Shore provides faceoff grit, penalty-killing prowess

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This article was published 21/07/2020 (1876 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The benefits that come from employing goalie Connor Hellebuyck or centre Mark Scheifele can be easily discerned by Jets fans seated in the tallest perch at Bell MTS Place and by those who pore over the daily NHL statistics.

The contributions of a Nick Shore are more difficult to gauge — unless you go to battle with him.

Firmly planted as Winnipeg’s fourth-line centre since his arrival from the Toronto Maple Leafs — by way of the waiver wire — in early December, Shore goes about his business with very little flash and rarely forces his way onto the scoresheet.

In 42 contests with the Jets, the 27-year-old from Denver scored only once, set up a pair of goals and finished a minus-one, while averaging just over nine minutes of ice time each game.

But Shore was claimed to bolster the club’s defensive strength up the middle, win more faceoffs than he lost and aid the penalty kill. And by all accounts he checked all the boxes, carving out a 55.3 per cent success rate at the dot and playing a key role as Winnipeg’s numbers improved with the club a man short, prior to the league stoppage in March.

As the club prepares for a best-of-five, play-in series with the Calgary Flames, he’s manning a trio that includes Mathieu Perreault and Mason Appleton. It’s not a traditional checking line, per se, and doesn’t feature a heaviness that leaves opponents quivering in their skate boots.

But there’s a good mix of smarts, speed and tenacity that should serve the squad well, said head coach Paul Maurice, adding Shore’s skills are very apparent to everyone in the organization when game films are broken down.

“I would describe him as a player’s pro. So, he’s not Mark Scheifele and everybody understands that. But guys want to play with him because he plays smart like Mark does. That’s why both of those wingers are excited that he’s the centreman. He can make plays but he’s learned to play in the NHL. There’s a certain safety that he has to provide in the game, he’s not adding undue risk to the game but he’s still trying to make plays,” said Maurice.

“(Shore) has got really good hands, his speed is probably the element that keeps him from moving up the lineup too, too much. But his hands, his head, his heart… and the other part is that he’s a funny guy. He’s a smart guy. Matty Perreault loves the game. He loves coming to the rink and he works his butt off as does Mason Appleton now. They’ve got a good chemistry.”

Winnipeg is Shore’s fifth NHL team after also playing for the Flames, Ottawa Senators and the Los Angeles Kings. He was signed by the Leafs last summer after spending the previous season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League.

The Kings’ third-round draft pick in 2011 said it’s great to be appreciated in new surroundings.

“It’s always different coming into a room where you don’t know all the guys, but this is a great group and it was an easy adjustment for me,” he said. “I’ve always embraced whatever role the coach tells me to do, and to just go out and do it to the best of your ability. It’s always gonna take all 20 guys in the room to get the job done.”

Shore has dressed for just one post-season game, a Kings’ 2-1 defeat to the San Jose Sharks in April 2015. The specifics of that matchup are no longer stored in his memory bank, although he recalls the intensity of the battle between bitter California rivals with so much on the line.

And facing the Flames in a short series should provide a similar spark.

“That’s what everyone’s playing for. Obviously, everything’s amplified. The game changes and everyone’s geared up and ready to go,” he said. “It’s going to be tough. It’s just a best-of-five, so every game is that much more important but we’ve had months to prepare so we should be going in confident and ready to go.”

The veteran Perreault didn’t know much about Shore before he arrived, but his eyes have been opened.

“Very smart player, good hands, he’s good at giving the puck to us in the good areas for us to go chase it. If you’re open, he’ll see you. He’s a good communicator on the ice. So far, what I’ve seen and playing with him, I’ve had a lot of fun. I think we could be a good line for us in the playoffs,” said Perreault.

“For us, it’s gonna be energy. Sometimes, we don’t get out there as much. So, every chance we get, it has to matter. We’ll have that mindset. Shoresy and Appy, two great forecheckers and I like to forecheck, so if we can get on the puck and disrupt the (defence) and create some momentum, maybe have some shifts in the (offensive) zone, making sure we keep it out of our net, that’s the key one for us. Maybe get in there and score a goal here and there, that can make a difference in the playoffs.”

• • •

The Manitoba Moose have signed defenceman Trent Bourque to a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season.

The 22-year-old from Burlington, Ont., collected 20 points (3G, 17A) in 42 games with the Brampton Beast and four assists in nine games for the Newfoundland Growlers during the 2019-20 ECHL campaign. The left-shot blue-liner also picked up one assist in five American Hockey League games with the Belleville Senators last season.

The former OHL junior player, listed at 6-2, 203 pounds, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell