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THW's Jets News
THW's Jets news for 03/20/2021
The latest Jets stories from The Hockey Writers.
03/20/2021 edition:
By Declan Schroeder on Mar 19, 2021 09:46 am
On Wednesday, a friend and I were watching the Jets/Canadiens game at my apartment (he is one of my two designated household visitors here in Manitoba.)
With about three minutes left and the Jets leading 3-2, he said, and I quote: “I sure hope the Jets get a point in this game.”
“What the heck is he talking about”? you might ask. Shouldn’t the Jets win, let alone lose in regulation? Was he drunk? Does he just not know how hockey works?
It was St. Patrick’s Day, but he was stone-cold sober. And I’d say he’s more knowledgable than 90 per cent of Jets fans.
As the Canadiens pressed, he expressed he felt the Jets play poorly in the final minutes and that they often clutch defeat out of the jaws of victory.
He’s a keen observer. I covered earlier this season how the Jets squandered points by allowing a game-winner with less than two minutes to go three separate times, with two of those goals allowed with less than 10 ticks on the clock.
He also expressed the opinion the Jets are poor at defending when the opponent pulls their goalie for an extra attacker, that he was getting a sickly “here-we-go-again” feeling, and that the game would soon be tied.
So — Do the Jets Really Allow a Lot of Late Goals?
Or is my friend just a doomer?
It’s the latter. The Jets have allowed a goal with less than two minutes to go — with the opponent’s goalie pulled — no fewer than four times this season. All four instances have occurred in the last month.
Less than a minute after saying he had a bad feeling, the Canadiens pulled Carey Price. In the Jets’ zone, Tyler Toffoli outworked Tucker Poolman and Mark Scheifele behind the net and got the puck to Josh Anderson.
Anderson dished the puck to Corey Perry, who quickly executed a perfect back-door pass to Toffoli, who wired the puck past Connor Hellebuyck‘s blocker with 1:25 to go. Josh Morrissey had totally lost track of Toffoli on the play, leaving the star scorer wide open by the side of the net.
The Jets also allowed game-tying goals with an opponent’s net empty on Feb. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks (to Elias Petterson with 44 seconds to go) and on March 4 against the Canadiens (to Perry, with 1:24 to go.)
Additionally, they allowed a goal to the Maple Leafs when the Leafs had an extra attacker on March 9 (to Auston Matthews with 1:54 to go.) However, that goal came when the Maple Leafs were down 4-2. The Jets just managed to survive the onslaught the Leafs brought thereafter to hang on for a 4-3 win.
The Jets have scored five empty netters this season: on Jan. 23 versus the Ottawa Senators, Jan. 26 versus the Edmonton Oilers, Feb. 4 versus the Calgary Flames, on Feb. 19 at the Canucks, and on Feb. 25 versus the Canadiens. They have allowed three goals with their opponent’s net empty since their last empty net goal.
Only two of those goals — Andrew Copp’s on Jan. 26 and Mason Appleton’s on Feb. 19 — came when the Jets were leading by one goal. The other three came with the Jets leading by two.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
There are two main reasons: a lack of pressure and untimely defensive breakdowns.
Take a look at Elias Petterson‘s game-tying goal at 7:05 of the below highlight pack to see the Jets’ defenders collapse into a tiny box in front of the net and stand around as the Canucks blast chance after chance on net, almost completely unchallenged.
No other teams defend this way late in games: they all get a man to put pressure on the puck carrier so he doesn’t have tons of time to make a decision on what to do. You saw the Oilers do that Thursday when the Jets pulled Laurent Brossoit when trying to tie the game at 2-2.
(The Jets have played this passive style on the penalty kill for years too, and it’s rarely serve them well.)
Untimely defensive lapses — just like the ones that led to the late regulation goals — are also to blame. We already broke down Morrissey’s recent blunder above.
Taking a closer look at Matthews’ goal on March 9, it was Blake Wheeler — who has been one of the Jets’ weakest defensive forwards this season, especially early on — who was doing nothing in particular and watched Auston Matthews poke it in on the doorstep.
