Less is enough during NHL pre-season

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/10/2017 (3169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets started their National Hockey League season by getting clobbered 7-2 by the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night. I’m still reeling from the shock.

I’ll get back to the game, but this signalled the end of the brutal grind they call training camp.

Exhibition season is a necessary evil, but I didn’t like it when I played, coached or now as a fan. There are too many games (with sub-optimal players) and not enough specialized practices.

The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement says a minimum of six and maximum of eight games are allowed — perhaps both sides should rethink the minimum number.

While it’s something to be negotiated in the next CBA, I suggest a team such as the Jets would be better off playing four games and using that extra time to practise.

The seven games they played could easily be cut as far as the Jets’ player selections went. Rookie defenceman Tucker Poolman would still have looked good. Forward Kyle Connor might be pointless and still sent down to the Manitoba Moose.

Fewer games would allow for more detailed work, with the parent club using various systems against their farm team’s best in a controlled environment. It’d bring strong competition but allow for creativity as well.

There’s a lot more that could help here but best of all for fans, there’d be more good players in the lineup when facing their real foes.

The Jets proved Wednesday night they’d be at the front of the line for extra work on special teams and defensive-zone systems. They concentrated on this during training camp but obviously they need more work.

In the days leading up to the game, it seemed like the biggest controversy was that head coach Paul Maurice thought more highly of Brandon Tanev than highly talented youngsters Connor and Nic Petan, who watched the game from the press box.

Maurice obviously stuck to his assertion about players in the bottom-six forward group needing to play key special-teams roles, and didn’t see Connor or Petan fitting there for this game.

While this goes against how the NHL’s best teams are doing it (putting out at least three lines that can score), I doubt the coach will be changing his mind until he’s exhausted all possible combinations.

Tanev obviously wasn’t the reason for the loss — it was terrible defensive coverage and less-than-stellar goaltending that led to those goals against. I have to give some credit to some sneaky good Leafs players here, too.

That Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen was a deserved first star of the game doesn’t mask the Jets’ deficiencies.

Momentum will swing back and forth in a game and the Jets had it going for them for the initial 15 minutes of the first period, helped by three power plays. Things looked good despite them not scoring.

Jacob Trouba then took a silly penalty and the Leafs’ Nazem Kadri scored the first goal of the game on that power play after the Jets were caught out of position.

The Leafs quickly struck again — this time three Jets watched James van Riemsdyk snipe one off a faceoff. He was parked next to the slot and should have been highlighted for coverage.

The third goal, scored on a delayed penalty call against the Jets, was again awful coverage. It had many fans shaking their heads and wondering where all that extra pre-season work had gone.

I’m staying away from naming the culprits because I’m not sure who’s at fault in a lot of this. It depends on their marching orders from the coach.

The penalty-killing unit only had four opportunities to show its goods (compared to the Leafs’ eight), so they’re off to a bad start, allowing two goals.

The power play looked strong in the offensive zone in the first period, although their entries into the zone were a bit random, not looking systemic at all. Going zero for eight obviously can’t continue.

The Jets’ five-on-five play was decent, although tempered by the fact they were down three by the end of the initial period.

It seems to be in most players’ DNA to unconsciously hold back a bit when you get a few goals ahead. Either the Leafs fought this off or the Jets just couldn’t find the gear they started the game with.

Goaltender Steve Mason’s .750 save percentage, and Connor Hellebuyck’s .818, sure didn’t help but this was a team effort from the goaltending on out.

If I look back at the days leading up to the game, I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked this debacle happened.

Shawn Matthias was moved back to left wing with Adam Lowry and Joel Armia for the game, after having practised as the fourth-line centre. There really wasn’t much of a chance for any chemistry to develop.

Until the bottom-six forwards are sorted out and look like an NHL group, it’ll be up to the top six to carry things. They weren’t up to that challenge opening night.

When the Leafs came to town last October, I was sitting in a box at the MTS Centre (since renamed Bell MTS Place) with a bunch of Jets alumni, right before the Heritage Classic weekend.

That turned out to be a blast, with the Jets overcoming a 4-0 deficit and winning 5-4 in overtime on a Patrik Laine hat trick. Unfortunately, there was no come-from-behind action from the Jets Wednesday night, but maybe that’s OK.

After all, last year didn’t turn out very well in the end.

Chosen ninth overall by the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and first overall by the WHA’s Houston Aeros in 1977, Scott Campbell has now been drafted by the Winnipeg Free Press to play a new style of game.

Twitter: @NHL_Campbell