Perfetti puts on a performance

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This article was published 12/04/2021 (1698 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SOMETIMES the best move is the one you don’t make.

While some Winnipeg Jets fans were clamouring for the team to make a big splash at the NHL trade deadline on Monday, the Manitoba Moose game that afternoon might serve as a reminder why the big club isn’t keen to ship off prospects for rentals.

Rookie forward Cole Perfetti, a 19-year-old chosen 10th overall by the Jets in the 2020 NHL Draft, had arguably the best game of his young pro career as he scored twice and added an assist in Manitoba’s 5-1 victory over the Belleville Senators at the Bell MTS Iceplex. Perfetti is red hot with seven points in his last three games and now sits at six goals and 11 assists on the season. After dropping the series opener to Belleville last Wednesday, the Moose rallied back with three straight wins to improve to 11-11-2-0 on the year. The Senators leave Winnipeg in last place in the five-team Canadian Division at 7-12-1-0.

“I’m still adjusting. This isn’t a 19-year-old’s league; this is a man’s league,” Perfetti said postgame.

“It’s still very fast and not a lot of time in space. I’m still adjusting every game, but it’s starting to slow down a little bit. I’m getting more confidence and kind of been able to bring the play to me. I think I’ve been getting a lot of quality chances all year and setting guys up, but the bounces haven’t been going for us offensively. We’ve hit a lot of posts, haven’t been able to score as a team and for me especially, that’s been how it is. To get a couple of good bounces tonight and to see the puck go in the net all series as a team, it’s great for our confidence heading into the next series and the rest of the year.”

It was Perfetti’s first NHL trade deadline day as a pro. While his name wasn’t circulating in the rumour mill, you never know what could happen when you’re a top prospect and your NHL team is in a position to be buyers.

“As a fan of hockey, I was staying up with the trade deadline. It’s always a fun day in the NHL and being able to watch where guys go, it’s always hectic,” Perfetti said.

“Personally, I mean, we were in a series for the last three days, four days, so my focus has been on playing Belleville and getting ready for the games, especially today. I didn’t have my mind on the NHL, I had my mind on coming to the rink and preparing mentally and physically for the game tonight. I was watching it on TSN at the hotel and keeping up to date on all the teams, but there’s nothing I can control about that. So, I mean, no need to stress or worry. It’s out of my hands.”

Perfetti and his teammates will have a lot more time to watch TSN as they’ll have 10 days off before squaring off against the Stockton Heat at home. The Moose are rolling right now, but a break could prove valuable. Forward David Gustafsson and defencemen Dylan Samberg and Jimmy Oligny are out with injury. With all the bumps and bruises, in addition to Ville Heinola on the Jets’ taxi squad, the Moose have had to be creative defensively, with winger Victor Hadfield moving to defence for the past two tilts. Hadfield only has three career AHL games to his name as he made his professional debut last month before the Moose slotted him in as a defenceman in the past two games. Johnathan Kovacevic has had to pick up the slack, playing a whopping 38 minutes in an overtime win Saturday as the Moose were also without defenceman Leon Gawanke. Gawanke returned Monday to give the Moose six D-men.

“I definitely can’t complain about ice time or anything,” said Kovacevic, a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. “It was a fun time and I think I have pretty good conditioning… It was nice to be out there that much. It was pretty unique.”

Perfetti added: “I don’t even know how he was walking around after the game. It’s such a fast pace and when he goes out there, it’s not like he’s taking a shift off. He’s getting guys up against the wall, he’s taking a beating, giving a beating, that’s kind of the way he plays. To do that for 38 minutes and come back tonight, I don’t know (how much) he played tonight but he played a lot again, he’s just one of those guys you feel safe on the ice with.”

Monday’s meeting was tied 1-1 after the opening period before the Moose ran away with the contest in the final frame with three goals. In addition to Perfetti, forwards C.J. Suess, Bobby Lynch and Jeff Malott found the back of the net. The Moose outshot Belleville 41-16 with goalie Mikhail Berdin only needing to make 15 saves.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31