Classic Paul Maurice

Opinion

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This article was published 03/08/2020 (1887 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON — It’s about Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice, and his bombshell claim that Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk went out of his way to deliberately injure Mark Scheifele in the opening minutes of their qualifying round playoff series.

Big, if true. But I don’t buy it for a second. Neither does the NHL, which saw nothing improper to warrant a fine or suspension for what was an unfortunate, accidental play, the kind that can happen in a fast-moving game where players have giant knives attached to their feet and contact is not only allowed, but encouraged.

In fact, I’ll go one step further and suggest that Maurice really doesn’t think the talented, ill-tempered Tkachuk had malice on his mind, even if the veteran coach lobbed multiple verbal grenades from the podium, using terms such as “filthy” “dirty” and “grotesque.”

Sure, he was rightfully spitting fire about losing his top centre for who knows how long. And yes, Tkachuk often plays close to the edge and won’t get the benefit of the doubt in many quarters.

But make no mistake: Maurice’s comments, which may have appeared to be off-the-cuff, were anything but. This was a calculated bit of gamesmanship, about having the backs of his players, about putting his opponent under a microscope and on the defensive, about rallying the troops and giving them an “us against the world mentality.”

And you know what? For at least one game, it worked like a charm.

Not only did Maurice deflect all the attention away from the things his club did so poorly in Game 1 — costly turnovers, getting manhandled physically and woeful special teams — he put all the attention on himself by making his take on the Scheifele-Tkachuk affair THE story over the weekend.

It’s pretty much all anybody here in the hub city of Edmonton to cover these unique Stanley Cup playoffs has been talking about.

And how did his players respond? By flying out of the gate during Monday’s critical Game 2, despite missing Scheifele, Patrik Laine and, to a much lesser extent, Mason Appleton from their lineup due to injury. Did the Jets look like a team that was feeling sorry for itself, a club that knew its goose was cooked? Absolutely not.

And a big part of that is a head coach who seemingly pushed all the right buttons and had his team focused on the enormous challenge standing in their way, even if pretty much everyone outside of their room was already writing their obituary.

Say what you will about Maurice, the guy knows how to motivate. There’s a reason players like Blake Wheeler, the fearless captain, have said they would “go through a wall for Paul.” The feeling is very much mutual.

The relationship between Maurice and Wheeler has always intrigued me. Both are alpha male type personalities with big emotions who expect the most out of those around them. At times, you’d think, it must lead to some conflict between them, like seeing a pair of rhinos locking horns as they battle for territory.

Maurice, speaking candidly and somewhat emotionally following his team’s gutsy 3-2 victory Monday afternoon at Rogers Place, pulled back the curtain just a bit as he talked about that very subject.

“We’ve got one of the best leaders in the game on our team and one of the best leaders of people that I’ve ever worked with. Not only does he captain our hockey team, but he also works the coach pretty good now too so he knows when I’ve had too much coffee and when I haven’t,” said Maurice.

And that right there, folks, is a dream scenario for any sports team.

I get that Maurice isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and he has some traits which can be frustrating, from his over-reliance at times on veteran players over youth and his stubbornness to change. But he has many endearing qualities, which is why he got a well-deserved contract extension from the organization earlier this season.

He remains the right guy for this group, and that’s never been more clear than how he’s handled the last few days, when a huge heap of adversity once again bit his club in the butt, just as it seemingly has done all season long.

Maurice is a slick communicator who knows how to deflect and distract — in the room, behind the bench and when dealing with the media, especially those who don’t follow the team on a regular basis and often come away impressed by what he regularly has to offer. I see it non-stop when following the Jets around North America, and now an even wider audience is being treated in this unique “new normal” of pre- and post-game Zoom interviews.

Just look at how he responded Monday to a question from Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, who asked about the health status of Scheifele and Laine specifically.

“I’ll be kind today because we won. Because the first answer is they’re not fit to play,” said Maurice, followed by a very, very long pause. “Maybe I won’t be kind. We’ll see (Tuesday). I’m not looking to give up an advantage of any part of this now. They didn’t play today, we’ll see how they come to the rink tomorrow. And if we ever meet Steve I’ll buy you dinner, because that was a horses–t answer.”

Classic Maurice. Where some coaches might tell you to take a hike — hello, John Tortorella — Winnipeg’s bench boss takes a much more charitable approach.

Speaking of which, Scheifele’s injury isn’t as serious as first feared. As I sat in my press box perch Saturday evening, listening to Scheifele screaming in agony in the otherwise empty arena, with officials inquiring about whether a stretcher or ambulance was needed, I figured he was headed straight out of the secure “bubble” and directly to the hospital, probably in to surgery.

That didn’t happen. Scheifele actually joined his teammates for a post-game meal in the Sutton Place Hotel dining area that night, which was a great sign. He was reportedly moving around Sunday in a walking boot and was at Rogers Place in a suite watching Monday’s game.

I don’t expect him to be an option for Tuesday’s Game 3, but an appearance later in the playoffs, if the Jets can keep their season going, isn’t out of the question. As for Laine, his ailment is a bit of a mystery, although it clearly involves his arm, wrist or hand.

Regardless of if, or when, the two big missing weapons come back, one thing is clear: As they continue trying to climb what remains a very tall mountain, they are in excellent hands with a coach like Maurice who is willing to stick his neck out if it gives them the best shot at success.

 

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg