WINNIPEG — When it comes to building this foundation, the Winnipeg Jets are going to need to spend a bit more time tightening the screws.
Becoming a more defensively-conscious and detail-oriented team was never going to be an overnight process for this group, but Tuesday’s rousing comeback from a two-goal deficit could represent an important step in that process.
No, this wasn’t a defensive clinic by any stretch of the imagination, but the Jets stuck with it after falling behind 3-1, scored with the goalie on the bench in favour of an extra attacker with 77 seconds left to play and then earned the bonus point when Andrew Copp sent Nikolaj Ehlers in all alone on Matt Murray during the three-on-three session.
Instead of having to listen to the outside noise that comes with a two-game losing streak even if the season is just three games old, the Jets earned a 4-3 overtime triumph over the Ottawa Senators and quickly changed the tone of the narrative.
“That’s the most important piece for any team, that the score on the clock doesn’t dictate your effort level, your compete level. Maybe more important than all of it is your belief,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “That’s the foundation that’s most important to our team — build that belief that the next shift can be better, the next game can be better… that you’re always giving yourself a chance to win.
“Those comeback wins, the late comeback wins, have a really nice impact on your team, right? You carry those for a number of games, you always feel that you have a chance.”
The Jets and Senators meet again on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre as Winnipeg wraps up a three-game swing and the two clubs play for the second time in this three-game mini-series.
Somewhat surprisingly, given his speed and skill set, it was the first overtime winner of Ehlers’ career.
Or was it?
Not so fast, says Ehlers, dipping into his memory bank while tossing in a side order of humour for good measure.
“My first year here, an own goal against Colorado,” Ehlers deadpanned during the post-game Zoom session.
Putting one into the proper net instead of sneaking an intended pass past an unsuspecting Michael Hutchinson back on Nov. 12 of 2016 brought a smile to Ehlers’ face.
“Personally, it’s obviously very nice to not just get one in OT but get the first of the year,” said Ehlers. “The team, we battled our asses off to stay in the game and get a chance to get the tying goal.”
Even one point was far from a certainty for the Jets after giving up a pair of power-play goals (one from Josh Norris, his first NHL marker, and another from Alex Galchenyuk) and an even-strength redirection from Chris Tierney before the game was 32 minutes old.
To that point, Adam Lowry had the lone marker for the Jets and his line with Mason Appleton and Copp was one of the only groups generating much offensive-zone time or pressure.
But Maurice got out the blender for the second time in as many nights — and this shake-up got the desired result.
After reuniting Kyle Connor on the top line with frequent linemates Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, the Jets produced an offensive spark.
“That’s our safe place,” said Maurice.
Thanks to a power-play marker from Connor (which was set up brilliantly by Wheeler), the Jets made it a one-goal game going into the second intermission.
Connor is up to three goals in three games — and he could easily be at five (or more), given the looks he’s had.
“He hasn’t had a lot go for him around the net,” said Maurice. “With the chances he’s generated or getting, he could have twice (as many goals of) what he has. Kyle is scratching the surface here. He hasn’t been lucky here in his start and he’s putting up great numbers.”
Then with the goalie on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, Josh Morrissey ripped a shot from the point through a double screen and it was tipped in by Wheeler with 1:17 left in regulation.
That set the stage for Ehlers’ heroics.
“He can be so dangerous, such a dynamic player late in a game,” said Maurice. “Just the speed to get into that hole and make the play that finishes it. We need him. We need him to feel confident and healthy and strong — and when he is, he’s so very dynamic.”
The most stable part of the foundation for the Jets to this point has been goaltending — and that should not come as much of a surprise, given that the reigning Vezina Trophy winner is on the roster.
After giving up three goals in the opening period against the Calgary Flames, Connor Hellebuyck has been brilliant over the next five periods and change, allowing only two markers in the next 50 shots that he faced.
Were it not for the brilliant play of Hellebuyck during the second period on Monday against the Maple Leafs, the Jets would have been blown out instead of having a chance in a game they really had no business being in.
Jets backup Laurent Brososit held up his end of the bargain on Tuesday, turning aside 16 of 18 shots on goal in the first period and finishing with 38 saves against the Senators.
Last season was a challenging one for Brossoit, but this performance was one he can build on.
Sometimes, all a backup needs to do is give his team a chance to win.
In others, stealing the game is required.
This one probably falls somewhere in the middle of those two categories.
“Very hard worker, very dedicated. He’s a guy that’s always prepared, that’s the best way to describe (Brossoit),” said Wheeler. “When his number gets called, you know you’re going to get a great performance from him because he just works so hard in between starts. He prepares his body and his mind, and I just think he’s always ready.
“We’re very fortunate that we have a goalie with (Hellebuyck) that can man a pretty great and strenuous workload, but even more fortunate — especially in a season like this — to have a guy like (Brossoit) ready to step up when his number’s called, when he might not get as many starts as he’s capable of handling.”
