With the Winnipeg Jets traveling home Friday after a three-game road trip, it’s time to empty the notebook ahead of a short two-game home stand.
Sitting at 2-2-0 on the season, the Jets have shown a nice glimpse into what this team could look like with the new systems implemented. Certainly, they didn’t get the results they were looking for over the course of the road trip – with losses in Dallas and Vegas sandwiched around a thrilling overtime win in Colorado – but it was interesting to see the new systems (that have received so much attention through camp) utilized with points on the line.
ACTIVATING THE DEFENSE
Look no further than Neal Pionk‘s last couple of games for an example of this.
Video: WPG@VGK: Pionk gets skate on puck at the weak side
Pionk scored three times in the last two games and had a total of four points in those games. Josh Morrissey assisted on Pionk’s goal in Vegas, and collectively the defense had a total of 23 shots on goal during the road trip.
“With Josh and Neal right now, they’ve done a real good job of activating themselves and really adding offense from the back end,” he said. Nate Schmidt. “We talked about it earlier in the year. We have to have that.”
Communication is important between the forwards and defense, as defensemen pinching down in the offensive zone – or joining the rush – need to be covered by a forward behind them.
When it’s done correctly, the defense adds another wave of offense that the forwards can use.
Video: WPG@COL: Pionk hammers home one-timer on the rush
The next step associate coach Scott Arniel wants to see is more traffic in front of opposing goaltenders, and more shots from the point getting to the net.
“We’re just talking to these guys about getting off the walls, getting to the middle of the ice and getting centered whenever possible,” Arniel said. “We needed to get them in the rush and get them in the offense first. Now we have that, and now we’ll build off that.”
A LOT TO HANDLE
It was nice to see the trio Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheelerand Cole Perfetti get rewarded on the road trip.
Sure, Wheeler and Dubois picked up assists in the season opening win over the New York Rangers, but if not for some saves from goaltender Jaroslav Halak, there could have been way more.
In Colorado, the trio combined for a goal that might be indicative of how the line works. Wheeler and Dubois hard on the forecheck, Dubois winning a battle and making a play, a skilled pass from Wheeler, and Perfetti using his vision to find an open spot to bury it.
Perfetti added an assist to his goal in Colorado giving him his first multi-point game in the NHL, then picked up another helper in Vegas – the first time in his career he’s had points in consecutive NHL games.
Video: WPG@COL: Perfetti scores in 2nd period
Overall, the line has a 60.23 percent share of the shot attempts at five-on-five this season (according to Natural Stat Trick). They’re being slightly edged out in the high-danger chances category (9-8), but as they continue to grow together as a line, there could be more off those scoring chances more often.
“It’s early, the chemistry is still building,” said Arniel. “Just to see them, when they do get the puck, manhandle guys down low. That’s what Wheels does well, that’s what Dubie does well. Cole, he has to get to those areas.
“(Colorado) was probably the best game I’ve seen Cole play just through exhibition and the first couple. He was real good, real smart with the puck, and real good decisions, and when he had to get back he did a good job.”
PROSPECT UPDATE
The Manitoba Moose are back in action this weekend with three games in three nights beginning Friday night in Chicago. On Saturday, they take on the Milwaukee Admirals who they squared off with in the Calder Cup Playoffs last spring, and on Sunday they take on Rockford.
It was in a two-game set against Rockford last weekend that 2021 first round pick Chaz Lucius and 2022 first round pick Brad Lambert both scored their first American Hockey League goals.
Speaking of the 2022 NHL Draft, Winnipeg’s first selection in Montreal – Rutger McGroarty – has had a strong start to his freshman season at the University of Michigan. He has one goal and six points in four NCAA games so far.
Also taken in that draft, second rounder Elias Salomonsson scored his first pro goal in the SHL on October 18 with Skelleftea. He followed that up with his second just minutes later.
Sticking with the 2022 draft, Danny Zhilkin – Winnipeg’s third round selection – already has four goals in six games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm. He’s one of the team’s alternate captains, and with his two assists in addition to his four goals, he’s averaging a point-per-game early in the season.
To finish off the glimpse at the Jets prospects, goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis is 4-2-0 in six games with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. He has a sparkling 1.89 goals-against average along with a 0.921 save percentage.
Zhilkin and DiVincentiis face off on October 30 as the Storm and Battalion play each other in a matinee.
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