Taking a closer look at Corey Perry’s goal on March 4 that tied the game 3-3, it was Tucker Poolman who lost the puck to Toffoli behind the net. The Canadiens cycled it back to Jeff Petry at the point, and the d-man’s shot was tipped home by Perry.
A lot of these chances come from the Jets’ inability to execute — on any consistent basis — clean zone exits. Failing to clear the zone is a problem they have at all points in games, not just in the final minutes. But those final minute failures loom the largest.
Head Coach Doesn’t See Any Problem…
Head coach Paul Maurice — despite the obvious trend of opponents scoring with the extra attacker — said post-game Wednesday that his team is strong in the third period and that allowing late goals isn’t an issue the team needs to address.
“I don’t think that’s prevalent in our game,” Maurice said of their rocky third period, where the Canadiens controlled play. “We’ve been a really, really strong third-period team but we didn’t move the puck and they’re a real good team in terms of getting on top of you.”
“Part of it was their aggressiveness,” he continued. “We had a lot of icings there in the third period and I thought we had places that we had plays to make. But I haven’t found that to be part of our game or a third-period theme for our team at all. We’ve been pretty strong in the third and we’ll take the two points, find a way to win.”
…Perhaps Because Jets Have Gotten Away With It So Far
It’s true: the Jets haven’t been burned by allowing late goals to tie yet. They’ve found a way to win each time, as the bench boss said.
On the three occasions it’s happened, they were victorious in overtime. That’s thanks to their raw offensive talent and Maurice’s novel concept of deploying three forwards in three-on-three. Pierre-Luc Dubois has two of the overtime game-winners, while Nikolaj Ehlers potted the most recent one.
But it’d be better if the games didn’t get to overtime in the first place. There’s no three-on-three in the playoffs, which the Jets are likely to make. Just five-on-five until someone wins.
Perhaps calling a time out would help settle the yips and get the team focused on doing the right things.
Being more aggressive would certainly make a difference, too. If you’re going to get burned, you might as well get burned because you were trying to be dogged on the puck, not because you were standing around letting the opponent tee off.
It’d be nice to have some confidence that the Jets will hold onto a late lead and win in regulation. Then, fans like my friend won’t have to feel that sinking feeling when the opponent’s goalie dashes to the benches.
By Jim Parsons on Mar 18, 2021 01:45 pm
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Anaheim Ducks have apparently set their ask for forward Rickard Rakell. Not every team is keen to pay the price. The Toronto Maple Leafs are still favored to be active players before the deadline and New York Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello essentially admitted his plan is to use his newly found cap space to add a player. The Buffalo Sabres may talk to Taylor Hall about his no-move clause and could the Winnipeg Jets take another swing at the rental market?
Ducks Want Huge Haul for Rakell
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that if the Ducks are going to trade Rakell, the current ask is a young, experienced NHL player and a first-round pick. While Rakell is not a rental and he’s having a productive season (19 points through 30 games), that’s a hefty price.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that the Calgary Flames inquired on Rakell, but balked at that price. Friedman also believes that price may be too rich for the Maple Leafs, even though GM Kyle Dubas has said he’s willing to trade a top prospect to land the player he needs.
It is expected that the market will favor buyers and if the Ducks want to move Rakell, they’ll need to lower their ask. At the same time, reports suggest the Ducks aren’t shopping the forward, merely taking calls. He could absolutely stay put and Anaheim is fine with that.
Lehner Clears Up Rumors
Lehner is back with the Golden Knights but there was a bit of a shadow hanging over his return, many wondering what had taken so long. Some speculation was that Lehner’s previous struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues was keeping him out longer than expected.
Lehner spoke with the media and revealed that this was not the case and that he was not only was rehabbing his lower-body injury, but had also suffered a concussion. The goaltender added that he typically wouldn’t have explained why he was out or spoken much about his injury but he felt the need to clear his name. He was disappointed he felt the need to defend himself.