Entering the busiest stretch of the season, with six games over the span of nine nights, the Jets weren’t icing an optimal lineup — not with defencemen Dylan DeMelo (birth of his child) and Tucker Poolman (COVID Protocol Related Absence) back home in Winnipeg and forward Patrik Laine sidelined after suffering an upper-body injury that has him officially listed as day-to-day.
That’s a reason, not an excuse for the loose coverage and slow pace that was evident in the Jets’ play during a 3-1 defeat to the Maple Leafs on Monday.
After another slow start, it would have been easy for things to go sideways for the Jets on Tuesday.
Rather than get bogged down and frustrated, the Jets dug in and found a way to elevate their collective level of play.
“We were a way better team tonight,” said Wheeler. “Score wasn’t quite indicative of that, but we watched some video (Tuesday) morning, it wasn’t the way we want to play the game. It didn’t really fit into the type of culture we’ve established here in Winnipeg. Staying connected on the ice, helping each other out, giving each other easy outs, just those little things that make the game easier for everyone. We were much better in that area tonight, I think we felt good about where we stood in the game, kept clawing our way back and got some big plays at key times.”
One of the oddities for the Jets so far is that despite holding a record of 2-1, they haven’t actually played a single second of hockey with the lead.
Yet, thanks to a pair of comebacks that required overtime, the Jets have been able to bank four of a possible six points.
Chasing the game is not a recipe for success that can be sustained, though having the ability to rally is something the Jets will certainly look to build on as they continue the process of trying to build a stable foundation.
“We have some things we can work on,” said Ehlers. “We haven’t had the best starts to our games, obviously, that’s something we’re trying to change.
“But it shows that we don’t give up. If you’ve watched the games, you can see that. We find ways and we work hard to stay in the game and give ourselves a chance to get that tying goal and get ourselves some points.”
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents.
Four teams have canceled games against San Jose State: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming, with none of the schools explicitly saying why they were forfeiting.
A group of Nevada players issued a statement saying they will not take the floor when the Wolf Pack are scheduled to host the Spartans on Oct. 26. They cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” though their school reaffirmed Thursday that the match is still planned and that state law bars forfeiture “for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
All those schools, except Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, went ahead with its home match on Thursday night, which was won by the Spartans, 3-1, the team’s first victory since Sept. 24.
“It breaks my heart because they’re human beings, young people, student-athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West basketball media days. “It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee in this year’s presidential race, this week referenced an unidentified volleyball match when he was asked during a Fox News town hall about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I saw the slam, it was a slam. I never saw a ball hit so hard, hit the girl in the head,” Trump replied before he was asked what can be done. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just don’t let it happen.”
After Trump’s comment, San Diego State issued a statement that said “it has been incorrectly reported that an San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball during match play with San Jose State University. The ball bounced off the shoulder of the student-athlete, and the athlete was uninjured and did not miss a play.”
San Jose State has not made any direct comments about the politicians’ “fairness” references, and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about the issue,” Nevarez said. “I don’t know a lot of the language yet or the science or the understanding nationally of how this issue plays out. The external influences are so far on either side. We have an election year. It’s political, so, yeah, it feels like a no-win based on all the external pressure.”
The cancellations could mean some teams will not qualify for the conference tournament Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas, where the top six schools are slated to compete for the league championship.
“The student-athlete (in question) meets the eligibility standard, so if a team does not play them, it’s a forfeit, meaning they take a loss,” Nevarez said.
Ahead of the Oct. 26 match in Reno. Nevada released a statement acknowledging that “a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team” had decided to forfeit against San Jose State. The school said only the university can take that step but any player who decides not to play would face no punishment.
OTTAWA – Travis Green might not have liked the end result, but he’s counting on his team learning from the effort.
Green’s Ottawa Senators were handed a 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils Thursday night in a game that highlighted the importance of sticking with things.
“I thought both teams played pretty well,” said Green. “I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there’s a few moments where it got away. We got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer.
“There’s always momentum back and forth for one team to create some chances. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when you’re playing, two good teams are playing.”
Jacob Markstrom’s 30 saves also played a part, with the Devils goaltender only getting beat with 65 seconds left in regulation as the Senators were on the power play with an empty net.
Brady Tkachuk tipped a Claude Giroux shot to spoil Markstrom’s shutout bid.
“Outstanding,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe of his goaltender. “Just terrible that he doesn’t get the shutout that he deserves in this one here.
“You feel for him when they make that (penalty) call. You can just kind of feel like it’s going to give them a little extra life. But he was outstanding for us, no question.”
The two teams were scoreless after the first period, where each had to fight for every opportunity. Noah Gregor rang a shot off the crossbar for the Senators, but otherwise, neither team was able to generate much offensively.
The Devils capitalized in the second as a power play expired with Erik Haula redirecting a Johnathan Kovacevic shot past Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves.
Less than four minutes later, Nathan Bastian took advantage of a Giroux giveaway and beat Forsberg low blocker for his first of the season with the Devils short-handed.
“I liked our second period a lot,” Keefe said. “We took hold of the game and didn’t give up much, and when we did, I thought it was really from the perimeter, only a couple there.”
The Devils tightened up defensively in the third and were able to make it 3-0 when Paul Cotter was left alone in the slot.
“I think for stretches of the game we played the right way and kind of get in on the forecheck and play that way,” said Senators centre Nick Cousins. “It seems like when we get down a couple goals, we kind of change our game, which isn’t a recipe for success in this league.
“I think we’ve just got to keep doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s 2-0.”
With the Senators just four games in and still learning and adjusting to a new system, Green understands there will be growing pains along the way.
“We’re also trying to define our game,” he said. “I think we’re getting there. Both teams play fast. It was a fast skating game. There wasn’t a lot of room to move out there for either team.”
In his short tenure behind the Senators bench, Green has seen his team play very different styles of games and knows there will be nights like this along the way, but learning from them will be key.
“There’s going to be a lot of nights where you kind of got to earn everything you get,” admitted Green. “It’s not going to be freewheeling. Good teams don’t play freewheeling hockey.
“You learn when you win, you learn when you lose games that you don’t play well. You learn when you lose games that you had a pretty good game but you still lose and you’ve got to find a way. Good teams find a way to win those games.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. They also lost their top minute-muncher in the process.
Matheson logged 7:35 in ice time during the first period but did not return for the second because of an upper-body injury. When or how Matheson sustained the injury was not clear. The Canadiens said he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The game was tied at 1 before he exited, forcing the Canadiens to play with five defencemen for 40 minutes.
“Mike is one of the biggest parts of our D core, and I think losing him — he’s playing against top line, playing power play and we want him on the ice — definitely losing him was a big loss,” teammate David Savard said. “We got to figure out a way to get the two points, even if a player goes out.”
The 30-year-old Matheson of Pointe-Claire, Que., led all Canadiens defencemen with 62 points and a 25:33 average ice time last season.
With his absence, rookie sensation Lane Hutson played a whopping 30:05 in only his seventh NHL game. The next closest player? Kaiden Guhle at 23:09.
Head coach Martin St. Louis was impressed with how the 20-year-old Hutson handled the challenge.
“Lane doesn’t take a shift off,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I love the consistency of his compete level, and he drives possession. For a guy who played 30 minutes, I think he gave everything he could to try and help the team.
“I’m not surprised. I know it’s challenging at this level, losing Mike definitely made him play many minutes, chasing the game made him play many minutes, but I just love his compete level.”
Canadiens fans have been clamouring for Hutson — a five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman with world-class skill — to take Matheson’s spot on the No. 1 power play.
The Canadiens, however, went 0-for-3 with Hutson running the show after Matheson went down. In the first instance, Kirby Dach took a hooking penalty early in the man-advantage to end it. On the second, the Canadiens failed to generate any zone time.
The third came in the final minutes, but the Kings buried an empty-netter.
“It wasn’t a lack of opportunity, lots of ice time, lots of shifts,” Hutson said. “It was good, it was fun, but obviously you want to be on the other side of it, winning.
“Means a lot (to get that opportunity), but obviously, you want to get more out of that opportunity. It’s a lot of ice, and you want to keep taking steps in the right direction.”
‘IMMATURE EFFORT’
The Canadiens fell to a Kings team that had lost three straight games and was coming off a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Under those circumstances, the Canadiens were brutally honest with themselves after the game.
“Definitely disappointed,” captain Nick Suzuki said. “It was an immature effort from us, especially with them playing yesterday and getting in late, so I think we gave them too much life, and let them feel comfortable in the game. It’s on us to be a lot better than that.”
Before the game, St. Louis stressed the need for a good first period against a fatigued Los Angeles side. That’s not what he saw Thursday night.
“I think we had 14 turnovers in the first period. It’s unacceptable. It gives them life,” he said. “Then you’re chasing the game for the second half of it — we didn’t play to our standard.
“I’m really disappointed. Really disappointed.”
BIG SAVE DAVE
Kings goalie David Rittich played his second game in two nights — an unusual occurrence in this day and age of the NHL. He made 25 saves after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Toronto.
“We always believe in him anyway, but he performed today pretty well and bounced back,” defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “It’s probably like most important for himself, that’s huge, and for the team. He played outstanding today.”
LONG ROAD
The Kings are opening the season on a seven-game road trip because of renovations at Crypto.com Arena. They’ve collected six of a possible 10 points so far.
“Pretty much worse (than expected),” forward Phillip Danault said. “We’ve been on the road for three weeks … It’s good team-bonding, whether we should do it again I’m not sure, but it has turned out well let’s say with six points out of 10.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
