Jets D flourishing under Bowness Offence from defence among best in NHL By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 7:00 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023

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This article was published 02/01/2023 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rick Bowness promised during the preseason the cavalry was coming. And his club has responded in kind, with an aggressive, up-tempo system that has got the defencemen much more involved in the offensive attack.

Consider this: Entering Tuesday”s game at Canada Life Centre against the Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets blue-liners had combined for 89 points (18 goals, 71 assists) through the first 37 contests. Only three teams — San Jose (105 points), Vegas (93 points) and Florida (90 points) — have more total production from the back-end so far.

“We’re averaging over two points per game and the goals are there. That was a focal point coming into camp and we’re certainly very happy where our D are,” Bowness said Tuesday.

Winnipeg’s defencemen had just 24 combined goals last year, one of the lowest numbers in the league and something Bowness made a priority to improve upon. Now, they’re on pace for approximately 40. An average of 2.41 points-per-game from the back-end this year is a massive jump from last year’s 1.99 PPG.

“There are a lot of plays where they’re the third man. We’re monitoring that as well. We watch how our chances are developing. If our D is third or fourth guy, but they started the play, well that’s what we’re looking for too,” said Bowness.

“It may not show up on the stat board for you guys, but for us it does. In terms of our defence creating more offence, we’re happy with that and we’re going to keep getting better at it.”

“It may not show up on the stat board for you guys, but for us it does. In terms of our defence creating more offence, we’re happy with that and we’re going to keep getting better at it.”–Rick Bowness

Nobody has benefited from the changes more than Josh Morrissey, who had 42 points (six goals, 36 assists) in his first 37 games, sitting second only to San Jose’s Erik Karlsson in that department. Morrissey has already obliterated his career high of 37 points, with more than half a season to play.

“We tell the forwards to get us the puck, the good players,” joked defenceman Neal Pionk. “No. It’s kind of a mindset we have from defencemen, we got to help more, we’ve got to score more. It’s been a point of emphasis from the team, and the defencemen within.”

Pionk tied his career-high of six goals when he scored on New Year’s Eve in Edmonton. He’s also added 10 assists, and could challenged the 45 points he put up during his first season in Winnipeg in 2019-20.

He also assisted on the game-winner against the Oilers, getting a shot through traffic so that teammate Kyle Connor could get a stick on it for the tip. That’s the kind of play that has become a regular weapon for Winnipeg this year, with forwards being instructed to get to the so-called hard areas of the ice to create havoc.

“Just trusting our forwards. If you can’t get your shot through, put it back down low. They’re going to get it back to you, or take it to the net. If you don’t have a clear lane, you just shoot it off the net or put it back down low behind the net, they’re going to grab it and make a play,” said Pionk.

“Since I’ve got here, I’ve said we have one of the more skilled forward groups in the league. Get the puck in their hands and good things are going to happen.”

The blue line should get another boost as early s Friday, with Nate Schmidt expected to rejoin the lineup after suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 15. He has six points (three goals, three assists) in 29 games so far this year.

Relief is on the way: If Tuesday’s game was a playoff tilt, Schmidt would be suiting up. Same for injured forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti.

Given that the stakes aren’t nearly as high, Bowness opted to keep them sidelined.

“They’ve only had one practice with us (Monday). This gives us a couple extra days and an extra practice on Thursday. We’re hoping to have a few of them in the lineup for Friday,” he said.

Ehlers has missed the last 36 games, while Schmidt (nine games) and Perfetti (five games) haven’t been out nearly as along. All will be welcomed back with open arms.

Forward Blake Wheeler (nine games and counting) and Saku Maenalanen (13 games and counting) are also getting close. They joined the morning skate in red non-contact jerseys, which they could shed any day now.

“Obviously we’re all working out the kinks and getting back into shape together,” said Perfetti. “It’s nice to have a crew doing it with you but at the same time we don’t want that, we need these guys in the lineup. So it sucks for the team but at the end of the day it makes the skate a little bit more fun having guys to go with.”

Perfetti hurt his shoulder in the late stages of the Dec. 22 game in Boston, when Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk gave him a big hit in front of the net. He suffered a similar injury last season.

“I kinda knew right away what it was. Just frustration, I think. You’re always a little bit scared when there’s an injury,” said Perfetti, who has 20 points (six goals, 14 assits) in 33 games this year.

“Luckily it was over the break a little bit. Got to get some rest, recover that way. And then attack the injury and start rehabbing it hard. It’s feeling really good. Just grateful that it wasn’t something more. Obviously it sucks, pretty much the last shift of the game, but at the end of the day try to take it to the net, try to score a goal and tie the game there. That’s not going to deter the way I play or make me change my thinking of what I do on the ice.”

Forward Mason Appleton and defenceman Logan Stanley are the only injured players not currently skating.

Not enough room at the inn: Forward Jansen Harkins cleared waivers on Tuesday, meaning he’s headed back down to the Manitoba Moose where he had nine points (five goals, four assists) prior to his call-up earlier this year.

The 25-year-old had five points (three goals, two assists) in 22 games with the Jets, but found himself on the outside looking in.

“Well, those are always tough calls. We needed him to just be a little bit more reliable defensively, along the boards, things like that. That’s basically what the decision was based on,” Bowness said of the demotion.

“I had a good talk with him (Monday) about those things. It’s disappointing for him, but we’ve got to make room for some guys and there’s going to be more guys (in a similar situation). Once these guys come back, there’s only a 23-man roster. There’s going to be more guys that we’re going to have to make very, very tough decisions on and that was a tough decision.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg