Drive the goal for net profits

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This article was published 25/10/2021 (1473 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here’s a hot tip for all hockey players — good things happen when you go to the front of the net. That’s been the case for the Winnipeg Jets and their opponents early in this season, with plenty of similar goals being scored at both ends of the ice. In fact, coach Paul Maurice believes it’s a league-wide trend.

“It’s just something we’re watching, just the number of shot tips,” Maurice said Monday following his team’s practice at Canada Life Centre. The 2-2-1 club begins a three-game California road swing tonight in Anaheim. “You watch the hockey and you watch the recaps off each game and the number of shot-tip goals or rebound goals (at the) net front.”

A cross-checking crackdown around the NHL is the likely cause. As Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey explained, it’s become more difficult to defend one’s turf without the ability to resort to, shall we say, questionable tactics that had become a staple of the game.

“It’s a lot harder to defensively prevent someone from getting into that area,” said Morrissey. “And I guess consequently it’s a little bit easier to get there.”

Maurice believes one of two things will likely happen. Either the officiating standard changes and old habits ultimately die hard, or offensive players continue reaping the rewards knowing they likely won’t pay the same painful price as in the past.

“There were certain teams in the league where it was very, very difficult to get to the net and you always feel that they got away with a lot (when you were) going to the net and now you can’t,” said Maurice.

“I think we’re dealing with it on our PK as well, cleaning the net front and not being able to get that cross check in on a guy, I think that has something to do with that. There’s a chance then that we’re still early in this. One thing, the D is going to have to learn to make an adjustment, but also, these forwards now are going to make the adjustment and there are going to be more and more of them going to the net. We’re going to see more traffic net-front.”

You may also see defencemen putting up more points. That’s been the case so far, with Winnipeg’s blue-liners already combining for 18 points (2G, 16A) through five games.

“Obviously a lot of goals are scored in front of the net. It’s a place that if you go there and put pucks there you’re going to be rewarded,” said Morrissey, who has lit the lamp twice to go with a helper. “We’ve had a few against, obviously we’re trying to do that as well and trying to get to that area. It’s a good place to score goals, and nice to see some working for us.”

The Jets wanted to have a more mobile, puck-moving defence core this year, and the additions of Nate Schmidt (team-high six assists) and Brenden Dillon (two assists) to go along with Morrissey and Neal Pionk (five assists) have provided that in spades in the top four.

“Looking at the guys we have there, everybody can move. Everybody can get involved offensively,” said Morrissey.

One player who has been getting to net plenty early in this season is forward Kyle Connor, who leads the Jets with six goals (tied for tops in the league) and three assists. He was named the NHL’s first star on Monday after putting up eight of those points (5G, 3A) last week, leading Winnipeg to a 2-0-1 record. Edmonton centre Connor McDavid was named second star, while New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin was third star.

“The type of skill he has, the speed he has and the knack for scoring goals. It’s pretty fun to watch in practice,” Morrissey said of Connor. “But outside of obviously his points, I feel like he’s playing at a really high pace, he’s flying out there. With a couple big guys being out of our lineup right now he’s been outstanding to produce like that for us.”

Those two big guys are Connor’s usual linemates in Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, who both remain in COVID-19 protocol. Wheeler, who tested positive with symptoms on Oct. 18, is eligible to rejoin the team after 10 days provided he no longer has symptoms. Scheifele, who first tested positive on Oct. 20 in Winnipeg but remains asymptomatic, can come back either after 10 days from his diagnosis, or if he can provide two negative tests within a 24-hour period.

“Wheels is still in Minnesota and it seems he’s bored out of his mind. I know I would be,” said Connor.

“He’s been chiming in on our group chat a lot and I’m sure guys have reached out to him a couple times. Nobody wants to be in that position, you know, you miss the guys. Same with (Scheifele) too. It’s tough. It gets boring, especially when you’re away from the guys for such a long time. We’re excited to get them back. I’m sure they’re gonna come back healthy and make a difference.”

Both players continue to count against the salary cap, which is why the Jets have been unable to call up any replacements given how close they are to the US $81.5-million ceiling. Only 18 skaters and two goaltenders boarded the charter on Monday. Wheeler and Scheifele are unlikely to join them in time for Thursday’s game in Los Angeles or Saturday’s finale in San Jose, with a seven-game homestand starting next Tuesday being the more likely scenario.

Maurice said his team has no choice but to continue using the 11 forwards and seven defencemen currently in the fold. And there’s a chance they may ultimately have a play a game or two with less than 18 skaters at some point. However, one silver lining is that young players such as Kristian Vesalainen (first NHL goal Saturday), Evgeny Svechnikov and Jansen Harkins have all stepped up in recent games to take on bigger roles.

“This is their time to get more minutes, to push themselves into a more minutes conversation and that you build a confidence and a faith maybe that you maybe get to keep all year because you know that you’re going to have injuries and you know you’re going to have adversity through injuries and then you want to have success,” said Maurice.

“So, three months from now, if you lose one or two guys, that feeling of dread doesn’t creep into your room. It’s more ‘we’ve done this before and we’re capable of winning hockey games and playing well, even with important pieces out of our lineup.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg