Jets off to a flying start

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This article was published 27/11/2023 (673 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This just in — the Winnipeg Jets are good.

Not just a bubble team but actually, legitimately good.

Just how good they are is a story still be be authored, but after hitting the 20-game mark with a 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Sunday, the Jets find themselves in the thick of the chase for top spot in the Central Division with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, who are back in town on Tuesday.

Winnipeg boasts a record of 12-6-2 (26 points) and on track to rival the best record in 2.0 franchise history (52-20-10 in 2017-18). But it’s also similar to the team’s lofty standing at this time last season before the bottom fell out.

Whether the Jets are on their collective way to either of those spots or somewhere in between remains to be seen, though there is ample evidence in this first block of games to suggest this group is playing a more sustainable brand of hockey.

“There’s a lot of good things that we are doing. We’ve put ourselves in a good position through 20 games,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said. “The work is just beginning. It gets harder from here. They talk about the different dates — American Thanksgiving, after Christmas, bye week, trade deadline — that’s kind of the way it usually seems to push.”

The good vibes began prior to training camp with Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck inking identical seven-year contract extensions, and they’ve continued through the first couple months of the regular season despite plenty of adversity coming their way including injury, illness and tragedy.

“We’ve got to keep building off the things we’ve done really well,” said Morrissey.

Here’s a closer look at what has stood out during those first 20 games:

Hellebuyck has his groove back — Do you remember that pedestrian start Hellebuyck had? Yes, his numbers were skewed dramatically by the first three starts of the campaign, as he allowed 13 goals and had a sub. 900 save percentage in each of the outings. Don’t look now, but after a 32-save shutout against the Florida Panthers on Friday, Hellebuyck is riding a serious high and looks dialed in. Not surprisingly, those traditional stats are back on track as well, with that save percentage up to .908 and the goals-against average down to 2.84. The underlying numbers back up the hot stretch, with Hellebuyck quietly moving up to 12th in goals saved above expected (4.8) in all situations, according to Money Puck. When you extrapolate to five-on-five, Hellebuyck is second in the NHL (8.7), behind only reigning Vezina Trophy winner Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders. “Just continue playing, getting in a nice rhythm,” Hellebuyck said on Friday. “Not that I wasn’t confident, but now I’m just kind of playing, I’m not overthinking and I think that’s huge.”

The “C” looks good on Lowry — Adam Lowry is leading by example, on and off the ice. His drive and determination will never be questioned, but the 30-year-old is also producing at a career-high rate (13 points in 20 games so far). Lowry’s line, with Mason Appleton (15 points, also on pace for a career best) and Nino Niederreiter (14 points), has been Winnipeg’s most consistent so far, and there’s a reason the trio almost always start games and periods because it frequently sets the tone. Lowry has also handled the “captain in a Canadian market” responsibilities with class and really is driving the bus.

Morrissey still looking Norris-sey — Most of the national headlines have been focused on Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and Avalanche blue-liner Cale Makar, but don’t sleep on Morrissey when it comes to the discussion for the top D-man in the NHL. He’s staying in the race as one of the top-scoring defencemen with 19 points in 20 games. He’s also a minute-muncher who regularly takes on the top matchups, playing a season high 28:19 on Sunday. His skating is sublime and he knows when to activate offensively, while limiting the risk. He’s highly motivated to continue to improve and that’s been evident once again this season.

The offensive stars are shining — Kyle Connor leads the team in goals (14) and is on pace for close to 60. Scheifele is tied with his linemate in points (23) and is piling up the assists at a torrid rate, while also looking much more committed to play in his own end of the ice. Nikolaj Ehlers, after missing the pre-season with injury, is starting to heat up and scored one of the nicest goals you’ll ever see the other night in Florida. The play of Winnipeg’s three highest-paid forwards will go a long way to determining how the season turns out.

