Offering a cure for what currently ails Jets

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/12/2016 (3194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 There’s been no shortage of chatter recently about what’s ailing the Winnipeg Jets.

A fair bit of it is aimed at head coach Paul Maurice, suggesting he’s part of the problem.

Well, help is on the way; I have some ideas to get his club back on track.

First up: Maurice’s reliance on excuses.

He’s mentioned the team’s brutal schedule thus far — 32 games in 60 days — and its effect on the club’s overall health, once or twice. Repeat thatto the masses enough times and it works.

My concern is the players know what he’s saying.

If you keep telling them they’re tired and the schedule is sticking it to them, I worry they’ll start believing it, even though they try to fight it. Excuses become a problem when they start to affect player accountability. Give them an easy out and some might take it. So, stop it, coach.

Next, how can Maurice help the Jets’ woeful numbers during five-on-five hockey?

The biggest thing is to provide stability and get rid of his line blender for a while.

Maurice had no choice earlier in the year when players were falling like bowling pins, but even though some of the wounded are back on the ice, he hasn’t stopped stirring.

There’s a big advantage to knowing what your linemates are thinking. Sometimes coaches look like geniuses when a shuffle leads to more red lights behind the opposition’s goal, but the Jets need to develop some longer-term chemistry.

Let’s start with a veteran top line: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Mathieu Perreault.

The Jets need to get Perreault going. And while he scored playing alongside Bryan Little on Sunday, I like this combination; a good veteran attack to lead the way.

Then arm Little with young guns Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers on the wings.

Let’s follow that up with a mix of youth, speed, talent and a ferocious effort battling for pucks: Andrew Copp centring Marko Dano and Brendan Tanev.

And Drew Stafford, inspired by centre Adam Lowry and Chris Thorburn’s passion, could produce a goal now and then against the right opposition line, although this trio’s possession stats could be an issue.

Keep those four lines together for a few games, offering the stability to make then accountable.

On to fixing the power play. One unit is Wheeler, Scheifele, Perreault, Josh Morrissey and Laine. Morrissey has been the Jets’ steadiest defenceman and I’m comfortable taking a chance on this rookie’s offensive skills soon appearing.

This is also a group that has the skaters and puck-handlers needed to gain control consistently in the offensive end, a key to a good power play. It doesn’t focus on Laine as the shooter (like the four left-hand shots who have been tried with him), but it allows some switching off and using both his passing and shooting skills from the right side, as well.

If he drifts over to the other side, it may open up passing lanes to Scheifele or Wheeler for their one-timers; Laine isn’t a one-trick pony (insert own-goal jokes here).

Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Little, Ehlers and Dano playing down low and in front of the net (depending on the situation) would be the second unit. Ehlers is at the half-boards on one side — on the other is Little, with Byfuglien roaming and in front of the net at times. Get this group pounding the puck toward the net… I can see this working.

I could easily flip Ehlers and Perreault, but since I’m looking for stability, the first line stays together.

The penalty-killing unit sits worse than the power play and needs help, but specifics are tougher here, as I prefer a high-pressure game but the Jets do it sporadically and look confused at times.

Pick your quickest players and hound the puck with a brain. The players, should they choose, can help their coach here by cutting out the stupid penalties.

What about Maurice’s assistant coaches?

Defence coach Charlie Huddy has had mixed results, but it’s hard to say he’s responsible for a lot of the huge mental blunders his guys make, but that’s worth watching.

The other two — Jamie Kompon and Todd Woodcroft — haven’t produced much in the way of results, but it’s too early for conclusions.

Goaltending coach Wade Flaherty seems to have escaped criticism through the years, despite the Jets’ consistent inconsistency in goal. I assume Maurice has had numerous conversations with him.

The good news is a well-rested Jets team managed a shootout win against the visiting Florida Panthers Thursday night. The Panthers have won only two of nine games since unceremoniously firing head coach Gerard Gallant after a loss on the road. My former London Knights teammate Tom Rowe adds coach to his general manager title and I wish him well.

Winnipeg has three games against hapless opponents before heading into the Christmas break — one Sunday afternoon at the MTS Centre against the Colorado Avalanche, followed by two in a row on the West Coast against the Vancouver Canucks.

Maurice may be able to throw any combinations over the boards and win all three.

I was just trying to fix what appears to be broke and stop the bleeding, in the spirit of giving during the holiday season.

Chosen ninth overall by the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and first overall by the WHA’s Houston Aeros in 1977, Scott Campbell has now been drafted by the Winnipeg Free Press to play a new style of game.

Twitter: @NHL_Campbell