprised. Good for him. Hell of a bout. Guy is a really strong kid.”

Perhaps a rubber match is in their future, with both players likely heading back down to the minors for the coming season and the Moose and Wranglers facing each other eight times — including the first two games of the AHL season on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15 in Winnipeg.

 

3) Hockey history is filled with examples of off-the-radar players who use preseason games to make a bit of a name for themselves.

You can now add Jets forward Parker Ford to that list.

The undrafted 23-year-old, who stands just five-foot-nine and was described by Bowness as a “spunky little guy”, had a mighty big game on Wednesday.

In the first period, he set up Harkins for the first goal of the game just 7:28 in. Declan Chisholm had the other assist.

In the second period, Ford’s all-out hustle broke up a Calgary two-on-none rush. Then, in the third period, he was promoted to the power play and blasted a one-timer past Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf to give his team a 2-1 lead.

“I think you want to show your best game and that comes with the coach’s trust,” Ford said.

“Coach isn’t going to put you out there if he doesn’t trust you. I just try to play the right way, a good 200-foot game. Everyone is so good out there, so fast. Just need to find little ways to chip in.”

Ford, who signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Jets after finishing up at Providence College last spring, figures to be a key figure for the Manitoba Moose this year. He had four points (two goals, two assists) in eight AHL games late last season.

He had an assist in his NHL preseason debut on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers, which obviously earned him another look on Wednesday. The Rhode Island product is making the most of the opportunities, which could include a longer-than-expected look with the big club.

“To be honest I’m going day-by-day right now,” said Ford. “I’m just trying to win every day. I want to have fun in the process and learn as much as I can. But like I said, I believe in myself. I want to make this team, I want to play for the Jets one day and hopefully win a Stanley Cup. So that’s where my head’s at.”

 

4) Connor Hellebuyck is clearly pacing himself in the preseason

The three-time Vezina Trophy finalist didn’t dress for Winnipeg’s first two games, with Collin Delia and Laurent Brossoit holding down the crease in back-to-back outings against the Edmonton Oilers.

And on Wednesday, he called it a night after 27 minutes and three seconds of action, giving way to backup Oskari Salminen.

Prior to puck drop, Bowness said he’d let his No. 1 netminder determine whether he wanted to go the distance. Hellebuyck was quite busy in just under half a game, facing 19 shots in that span, which may have factored into his decision.

The only puck to beat him came off the stick of Hunt during a scramble with 21 seconds left in the first period.

Salminen wasn’t quite as busy, stopping 11 of 12 shots he faced in regulation. Connor Zary was the only blemish, as the Calgary forward scored with just over seven minutes left in regulation to tie it up.

Salminen, who projects to split goaltending duties with Delia this season down on the farm with the Moose, turned away both shots he faced in overtime — one was a spectacular pad stop — and then two of the three he faced in the shootout.

There’s a good chance Hellebuyck will ramp it up next week, perhaps playing the final two games (in Calgary on Monday, at home against Ottawa on Thursday).

5) Both teams left plenty of star power in the press box

The Jets had key players like Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Gabe Vilardi and Neal Pionk sit out, while the Flames left the likes of Nazem Kadri, Elias Lindholm, new captain Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman and Dillon Dube back home.

Ehlers has yet to play in the preseason and won’t play in the next game, this Friday in Ottawa, as he deals with ongoing neck spasms. Defenceman Kyle Capobianco was supposed to play Wednesday but was scratched with a groin issue, while forward Colby Barlow was back on the ice in the morning as he recovers from the flu.

Winnipeg will hold a pair of training camp skates on Thursday at the Hockey For All Centre. (11 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.)

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg