Jets welcome upcoming extended break

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This article was published 03/02/2025 (248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Turns out there is at least one opponent who can slow down the surging Winnipeg Jets: The NHL schedule-maker.

Hockey’s hottest team is about to be forced into an extended hiatus, thanks to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off which means playing just two games over a 20-day span.

Winnipeg will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre, entertain the New York Islanders on Friday night and then not hit the ice again until Feb. 22 in St. Louis.

One school of thought is this pause couldn’t come at a worse time, with the Jets having reeled off six victories in a row and wanting to keep building off that momentum. Head coach Scott Arniel and several players are taking a “never look a gift horse in the mouth” approach.

“I think the break is very important for everyone. It’s been a crazy, hectic schedule,” said veteran forward Vlad Namestnikov, who is among a number of players who have been fighting through bumps and bruises to stay in the lineup.

Not everyone has been as fortunate. Captain Adam Lowry has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury and won’t return until later in the month at the earliest. Morgan Barron has been sidelined for two in a row and isn’t expected back this week, either.

There have also been numerous close calls in recent weeks, that saw the Jets play a stretch of 10 games in 19 days (going 8-2-0) to get them up to 54 games already this year. No other NHL club has played more, with some teams still at 50 (Los Angeles) and 51 (Nashville and Tampa Bay) prior to Monday night.

“We have done a good job. We are ahead of teams in games played, and we have won those, which is a bonus. I am OK with this,” Arniel said of the workload getting a lot lighter, which will hopefully allow for some physical healing to occur.

Indeed, the Jets have made hay despite their busy schedule as they currently enjoy an eight-point lead in the Central Division (Dallas has two games in hand). In the Western Conference, the Stars are also the closest team to Winnipeg, which has a nine-point buffer over Edmonton (two games in hand) and Vegas (one game in hand).

“We have done a good job. We are ahead of teams in games played, and we have won those, which is a bonus. I am OK with (the extended break).”– Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel

In a perfect world, the Jets will be able to weaponize the calendar down the stretch while most of their rivals are playing catch-up to the point of exhaustion.

“Every day off in a season like this with the 4 Nations going on, every day off is valuable to try and get your rest,” said forward Gabe Vilardi.

“Or even a day like (Monday), where you actually get to practice and have a work day and feel like you got something out of coming to the rink as opposed to more recovery.”

The Jets are coming off a perfect three-game road trip punctuated by Saturday’s thrilling 5-4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals, who are the only NHL team with a better winning percentage. (Winnipeg leads by two points overall, but Washington has two games in hand).

Monday’s practice lines suggest no changes are coming with forward Brad Lambert and defencemen Ville Heinola and Haydn Fleury again being the healthy scratches.

This recent run would be impressive enough if it was happening with a full lineup. The fact they’ve done it without their on and off-ice leader in Lowry takes it to another level.

“We said it was going to be by committee,” said Arniel.

“We don’t have anybody in the organization that is a clone of Adam Lowry and does what he does and what he brings both on and off the ice. People have stepped up.”

That has included David Gustafsson becoming a regular in the lineup and producing at both ends of the ice, Rasmus Kupari taking on an increased role, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele killing penalties, a call-up such as Parker Ford scoring in his NHL debut and the likes of Namestnikov and his line with Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers finding another gear.

“I think we’re supporting each other. We’re three around the puck, and one kind of bumps the other guy with the puck, the other guy picks it up, and we start cycling, and I think we’ve been skating better as a line,” Namestnikov said of what’s been working well.

Perfetti (4G, 3A) and Ehlers (2G, 5A) both have seven points in the last five games, while Namestnikov has seven over his last six games (1G, 6A).

Although most players will be scattering this weekend for some vacation time — save for Connor, Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck who will be competing in the 4 Nations tournament — nobody is looking past this brief homestand which begins with a tough Hurricanes team that is currently tied for fifth in the NHL in points percentage.

“They’re very well structured, aggressive team. They don’t give you much space,” said Namestnikov.

“At the end of the day we’re all winners in here. I think we all have that competitive drive to win every game.”– Jets forward Gabe Vilardi

“I’d say all their forwards are very quick. They’re always on you, and they don’t give you much space to regroup and break out. So as I said, we gotta be prepared. We know what to do and move the puck just as fast, and we can get out of our zone.”

One thing we are learning about these Jets — they don’t appear to get overly comfortable or satisfied with success. The plan is to keep the foot on the gas, even if the season is about to take a two-week detour.

“At the end of the day we’re all winners in here. I think we all have that competitive drive to win every game,” said Vilardi.

“So I don’t think anybody has that mindset of just lets chill for this one. We’re going to go out there trying to win. Obviously some nights you have it more than others, depending on travel, sleep and whatnot. But yeah, we have a winner’s mindset. I think that’s huge down the stretch because every point is valuable and you want to win every game.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg