Jets Have Legitimate Shot in Not-Quite-As-Tough Central
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Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/the-winning-formula-on-and-off-the-ice- 448397353.html Jets have legitimate shot in not-quite-as-tough Central By: Scott Campbell The Central Division is arguably the toughest one in the National Hockey League. It is perhaps also the most difficult to handicap. I’ve gone over my preferred statistics. I've looked at some predictive models and I've waded through the lineups in an attempt to come to some conclusions about why I believe the Winnipeg Jets should make the playoffs this season. I’ll start with the easy one, and toss the Colorado Avalanche onto the scrap heap after a brutal 48-point 2016-17 season. I think they’ll improve, but not enough to threaten the other six teams. The rest all have legitimate reasons to believe they’ll make the playoffs. Last season’s points are in brackets. Minnesota Wild (106 points) They brought in Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno, Matt Cullen and defenceman Kyle Quincey to replace forwards Jason Pominville, Erik Haula, Martin Hanzal and Christian Folin, defencemen Marco Scandella and backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Rookie Alex Stalock has won the backup job, but that could change. They’ve taken a step back and will need a resurrection of Ennis’s play from years ago and Cullen to forget his age to help lessen the sting up front. Their defence is top-heavy with Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. A second pairing of Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin should be OK. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk and head coach Bruce Boudreau rank in the top part of the league in their respective positions and they drive the boat. Chicago Blackhawks (109 points) Notable additions are forwards Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, Lance Bouma and Tom Wingels, along with defencemen Connor Murphy and Jan Rutta. They lost defencemen Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brian Campbell, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Johnny Oduya along with forwards Artemi Panarin, Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger and backup goalie Scott Darling. That’s a lot of movement, and not for the better. The forward group’s younger players should move forward, and the 'Hawks are hoping for good things from dynamic rookie Alex DeBrincat. Patrick Kane will still dominate and Saad may spark Jonathan Toews to a strong year. The loss of Hjalmarsson is huge and overall the defence will have big problems with high- octane offensive teams such as the Jets. Duncan Keith is still very good but his supporting cast has taken a nosedive. They have a top goalie in Corey Crawford and coach in Joel Quenneville, but the loss of backup Darling could prove costly. Dallas Stars (79 points) They stepped up over the summer, adding goalie Ben Bishop, forwards Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal and defenceman Marc Methot, and lost only forwards Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky and Cody Eakin. The Stars have a group that should score a ton but their defence is still questionable. If Bishop is healthy and close to his best and new head coach Ken Hitchcock can get the team to buy in on his defensive systems, they could easily win the Central. If either of them fail, they could miss the playoffs. I have them in, but nothing will surprise me. Nashville Predators (94 points) They added defenceman Alexei Emelin and forwards Nick Bonino and Scott Hartnell while losing sniper James Neal and captain Mike Fisher. With an overall decent group of forwards, it’s still the defence that holds this team together. They start the season with a very good Ryan Ellis out until the new year — a tough first test. I’m not a Pekka Rinne fan, but the 35-year-old bounced back last year. Backup Juuse Saros was excellent in 23 games, but that's a small sample. Head coach Peter Laviolette has a good handle on this team, and while expectations are high in some areas, they still have a battle on their hands. St. Louis Blues (99 points) They added forwards Brayden Schenn, Beau Bennett and former Jet Chris Thorburn. They got rid of Ryan Reeves, David Perron, Jori Lehtera and Nail Yakupov. Schenn is a power-play monster, although playing with Vladimir Tarasenko might improve his even-strength numbers. The forward group is decent but has lost one of its biggest hopes for internal growth, Robby Fabbri, for the season. Patrik Berglund and Zach Sanford are out for months. They have two excellent defencemen in Alexander Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko. The decline starts after them as age and mediocrity creeps into that group. Goaltender Jake Allen went from roadkill early in the season to Superman from February on. He’s neither, and landing in the middle of that will be OK, but not good enough. The Blues should join Colorado and miss the playoffs after many successful regular seasons. This puts the Jets in. With my prediction of five Central teams in the post-season, the Pacific will get just three spots. The expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights are out. The Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks are stuck in no-man’s land. The Arizona Coyotes will jump ahead but not enough to challenge here. I see the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers at the top, but believe the elderly San Jose Sharks and the goalie-starved Calgary Flames are two more teams the Jets should beat to the finish line. I didn’t list my five Central playoff teams in a projected order of finish because I’ve flipped them around many times while going through this process. Every team has a story that could propel them to the top, including the Jets. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them land in the middle here. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/mason-laying-a-solid-new-foundation- 448571793.html Mason laying a solid new foundation Veteran netminder a total pro in eyes of coach, teammates By: Jason Bell Steve Mason’s comfort level with an unfamiliar city, new organization and different goaltending partner rises more and more with each passing day. The veteran netminder says he did his due diligence before agreeing to a two-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets over the summer, but has already soaked up a great deal of knowledge about the men he’ll go to battle with during the 2017-18 NHL season. The premier players on the Central Division club’s roster didn’t get that way by accident, Mason said Thursday, following a skate at Bell MTS Iceplex. "The best players are the best players for a reason," he said. "Right from Day 1, I was extremely impressed with the work ethic of the top guys, and I think that has a trickle-down effect on other players in the organization. When you see your captain (Blake Wheeler), your top scorer (Mark Scheifele) and goal scorer (Patrik Laine) putting in extra work before and after practice, that has a huge impact — without (them) having to say anything — on the younger players. That’s what you want to see in an organization... that’s something to learn from, for sure." Mason, 29, who has played in a pair of games during the pre-season, will get the start against the host Calgary Flames on Saturday night. Heading into his 10th season, Mason was signed as a free agent July 1 to take over the top job with the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck had an up-and-down 2016-17 season in his first go as a starter and will serve as his backup. The former Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year (2009 with the Columbus Blue Jackets) — who left the Philadelphia Flyers after five seasons — said he’s enjoying his new surroundings and teammates. "The first day there was some nerves and a bit of anxiousness... it was such an easy transition to feel comfortable in the locker room and that’s important. It didn’t take long for me to feel at home here," Mason said. "It’s an extremely tight group. The guys were extremely welcoming. "We’ve understood the importance of this camp, treating every day as a work day and making sure we’re trying to get better." Mason stopped 21 of 24 shots against Edmonton on Sept. 20 as the Oilers posted a 4-1 road victory; earlier this week, he turned aside 26 of 28 Flames’ drives — shutting down the visitors through the final 40 minutes — as the Jets posted a 5-2 win at home. He feels like he’s rounding into form, he said. "Especially the last period-and-a-half of my last game, I started to feel a little bit more into a rhythm," Mason said. "Exhibition games are sometimes difficult because you’re not always facing shooters that you’re familiar with and there’s not always constant momentum and sometimes you’re standing around a little bit, but for the most part I’m getting into a rhythm, which is what I want." He’s also developing a solid bond with Hellebuyck. "I think it’s great. We’ve had a pretty easy transition into having a friendship and, more importantly, a good partnership here. I’ve been impressed with the way he works and the way he handles himself every day," Mason said. In the past, Winnipeg hasn’t had the benefit of a netminder who can effectively handle and move the puck. Mason brings that skill set to the club, but with it comes a period of adjustment for his blue-liners. "He’s a really good puckhandler, so that’s been something that we’ve been working on and getting that chemistry.