Jets finding their game

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/10/2023 (708 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether it’s the three of four or seven of eight points the Winnipeg Jets have been able to secure, there are plenty of reasons this group has been able to turn the tables after stumbling out of the gate with a 1-3 record.

One of those reasons was that the Jets have mostly stuck with the program, knowing that much of what they were doing during their first four games was on the right track, while correcting some of the items on the to-do list that required attention.

Thanks to a victory over the Detroit Red Wings and a shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Jets are now 4-3-1 in the NHL standings and starting to show some signs of being a team that’s figuring out its strengths.

The Jets are set to welcome former captain Blake Wheeler and the New York Rangers to town on Monday night for what should be an emotional gathering at Canada Life Centre.

“It’s going to be weird, that’s for sure. Thirteen years or whatever it was for the Jets. Such a big part of the organization, captain, a good friend to a lot of us in the room,” said Jets defenceman Brenden Dillon, when asked what it would be like to see Wheeler representing the Broadway Blueshirts. “He did a lot for Winnipeg, the city and the team as well. So I’m sure the fans in the building, they’re going to be excited for him and give him a nice reception and I think for him it’s going to be a bit weird going to that away locker room that’s for sure.”

It’s been a quiet start for Wheeler personally, with no points through eight games but he signed with the Rangers in the offseason to try and take a run at winning a Stanley Cup and the team arrives riding a four-game winning streak and sitting atop the standings in the Metropolitan Division.

Wheeler is expected to speak to local reporters for the first time since having his contract bought out by the Jets on Monday morning, but before that happens it’s time to empty the notebook and provide some observations about their current lot in life:

Hellebuyck is back — To say that he’s settled into a groove after an uncharacteristic start through the first three starts is a massive understatement. During the past three, he settled into a rhythm and is doing what he’s done so many times over the course of his career — provide the type of netminding that gives his team a chance to win with regularity. The latest stretch saw him turn aside 91 of 96 shots on goal that he faced. His movements have been economical and he’s been showcasing that big and boring style that he’s known for, often making this look easy with his superior positioning. He’s played six of the first eight games and staying locked in is an obvious key if the Jets want to get on a roll.

Brossoit needs to be better — Backup Laurent Brossoit came into the season riding the high of helping the Vegas Golden Knights claim the Stanley Cup and part of his job is to push Hellebuyck and give him a few more nights off than he’s enjoyed over the past several seasons. That’s still the plan, though his second stint with the Jets is off to a bit of a rocky start, giving up seven goals against in his two starts. It’s not like Brossoit has been giving up a bunch of bad goals, but he seemed to be fighting the puck a bit at times on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens and that was unexpected, when you consider how sharp he looked during training camp and the preseason. The Jets need Brossoit to find his form, since he’s probably going to be asked to make somewhere in the neighbourhood of 25-to-27 starts this season. Just like it was important to not overreact with Hellebuyck’s uneven start, the same applies to Brossoit. He’s going to put in the work to get things figured out.

Lowry line has been a force — Since being reunited, the trio of Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter has been fantastic in all facets of the game, not only doing an excellent job on the checking side but also chipping in offensively. And we’re not just talking about complementary offence either. The group accounted for five goals over the past two games, including all three markers against the Canadiens – including a pair in a 20-second span in the opening minute of the second period. Appleton already has three goals and seven points to sit in a four-way tie for the team lead in scoring with the likes of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. Lowry and Niederreiter are right behind them, up to two goals and six points apiece. “They just do it the hard way, go out and work their tails off. They grind,” said Jets associate coach Scott Arniel. “They’re big bodies and they do a great job of supporting each other. It seems like one guy is in there pounding, the other guy is real close for support. They do a good job of putting pucks on the net.”

Work in progress — The power play has hit a bit of an early-season rut, currently in a zero-for-10 drought and operating at just 12.9 per cent, which leaves them 24th out of 32 teams. Given the skill level being sent over the boards, those numbers need improvement – especially with special teams playing such a vital role. The Jets haven’t been getting enough pucks to the net and the puck movement isn’t quite crisp enough to create multiple shooting options right now. Finding a way for Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers to co-exist on the top unit remains a priority and creating more traffic and having a net-front presence would also provide some obvious benefits.

Patience required — There had been much consternation on social media about the ice time for forward Cole Perfetti and Arniel admitted on Thursday night he needed to get him and his line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Ehlers out on the ice more. Arniel was true to his word, raising Perfetti’s ice time to a season-high 16:33 on Saturday against the Canadiens. Perfetti is approaching the equivalent of his first full season (he’s up to 77 NHL games), so there is plenty of learning to be done. It shouldn’t be long before he settles into a more prominent role where he’s counted on and consistently sits in the 15-to-18 minute range. But his line is still seeking consistent chemistry. One of the ways to increase his ice time might be to give Perfetti a shot with the top power play unit at some point.

An emotional time — A number of members of the Jets are going through a difficult time after the news that former NHLer Adam Johnson passed away after suffering a skate cut in a freak accident in a game with the Nottingham Panthers. Johnson was a teammate of a handful of players on the Jets roster, dating back to his time in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers, his NCAA days with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Both Dillon and Lowry closed out their interviews on Saturday night by sending their thoughts to the Johnson family. Arniel did the same. “Our condolences go out to the Johson family. This is a hockey world and it’s a hockey tragedy,” said Arniel. “We have a lot of guys that have close ties and connections with him and the family. Our hearts go out to them. A tough day in the hockey world.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X: WiebesWorld