Ehlers confident goals will come

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This article was published 22/10/2021 (1420 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nikolaj Ehlers is built to score goals.

The Winnipeg Jets forwards has the speed and hands that make him among the most dangerous players in the NHL. He can be a nightmare for defenders, particularly when entering the offensive zone with a burst of speed between the blue lines.

For many NHL pundits, this is the year for Ehlers to become a household name, becoming the kind of heavy point collector like other stars across the league. He’s 25 years old, entering the prime of his career, and is coming off one of his best seasons in 2021, scoring 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 47 games.

It’s for these reasons that despite being just four games into a new season, it is somewhat perplexing Ehlers has yet to hit the scoresheet. Especially when you consider he’s averaging more than a minute more of ice time per game this season compared to last, while playing on the second line and eating up power-play minutes.

“I would say you go through slumps every single year, in one way or another. They might not be as significant every single time, but you learn from it every single year,” Ehlers said following Friday’s practice at Canada Life Centre.

“I’ve been there many times before already and I’m going to be there again, so it’s just a matter of looking forward and keep working, keep shooting the puck and when pucks aren’t going in you got to find other ways to help the team.”

He added: “The confidence is there, I feel good.”

It’s not as if Ehlers has been invisible. In fact, he’s been quite noticeable at times. He leads the team in shots attempts and is tied with Kyle Connor – who leads the Jets with seven points (5G, 2A) in four games — for the most shots on net, with 17.

With those numbers in mind, some might view his current pointless streak as less of a slump and more a streak of bad luck. It would be another story if Ehlers wasn’t generating chances, they’re just not going in right now.

“Obviously, some of those shots have just kind of been on the outside trying to get the puck to the net,” he said. “I’m getting some good looks, but I’d like to get a little bit closer and maybe get a dirty goal to get going. So, I got to get to the net.”

Ehlers said with captain Blake Wheeler and No. 1 centre Mark Scheifele currently in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, he doesn’t put more pressure on himself. He knows he’s relied upon to score, no matter who is in or out of the lineup. That’s why he was inked to a seven-year, US$42-million contract that expires at the end of the 2025-25 NHL season.

Head coach Paul Maurice isn’t concerned about Ehlers, mainly because he sees a player that’s doing all the right things and just isn’t being rewarded. In the past, Maurice has found ways for players like Wheeler and Scheifele to get more involved when things aren’t going their way, much like he did with Pierre-Luc Dubois during his inconsistent play last season.

It hasn’t reached that point yet.

“What we really like about where he’s at is this shooter’s mentality and, for me, that’s the big kind of switch in his game. When he’s shooting the puck, he’s a much, much better player than when he comes off and he doesn’t have any shot attempts or shots on goal. So, his numbers are really high right now,” Maurice said.

“He’s put a lot of pucks at the net, had an awful lot of shot attempts in games so I’ve got no concern other than maybe some plays more to the inside that he can get to. But I’m not worried about it yet. We have a bunch of different line combinations. As long as he’s shooting the puck and he’s getting shots I’ve got lots of faith he’s going to start beating goalies. I don’t think he’s very far off. He’s had a bunch that were real close.”

Like most scorers in the NHL, Ehlers has found himself battling the lows that come with a slump almost as often as enjoying the high he gets when scoring seems to come easy.

He went from being a star in junior, dominating play with the Halifax Mooseheads, to struggling in his first pro season, registering 15 goals and 38 points in 72 games. Not bad for a rookie, but not what Ehlers was used to.

He also went dark during his first two trips to the post-season, unable to score a goal in his first 21 playoff games, though he did add seven assists. In his last two trips to the post-season, he had four goals in 10 games.

Ehlers said earlier in his career he would look at a lack of points and struggle to believe he was making a real impact. As he continues to mature, he’s realized that if he’s not contributing on the scoresheet, it doesn’t necessarily mean changing things up.

He knows he can take over a game, so there’s little point in changing his process. So long as he trusts what he’s doing, the rest will fall into place.

“Obviously I want to contribute in production. Everyone wants to do that, but when that isn’t working, it’s (about) all the simple things… doing what I do and not change my game into an exchange of chances with the opponent,” Ehlers said.

“Get the puck out when I have to. Just don’t change your game. And shoot the puck as much as you can. That will get the offence going, maybe not always for yourself but for the team.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton