WINNIPEG – This was a classic case of actions speaking so much louder than words for the Winnipeg Jets.
At a time when the magnifying glass was firmly planted on this first-place showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Jets showed a renewed commitment to defence and put an exclamation point on an exemplary road trip with a 5-2 triumph on Saturday night in the centre of the hockey universe.
And after that final buzzer had sounded, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry and Jets head coach Paul Maurice were singing from the same hymn book.
None of them were about to pound on their respective chests or waste any time patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
Despite taking five of six points against a Maple Leafs club that dismantled the last challenger to the throne to the tune of a 13-1 composite score in a three-game sweep, the Jets treated the endeavour as though it was just another day at the office.
This was the type of game they routinely want to play, whether it’s against the class of the North Division or the cellar-dwelling Ottawa Senators.
If members of the media or the outside world wants to call this a statement game or a measuring stick series, so be it.
The Jets call it another step in the process, another brick in the wall.
“Oh for sure, obviously we’re very, very happy with the way this series went. But every game is a measuring stick,” said Scheifele, who scored his 12th goal of the season and is sitting fifth in NHL scoring with 36 points in 27 games. “You can’t just rest on your laurels and think about just this game and this series. You’ve got to focus on continuing to get better.
“Those are the teams that have success in the playoffs, the teams that keep on ramping it up as the year goes on and we’ve got to use this great series and take it for the rest of the season and know when we’re at our best, what makes us the best team we can be and keep on working toward that.”
Keeping that perspective is essential for the Jets.
Sure, the success from the past three games is to be celebrated, but only one of those outings included something that resembles a template suitable for a sustained run of success.
This was a glimpse into the type of effort the Jets want to provide on a more consistent basis.
“I don’t know. You always want to play your best and get results,” Lowry said. “Good teams not only find ways to win games, but get it to overtime. In Game 1, they kind of turned it up on us in the third period. It’s important there’s a bit of a pushback. We know that as a team we could play a little tighter, a little better.
“But I think (Saturday) definitely was the best effort of the three games. I don’t know if we were necessarily looking to make a statement, we were just trying to finish the road trip on the right foot and I think we’re happy with how the road trip went.”
No matter how you slice it, you can be sure the Jets came away from this series with a serious jolt of confidence.
Not only from Saturday’s game, but from the way the Jets responded after getting shelled 7-1 by the Montreal Canadiens on March 6.
Jets captain Blake Wheeler was quick to proclaim that was nothing but an outlier – and his teammates spent the next three games backing up those words.
After leaning heavily on goalie Connor Hellebuyck during the first two games of the series, Maurice turned to backup Laurent Brossoit for the series finale in what was both a show of confidence and an opportunity to get his No. 1 guy a three-day block of rest in a month where the Jets play 17 games in 31 days.
As he’s done basically every time his number has been called this season, Brossoit delivered, even if there were some challenges to work through, including an early goal which was disallowed due to a hand pass after a video review was required and biting on a William Nylander fake that opened up just enough room for him to squeeze a shot through the pads.
Brossoit, who made 20 saves and won a fourth consecutive start, wasn’t overworked as the Jets neutralized the Maple Leafs’ potent attack in what was the most complete defensive effort put forth this season.
“We didn’t get ahead of ourselves in the defensive zone. We weren’t trying to get it to a next place,” Maurice said. “We just stayed in the battle and stayed in the fight. I thought we were a little ahead of the game in our first two. We were trying to get stuff going, right? We were trying to generate, and I thought we were really effective at being comfortable in our own end.
“They’re such a powerful, offensive team, and they have a unique way of controlling the puck that you’re going to spend some time in your end regardless of how well you play. I thought we were there as five and committed to it.”
That’s the thing.
After hearing ad nauseam about how the Maple Leafs had carried the bulk of the play and generated a lopsided amount of quality scoring chances this week, the Jets went out and did something about it.
They flat-out smothered their high-octane opponent, while showing off their own offensive chops in the process.
Despite giving up a shorthanded goal to Jake Muzzin in the second period, the Jets found a way to win the special-teams battle, delivering a pair of power play goals in the third from Nikolaj Ehlers that made it 4-2 and another from Scheifele that came on a two-man advantage.
The game-winner was courtesy of Lowry, who snapped a 19-game drought and finished with a two-point night after setting up Mason Appleton for the opening marker of the contest.
Just how good was the Jets’ third line, which includes Andrew Copp, on this evening?
“I wouldn’t number them three, that’s how good,” quipped Maurice. “They were true to identity, It’s not a line you put on the ice necessarily to hold water anymore. That’s the vision for that line. They’ll just generate it in a different way — net drive, with a battle behind the net, those close plays behind the net. They were really good.”
By wrapping up the five-game road trip with a record of 3-1-1, the Jets banked seven important points and pulled within four points of the Maple Leafs for top spot in the North – and they’ll hold three games in hand by the time the Jets play again.
As important as this stretch was for the Jets – and this development can’t be discounted – the next test is just around the corner, as the Canadiens serve as the opponent on Monday and will attempt to regroup after dropping consecutive games to the Calgary Flames under new bench boss Darryl Sutter.
So it goes in the North, where one day a team dreams of being in a battle for first and just a few days later, it’s only natural to be looking over your shoulder at a club or two with plans of passing you.
With the midway point of the season arriving on Monday for the Jets, one thing is certain: the hard work is just beginning, but that gap between them and the Maple Leafs might not be as wide as most observers thought it was.
The best news is that there are six more head-to-head games left on the docket to sort that out – and neither team will be lacking motivation when the next one arrives on March 31.
“Honestly it doesn’t mean that much,” said Scheifele when asked about the value this series could potentially have down the road. “We’re still going to play them a bunch more times this year and playoffs are a ways away. Both teams are going to be a lot different come playoff time, but they’re obviously fun to play against. They’re a fantastic team, a lot of really, really fun players to watch on their team and it’s always a fun battle against the Leafs.”
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