Sabres to Ask Hall to Waive No-Move Clause?
When asked about his feeling towards re-signing Taylor Hall, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams was open-minded on the idea. He said he has a good relationship with Hall’s agent Darren Ferris and they would be talking. Then LeBrun noted: “Translation: Would be shocked if Adams doesn’t talk to Hall/Ferris about a potential move. Hall has full NMC so ball is in his court.” LeBrun later said on That’s Hockey!: “To me the idea that they had earlier in the year where Taylor Hall would sign an extension to stay in Buffalo, to me that’s out the door now in my opinion, even though the Sabres won’t confirm that.”
The Sabres season has been a disaster and if the team can get something out of moving Hall to a contender, they might try. There’s been some talk about Hall to the New York Islanders and Sportsnet’s Luke Fox also listed Hall among his top-seven pure rental targets for the Maple Leafs.
Other Leafs Targets
Beyond Hall, Fox also suggests that Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf, Buffalo’s Eric Staal, Columbus’ Nick Foligno, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri, Minnesota’s Mikael Granlund and Los Angeles’ Alex Iafallo could be targets for Dubas. The Sportsnet Staff reports that a mid-season slump raises speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs may just go all-in this trade deadline.
There is a bit more talk lately that Palmieri might be on Dubas’ radar and there’s still plenty of chatter Toronto and Nashville might do business.
Islanders to Use Cap Space
GM Lou Lamoriello admits he’ll use his $5.5 million of LTIR space to find a replacement for sidelined winger Anders Lee and The Athletic’s Arthur Staple believes the Isles’ first-rounder in this year’s draft is most likely in play. Staples writes:
Spending assets for a forward or two who come off the books after the season just seems the simplest course for Lamoriello to take, and there are seemingly enough impact options already on the market to make that a worthwhile play.
Jets to Take Another Swing Before Deadline?
While it hasn’t always worked out for them in the past, Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet writes that the Jets might try again to add at the deadline. Who and what they go for really comes to price and fit. Noting that adding a rental versus a player with term changes what he’ll need to spend, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said:
But as far as the UFAs, we’re hopeful that we can continue to do business as usual, whether it’s in a pandemic or not. I think the hard part is the flat cap moving forward. That makes it very uncertain how to allocate the different resources. So as far as that goes, we’ll try to make it as ‘business as usual’ as possible.”
By Isaiah Wagner on Mar 17, 2021 04:15 pm
The Winnipeg Jets have started the season off with a solid 17-9-2 record to place them second in the Scotia North Division standings, just behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. This record is great and an improvement in some areas can do them justice, hopefully helping the team finish with the division title by the end of the season.
The Jets have had many players who have stepped up to the plate this season and many who have been mediocre and can do much more. This article takes a look at a letter grade for each player so far this season and discusses what they have done right or what they have done wrong.
A+
Scheifele
Mark Scheifele has been a superstar for the Jets so far this season, putting up 37 points in 28 games. A player like him is one that you want to play for your team. He is strong on the puck, has an elite playmaking and scoring ability, and is a leader in the locker room and on the ice.
Since being drafted in 2011, he not only has proven that he can be a great player for the Jets, but has taken a bigger step that fans have not seen in previous years. He is a dangerous player every time he is on the ice, whether it be in the offensive or the neutral zone. He makes everyone on his line better and is a driver for the team. Both Paul Stastny and Pierre-Luc Dubois both put up points when they were paired on the wing with Scheifele. Overall, there are not many flaws in his game to start the season.
A
Connor, Ehlers, Pionk, Hellebuyck, Broissoit
The Jets would not be where they are in the standings if it wasn’t for the scoring ability that Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor have possessed this season. Both players lead the team with 14 goals and have proven they can score at an elite NHL level. Since the Patrik Laine trade, both players have stepped up and taken their game to a new high.