Perfetti’s star is on the rise — One couldn’t help but notice Cole Perfetti on the ice during the 6-on-5 situation as the Jets pushed for the equalizer late in Sunday’s game. He’s earned the increase in ice time and has proven to be highly productive through the first quarter, sitting fourth in points (17) and tied for second on the team in goals (seven), an impressive number for someone known more for his vision and passing ability. He’s settling in nicely on the top power-play unit as well, and there’s a chance he could be getting another crack at the second-line centre job before long. The 21-year-old is growing into a play-driver right before our very eyes.

Not so special teams — There’s an old adage that teams should strive to have power-play and penalty-kill rates that add up to at least 100 per cent, with history suggesting teams that hit that mark are likely to make the playoffs. All of which makes it even more impressive that the Jets are where they are despite a number that currently sits at 92.4 per cent. The PP (19.4 per cent) is 20th in the NHL, while the PK (73.0 per cent) is a lowly 28th. If and when both those marks begin to improve, then look out.

“Overall, our team game is very good. Our five-on-five game has been really good,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness, who missed 13 games while on a personal leave after his wife, Judy, suffered a seizure. “Both specialty teams have to get better, but our five-on-five team game, for the most part, has been outstanding. It really has. That’s what’s going to carry us through the next 20 games but our special teams have to get better.”

Iafallo has been a revelation — His versatility was well-documented, but nobody anticipated Alex Iafallo jumping up into a prominent role on the top line and first power play when the season started. The former Los Angeles Kings forward has spent roughly 15 games in that spot and has been doing a lot of the dirty work while also chipping in offence and providing dependable defensive-zone play. Look for him to add penalty-killing responsibilities to his portfolio during the next stretch, as Gabriel Vilardi is nearly set to return to the lineup after missing the past 17 games.

Brossoit needs to be better… but — The job of a backup goalie is to give the team a chance to win and, on that front, Laurent Brossoit is 2-2-1, despite a 2.97 GAA and .877 save percentage. Much like Hellebuyck’s slow start, the small sample size can make it tough to overcome. With just five starts so far, Brossoit has fought the puck a bit. The Jets need him locked-in to help keep Hellebuyck fresh, which is why they need to let him play his way through this. It’s also up to Brossoit to find the level he displayed down the stretch with the Vegas Golden Knights last season and into the playoffs.

Pionk has returned to form — It’s been an emotional time for Neal Pionk, who was devastated by the tragic on-ice death of best friend Adam Johnson during a game in England. While playing with a heavy heart, Pionk has also elevated his game after a couple rough years. His plus-nine ranking is tops among all Jets defenceman, his nine points are second only to Morrissey and he’s looking a lot more like the guy who immediately impressed upon coming over to Winnipeg in exchange for Jacob Trouba prior to the 2019-20 campaign.

Samberg has been super — Hard to believe there was a time, not very long ago, when Dylan Samberg was viewed as anything but a lineup lock, competing with teammates such as Logan Stanley and Kyle Capobianco last season for playing time on the blue line. Samberg, 24, has grown by leaps and bounds this year and often looks like a seasoned veteran despite only having 98 NHL regular-season games on his resume. Smothering defensive play, an increased physical presence and calm, cool and collected puck-moving out of his own end are all assets now regularly on display.

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Where does Vilardi slot in, perhaps as early as Tuesday night against Dallas? Do they find a way to get some playing time for Declan Chisholm (just back from a conditioning stint with the Manitoba Moose) and/or Stanley? And what to do when Ville Heinola is back from his broken ankle as early as next month and Rasmus Kupari is back in a few weeks from his shoulder ailment?

Decisions, decisions… but the kind of “good problems” teams hope they have to agonize over because it means things are going well, both in terms of on-ice play, health and a deep, talented roster.

“The identity of our team has been our overall team game, our depth and ability to win games as a team, playing the right way, and letting that individual skill come out when it’s available,” said Morrissey.

“I think the depth on our team and our system, team structure, playing hard D, is what’s gotten us here and we’re going to have to keep that going.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca