Scheifele looks to be difference maker against Avalanche

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/04/2024 (533 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark Scheifele wasn’t interested in revisiting ancient history.

The Winnipeg Jets top centre is acutely aware the last time he finished a Stanley Cup playoff series was the spring of 2019, when his team was bounced in six games by the St. Louis Blues.

The list of post-season disappointments is long, though few of them come from his on-ice performance.

There were season-ending injuries suffered against the Vegas Golden Knights last spring and against the Calgary Flames in the play-in series in 2020 and the much-balleyhooed suspension for his hit on Jake Evans that knocked him out of the final three games of the series sweep by the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.

But there was also the brilliant play of Scheifele during the magic carpet ride to the Western Conference final in 2018, when he made a habit of driving play and chipped in 14 goals and 20 points in 17 games before his team was bounced by the Golden Knights — a mere three wins from advancing to the Stanley Cup final.

So, as Scheifele and company prepare to open their best-of-seven series with the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night (6 p.m., Sportsnet, CBC, CJOB), the first-ever draft pick of the 2.0 version of the Jets is ready to write a new chapter.

“Every time you get to come to the playoffs, every year is a new year… and it doesn’t really compare,” said Scheifelee. “You’re just a human being, you try to learn from past experiences and how you dealt with going to the conference finals, how you dealt with losing in the first round. Those experiences make you who you are.

“That’s the biggest thing for us as a team, to take it in stride and take it game by game. That’s all we can do. Don’t look in the past and don’t look in the future, just focus on what is in the present time.”

Scheifele delivered on numerous occasions during the 2023-24 regular season.

The improvements to his all-around game are well documented and it didn’t take away from his offensive contributions. He still led the Jets in scoring, accumulating 25 goals and 72 points in 74 games.

This is an opportunity for Scheifele to provide an exclamation point by going on another lengthy playoff run.

Standing in his way is an Avalanche team that is led by Nathan MacKinnon, who has made a strong case to win the Hart Trophy this season.

Although Jets captain Adam Lowry will see a lot of MacKinnon as the matchup game unfolds, Scheifele will be on the ice against him as well.

“When there are guys (like that) on the other side, you want to be better than them,” said Scheifele. “Obviously, Nate is a fantastic player. Our games are not very similar, so it’s a matter of both of us trying to do what’s best for our team. He’s a guy we’ve got to watch out for.

“He’s had a fantastic year and this team has won before and he was a big reason for that. For me, it’s just a matter of getting excited. Having a guy like him on the other side is just extra motivation to be even better and be even more sharp each and every shift. I’m just excited for that battle.”

Jets head coach Rick Bowness explained the impact Scheifele’s had this season.

“He’s been outstanding at both ends of the ice,” said Bowness. “You’ve seen him backcheck a lot. He’s really responsible in our zone. His plus-minus is better and he’s scored some big goals. He’s doing what you want your leaders to do, play hard at both ends of the ice.”

The Jets swept the season series with the Avalanche 3-0 and outscored them 17-4 — including a 7-0 victory last Saturday — but those outcomes won’t be much of a factor when this first-round battle opens.

“Once the (playoff) games come, it’s a whole new animal,” said Scheifele. “You never know what’s going to happen and then you’ve got to be ready to deal with anything. They’re going to come out hot after the last game and it’s playoffs so we’re gonna be ramped up in front of our amazing fans. So, you just have to get excited about it. We need to be calm, be excited. We need to be excited and just go and play hockey.”

A lower-body injury to Morgan Barron has opened the door for David Gustafsson to open the series on the fourth line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Iafallo.

The Avalanche announced Saturday that forward Jonathan Drouin will miss the series with a lower-body injury, which is a blow considering he’s been playing on the top line with MacKinnon.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

That moves Zach Parise onto the top line with MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Scheifele was asked about the enthusiasm surrounding his team going into the season after they finished the regular season with an eight-game winning streak and tied a franchise record for wins (52).

“We play a great team game. We have a lot of great players, our depth is special,” said Scheifele. “Obviously, we have a fantastic goalie, but we’re a team. That’s what it comes down to. You need everyone, come playoff time. First line, fourth line, first d, sixth D, you need everyone to be battling and pushing each other to be better. That’s what we have, we have a great cohesive group in here and we play a good, solid team game and that’s what we rely on.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X: @WiebesWorld

Ken Wiebe
Reporter

Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.

Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.