Neal Pionk has been a pleasant surprise in his contract year so far for the Jets this season. He has proven that he can step up offensively and has a wicked shot. He has also been physical, which we did not see last season. He makes the smart plays in the offensive and neutral zone, and has been paired with a great defensive partner in Derek Forbort. I think that that Jets fans can finally be happy with the return that they got for Jacob Trouba.
Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit have also been very good for the Jets so far this season, with both putting up great numbers. Hellebuyck with a 12-8-2 record, .910 save percentage (SV%) and 2.82 goals-against average (GAA) has proven that he can once again be in the conversation for his second consecutive Vezina Trophy. Brossoit with a 5-1 record, .921 SV%, and 2.48 GAA has been stellar in net and has given the team confidence when he is between the pipes.
B+
Wheeler, Stastny, Appleton
Blake Wheeler, the captain of the Jets, has been playing on a line with Scheifele and has not yet disappointed. Although he had a rough stretch of a few games, he has put up 25 points in 28 games and has been great on the man advantage. He has proven that he could stay on the Jets’ top line for this season, but his age is starting to show.
Stastny has also been a pleasant surprise for the Jets after his trade from the Vegas Golden Knights, putting up 17 points in 28 games. He has shown leadership on the ice and has been very flexible in where he is put in the lineup. A strong 54.5 faceoff percentage puts him in a good position to take some important draws for the club.
Mason Appleton is having a breakout year for the club and has proven to be a capable third-line player. His 15 points already is a career high and his improved ice time is something that he has taken advantage of. He has also given the Jets’ coaching staff the ability to throw him on the ice in penalty-killing situations and when the game is close towards the end.
B
Copp, Forbort, Morrissey, Stanley
Andrew Copp has been a consistent player for the Jets this season, as he has shown that he can play in the top or bottom six of the lineup. His line of Appleton and Adam Lowry has been very productive so far and will look to wear down the other teams’ top-six for the rest of the season.
Forbort has also been a great player for the team so far with the shutdown role that he has been given. Playing with an offensive-minded defenseman in Pionk, he has had to adjust and play a stay-at-home type game. Having a player like him on a cheap contract was a great move by the Jets’ management in the offseason.
Josh Morrissey has had an off year for the team so far, coming into the season with high expectations. He has made some mistakes that have cost him defensively and has led to some chances for the opposing team. That being said, he is a high-caliber talent who has the ability do more and has shown that in the past few games with the team. Head coach Paul Maurice will be looking to get more out of his north of $6 million defenseman.
Logan Stanley is a big defenseman who has been solid for the squad in his rookie year. When he gets into some games he has proven that he can play at an NHL level. He uses his size to knock players off the puck, but has proven that he needs to work on his foot speed.
B-
Dubois, Lowry, Perreault
Dubois was acquired by the Jets in the Laine swap with the Columbus Blue Jackets and since then has been a solid player for the team. He has two overtime winners and has shown that he has a very high ceiling. The two-week quarantine and injury may have slowed him down and it looks like he is still trying to catch up to the game. Overall, a great trade so far for the Jets.
Lowry has been a physical force on the ice so far this season, as he is second on the team in hits. He has not played up to his standards, but has been a great piece on that third line. He is a great faceoff guy and can play the game in important situations for the team.
Mathieu Perreault has been quite a player to watch so far this season. He is tenacious on the puck and has an eye for the net any time he is on the ice. He plays the game at a high level and has also had a scoring touch so far this season. It should be interesting to see if the Jets bring him back on a cheaper deal next season.
C+
Lewis, Thompson, Beaulieu, DeMelo, Poolman
Overall, there is not much to say about these players. They are nose to the grindstone type guys and have an impact in the lineup when they play. They all got a C+ rating because there is not much more that is expected out of them. They have been great additions to the team but could be replaced with the snap of a finger.
Overall Look at the Jets
The Jets have had a great start to the season and will look to make a run in the playoffs. Scheifele has been the most valuable player for the team so far and Pionk has been the greatest surprise.
I am interested to see what you guys believe these players should have gotten on the rating scale. Let me know in the comments if you would change any and why.
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