Jets shuffle blue line

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This article was published 04/01/2022 (1345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GLENDALE — No, Dave Lowry didn’t consult with Connor McDavid when he decided to change up his top defensive pairing, but there’s no question the game’s greatest player could provide a heck of a reference when it comes to the new (old) look on the Winnipeg Jets blue-line.

It was McDavid, you’ll recall, who was mostly held in check last spring as his Edmonton Oilers were swept out of the opening round of the playoffs. A big reason for that was the smothering play of Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo, who gave him little room to operate.

Curious, then, that the Jets began this campaign with the dynamic duo apart. Paul Maurice opted to pair Morrissey with Nate Schmidt, one of the two big trade additions during the off-season. Brenden Dillon, the other new acquisition, was joined with Neal Pionk. And DeMelo was bumped down the lineup to skate with big Logan Stanley.

Until now.

Lowry, who took over from Maurice on Dec. 17, reunited Morrissey and DeMelo two days later with Schmidt out of the lineup due to illness. They impressed in a 4-2 victory over a strong St. Louis team, which snapped a three-game winless skid for the Jets. A two-week break followed, with five games postponed due to pandemic-related reasons, but Lowry opted to move Schmidt down to play with Stanley when Winnipeg returned to the ice last Sunday afternoon in Vegas and skated off with a 5-4 overtime victory.

Morrissey and DeMelo were together for a third straight game Tuesday as the Jets faced the Coyotes in Arizona.

“I think as a player when there’s a change behind the bench you expect some changes and it’s something you have to be ready for,” Morrissey said prior to puck drop at Gila River Arena. “I feel like we’ve got lots of great players on our blue-line and you have to be able to adapt when you get changed or there’s a change or anything like that. It’s exciting to play with Mel, for sure. He’s a pro and comes to play at night.”

Although taking care of their own end is priority No. 1, there’s some offence to be found there as well. DeMelo and Morrissey had a direct hand in Paul Stastny’s third period goal against Vegas that gave Winnipeg its first lead of the game

“It’s been good. Obviously Josh is a great player, he’s having a great year for us. It just feels like old times like last year when we were together,” DeMelo said. “I feel like we’ve gelled well so far. It’s obviously been a short time but it’s been good. Nice to get some opportunities, some extra ice of that nature, you feel like you’re more in the game. You feel like you’re doing a little bit more with that ice time. I’m happy to have that and hopefully we can keep it up.”

Although Schmidt (17) and Pionk (16) lead the way in points heading into action against the Coyotes, Morrissey tops the blue-line with five goals, while also adding eight assists. The defensively responsible DeMelo has chipped in a goal and three helpers.

“I’ve liked my year a lot. I think my game has been pretty solid. I’m doing a good job moving my feet and defending well, trying to provide a little bit of offence whenever I can. I think that’s something I can continue to improve on. For me it’s defence first, and solid, reliable play. I think for the most part this year I’ve done that, and I’ve been really happy with how my year has gone so far,” he said.

“(He and Morrissey) are playing fast. We’re moving pucks quick, our gap is good, our sticks are good, we’re ending plays early, and we’re moving our feet. That’s a recipe for our whole team. When we’re moving our feet and playing fast – individually and as a group – we look a lot better. That’s been something we’ve been trying to do here over the last little bit. It’s quite evident when you watch our games what’s working for us, and that’s usually it.”

The Jets are in the early stages here of a stretch that will see them play eight of nine games away from Canada Life Centre, barring any other schedule changes. For Lowry, that means being at the mercy of your opponent constantly having the last change. No question it was a factor in the flip-flop, with the idea of creating three pairings he’s comfortable with in pretty much any situation.

Against the Golden Knights, all six defencemen played between 16:50 (Stanley) and 24:33 (Pionk).

“I think it’s something that no matter what pairing is going on a certain night, or whoever gets caught out there especially on the road where you can’t control it as much, we should have a lot of confidence I think in all the pairings,” said Morrissey.” And hopefully as a group we should continue to give that confidence level to the coaching staff to play us like that.”

DeMelo is a key part of a slowly improving penalty killing unit, while Morrissey is a staple on a power play that is showing signs of heating up. If the Jets are to go anywhere in the coming months, they’ll need their special teams to be firing.

“Maybe not a clean slate as much as a whole new staff. Definitely maybe an opportunity to have a different viewpoint on things, some different linemates and different D pairings. There is definitely an opportunity there to show something that maybe the last coach didn’t see, or maybe he saw something different,” DeMelo said of the current mindset.

“I’m not sure why the switch, but I try to play my game no matter where I am and no matter who is coaching. You have to be very versatile, able to play with anybody, everything is very fluid. This year more than ever, with everything COVID and injuries – knock on wood on COVID for our group – you just have to stay true to you, stay true to how you play.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg