Teams’ desperation at ‘another level,’ Morrissey says

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This article was published 05/05/2018 (2687 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Josh Morrissey still has no idea how he didn’t score. But just like his teammates, the Winnipeg Jets defenceman isn’t spending a lot of time wondering “What if” as they get ready to play the biggest game of their season tonight in Nashville.

“Until that puck crosses the line, he’s going to try to keep making a desperation save. Unfortunately… I don’t know if he’d tell you it was on purpose, but it ended up being a great save,” Morrissey said Friday of the grand theft Pekka Rinne pulled on him the previous night during Game 4.

The Predators goaltender somehow got the butt-end of his upside-down stick to stop Morrissey’s shot just before it crossed the line. It would have been the crucial opening goal for the Jets in a game they went on to fall behind 2-0 and eventually lose 2-1.

Watch it again because this Pekka Rinne larceny is the @GatoradeCanada Cool Under Pressure Play of the Night. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/2I7jJavXuO

— NHL (@NHL) May 4, 2018

 

“I just looked skyward; I couldn’t believe it. A number of things happened. It hit square on the knob and coming off like that was something I’ve never seen before. Unfortunately, it didn’t go in. It is what it is, we’ll just go forward,” Morrissey said.

The teams have alternated victories through the first four games of this series, with each winning once at home and once on the road. According to the NHL, when a best-of-seven playoff series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 202-54 (78.9 per cent).

That makes tonight’s game at Bridgestone Arena a pretty big deal, wouldn’t you say?

“Every game you look at is a must-win. It’s going to be important. They’re going to come out strong, and we’re going to want to come out strong so it’s a big game in both our minds. It’ll be a matter of who wants it more,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele said Friday.

Whoever wins will have a chance to wrap up the series and advance to the Western Conference finals with another victory in Game 6 Monday night at Bell MTS Place.

The Jets held an optional skate and off-ice workout Friday at home, with only the scratches from Game 4 taking a twirl before they flew to Tennessee.

“I think it goes to another level,” Morrissey said Friday of the desperation level.

“Obviously, both teams have had games at home and on the road, an even-up series. The next game is extremely important. I expect it to be definitely at another level for intensity and compete and everything like that. We’re confident going in there that we can have success in their building. It’s a tough building to play in. Their fans are great. But we’ve been able to win there before and that’s our goal going in there in Game 5.”

Indeed, the Jets took Game 1 in Nashville by a 4-1 score after Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head for most of the night. Winnipeg then lost a tough 5-4 overtime decision in Game 2. After a wide-open and wild 7-4 comeback win in Game 3 on home ice, the Jets had few answers for a smothering Predators defensive effort in the low-scoring Game 4 loss.

“Our games with Nashville always have different intangibles, whether it’s big hits and offence, up-and-down-the-ice play or great saves from two great goaltenders. We’ve had a bit of everything in this series and I guess I’d just expect more of the same the rest of the way,” Morrissey said.

Scheifele said it probably would have been a bigger surprise if this series wasn’t even through four games, considering how close Winnipeg and Nashville are. They were the two best regular-season teams in the NHL and there doesn’t appear to be much separating them at all.

“Every game is up in the air. Home ice or not, it’s going to be an exciting game. We know Nashville fans are going to be loud and energized for it and we’ve got to be at our best to get the win,” Scheifele said. “Both teams play hard. Both teams are never out of games until it’s over. It’s fun hockey to be a part of. Hopefully we can bounce back (tonight) in a good way. We’ll go from there.”

Coach Paul Maurice said Friday they spent some time doing video work to hopefully address how Nashville was able to stifle Winnipeg’s high-octane offence so well, especially when the Predators made it 2-0 and then held the Jets to just two shots over nearly 20 minutes of play.

“They didn’t change anything, they had a 2-0 lead, they played the exact same way, probably, that they played with a 3-0 lead (in Game 3). But we were much more efficient in how we moved (in Game 3). We dealt with that today, back at it tomorrow,” Maurice said.

His team has passed plenty of tests so far during this post-season as they gain valuable experience along the way. But a crucial Game 5 on the road in a deadlocked series will be the toughest yet.

“On the road, normally you get a real good chance to play your game. You’re not getting too wound up, you’re not forcing a lot of things. I think they played a real good road game in here (Thursday) night and we’re going to have to do the same,” Maurice said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg