Don’t underestimate Winnipeg’s Mr. Big

Opinion

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This article was published 16/04/2015 (3833 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bryan Little is the most underrated top line centre in the NHL, but when this series is over his Winnipeg Jets will be advancing and the hockey world will know a lot more about his game.

The battle between the marquee centres of the Anaheim Ducks and the low key pivots of the Jets will decide this series.

Winnipeg’s depth down the middle, provided by Little and youngsters Adam Lowry and Mark Scheifele, will prove superior to the star power of Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler.

Getzlaf is still one of the best in the game but Kesler is diminished. Rickard Rakell has added fresh legs and an offensive flair but how he deals with a steady diet of Lowry’s physical game is a storyline to watch.

Now, throw out any talk of the Jets winning this series if they don’t get the required goaltending from Ondrej Pavelec.

Pavelec is unlikely to continue at the .947-save-percentage clip he held over his final 12 games of the season, running up a 9-2-1 record, but he must be solid and stable.

The Ducks are going to score. That’s an absolute in today’s NHL. But if Pavelec can limit them to two or fewer goals per game for four games of the series, the Jets will advance.

Little and his mates will pay a major role in this as the Jets’ goals-against per game is about more than just Pavelec and his pads. Shot suppression is key for the Jets and their centres will lead the way. Little creates, as the 156 points his line amassed this season attests, but he also is effective at limiting the opposition.

The Jets, in five-on-five situations, have averaged 60.5 shots for per 60 minutes and 50.7 shots-per-60 against with Little on the ice. Those are strong numbers and Scheifele and Lowry have similar stats. Lowry holds the opposition to an average of 45.2 shots per 60 minutes and that’s the best number among the top six centres in the series.

Scheifele has raised his defensive game and holds the opposition to an average of 50 shots.

Anaheim generates close to 57 shots per 60 minutes on average with all three of Getzlaf, Kesler and Rakell on the ice. Their shot suppression, however, isn’t as strong as the Jets and they average around 53 shots against per 60 minutes.

The Ducks have the higher-end offensive players. Getzlaf and Perry are the best players in the series. But the Jets can provide offence in waves with their top nine. Winnipeg also generates offence from the blue-line and has mobility and scoring threats in each of its pairings.

The Jets need to be themselves in this series. They need to continue to focus on limiting the opposition’s red- zone chances like they have all season.

Being physical is fine but it must be married with discipline.

The Ducks will be working the officials from the minute the series begins. Perry and Getzlaf can talk to the officials differently than the Jets. They have pedigree and respect. That’s the way the NHL works and if the Jets get a little wild, they’ll pay for it.

There are key storylines to observe this series and the impact of Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien as well as the work of Pavelec are major.

But Little is about to emerge. He has the game and he has a void in his career he wants to fill. Only playoff success can do this.

He’s smaller than the top centres in the Western Conference and, with 52 points this season, he doesn’t get the billing others garner.

Last season, when Little was running hot in the early going, he was asked if he thought he might get some Olympic team attention.

“I can’t even get invited to the world championship team let alone the Olympics,” he said with a laugh.

There’s an air of Rodney Dangerfield’s “I can’t get no respect,” about Little.

That’s about to disappear. Look for him to provide steady offence but more importantly for his line to employ lots of puck possession to limit Getzlaf and Perry.

Little has been Winnipeg’s secret for some time. But his name is about to get out. Little? More like Big. As in Big Time.

He’ll lead the Jets to a series win. Make it Winnipeg in seven games.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless