All work despite no play for Jets

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This article was published 25/04/2018 (2715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A week off from the rigours of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Winnipeg Jets provided no opportunity for golf getaways, family vacations to Disneyland or a quick trip home for some of mom’s cooking.

Since disposing of the Minnesota Wild in five games in Round 1 last week, it’s been all about work despite no play for the Jets, who vault back into the fire Friday night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Game 1 of the much-anticipated second-round NHL series between the Predators and Jets — the two best teams in the league, respectively, during the regular season — is set for 7 p.m.

Nashville got past the Colorado Avalanche in six games, finishing up with a 5-0 triumph on Sunday.

Winnipeg will have gone six days without experiencing the ferocity and magnitude of a post-season contest by the time the puck drops Friday, although no one within the organization views that as cause for concern.

Unlike the all-star break or the team’s mandated five-day, mid-January recess when players purposely stepped away to reboot, this time the Jets have been fully immersed in hockey, said speedy forward Nikolaj Ehlers.

“Yeah, but that’s what’s exciting. I come to practice, I go home, I relax, I watch hockey, waiting for our next game. We’re coming to the rink every single day to get better and make sure that we’ve got a good chance in the next series,” said Ehlers.

“It’s the playoffs. It’s easy not to get casual. This is what we’ve been working for, for a while now. We’re here now, so this is the exciting part. Everybody in this room wants it, and we go out there every single practice and work for it.”

Head coach Paul Maurice and his staff ran a short, to-the-point on-ice session at Bell MTS Place Wednesday morning. The Jets were expected to have another short skate Thursday before an early afternoon chartered flight to Tennessee.

After some high-tempo line rushes, special-teams work filled the majority of time, and Winnipeg’s No. 1 goalie and Vezina Trophy nominee Connor Hellebuyck faced plenty of rubber.

Despite the gap between games, ensuring the energy level of his team keeps rising isn’t a problem, Maurice said afterward.

“There’s excitement. We expected, and I expected, today and (Thursday) to be slightly edgy on the ice because they’ve had enough practice time, they want to get this going,” said Maurice.

“Motivation, getting wired up for the game, it’s not one of 82 now, that’s not an issue. Being sharp and executing is what we’re trying to stay with here this week.”

Precedent suggests the Jets and Predators crank up the offence when they tangle. In five contests during the regular season, Nashville (3-1-1) and Winnipeg (2-3-0) combined for 41 goals in regulation time.

That counteracts the tenet of defence preached by Maurice and Preds bench boss Peter Laviolette, who have first-rate blue-line corps at their disposal.

But with Ehlers, Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler on one side, and skilled performers such as Preds’ forwards Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen on the other — not to mention defencemen on both clubs that are wired to push up the ice — Hellebuyck and perennial all-star Pekka Rinne should be busy goalies during what’s expected to be a long, gritty series.

“You work at it for seven months, so when you get here there’s no new speeches going in. We’re not changing anything with what we do. I don’t know how many pucks cross the line, but I think there’s going to be opportunities there. It could be a lower-scoring game, but it won’t be played where either team won’t try to push the envelope offensively,” said Maurice. “Both have lots of confidence in that offensive game. (Both) have very similar styles… they attack.”

Hellebuyck started four of five against Nashville, and, by his own admission, did not exactly shine in the crease.

The 24-year-old, who posted a pair of shutouts against the Wild, said he’s psyched to compete against the league’s premier club, which lost the 2017 Cup final to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“They have depth. They have a great system, a good coach over there. From top to bottom, they have solid players,” said Hellebuyck. “If you want to earn a Stanley Cup, you have to go through the best team. This will be a great series for us, a great tester to see where we’re really at. I like our team. I like the way we’ve been playing. I like how we’re built. This is going to be a fun time.”

Nashville (53-18-11) finished three points up on Winnipeg (52-20-10) during the regular season. Jets centre Bryan Little said the Preds rightly head in as the favourites.

“These guys were in the Stanley Cup finals last year. They were the best team in the league during the season, so I would say we’re the underdogs,” said Little.

“If anything, they might have an edge on us in some categories, but I think it’s close. It’s gonna be a really tough series and a tight series, so I think that’s why everyone’s so excited about it.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell