Blue-line duo struggling badly

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This article was published 22/10/2017 (2882 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They are already major pieces of the lineup and the kind of building blocks that seemingly give the Winnipeg Jets an impressive foundation going forward.

But the defence pairing of Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey has sprung a few leaks early this season.

Trouba, 23, and Morrissey, 22, are routinely being given the toughest matchups by coach Paul Maurice, including playing against opponents’ top line. Trouba, at minus-seven, and Morrissey, at minus-five, currently have the two worst plus-minus ratings on the team.

“They have a big responsibility with that matchup. They’re going to grow into it and get better at it. There are nights that they’ve handled it really, really well, and some nights maybe that they’ve struggled with it,” Maurice said Saturday.

Their last game would fall into the latter category. On Minnesota’s first goal last Friday, Morrissey got crushed with a big hit behind the net and Trouba was caught out of position as Chris Stewart was left all alone in front to score. On the second goal, a bad Trouba pinch led to a three-on-one which Morrissey was unable to defend.

“That’s a job we’re more likely, if we don’t like it during a game, to switch it. But not have it change their eventual role. They both need to play that role,” Maurice said.

Like much of his team, Maurice said they got “lit up” during the first two games of the season in which they were routed by both Toronto and Calgary. But there have been better signs of late as the Jets have won four of their five games since.

He stuck with the pairing through Friday’s game, and they rewarded their coach by factoring in when Blake Wheeler scored the game-winner late in the third period. Trouba drew a secondary assist on the play.

“Sometimes, you want to go out and dominate the whole 60 minutes and have there be no question or no lulls or changing of momentum in the game, but typically, on most nights, that’s not how it’s going to be,” Morrissey said. “It’s kind of finding ways to win and learning how to win in those essential sort of tough games. Where they’re close games and you have to find a way to get over that hump.”

Maurice said everyone, including himself, may be guilty of taking Trouba and Morrissey for granted.

“Well, for sure. Mo’s in his second year, we play him against the other teams’ best and he’s really been quite effective at it. Jake’s had a little bit more up and down, his game in Edmonton is as good a game I’ve seen him play. He’s been solid. Kinda like our team, 4-3, some real good ones and some ones we’d like back. But moving in the right direction,” he said.

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Kyle Connor has seemingly fit right in.

Connor scored in his season debut last week against Columbus, then set up Wheeler’s game-winner against Minnesota a few nights later with a perfect pass. It’s the kind of production the team was hoping for when Mathieu Perreault went down with an injury that is expected to sideline him for a month, leaving a big hole on the line with Wheeler and Mark Scheifele.

“It’s definitely been fun. They’re two great players. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can. We’re starting to read off each other better,” Connor said.

Consider his coach impressed.

“He’s got some great speed. What we’d like to see (from) that line is that kind of idea, make those plays a little further up the ice, use your speed a little bit longer, and he keeps skating like that, it looks like there might be some chemistry,” Maurice said. “When you’re talking to Mark and Blake, he’s quite easy to read off for a young player. Usually, that’s the challenge, the veteran guys have a harder time picking up what the kid is going to do.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg