Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/turning-chaos-into-goals-452367473.html Turning chaos into goals Jets implement unusual PP technique to catch opponents off guard By: Mike McIntyre It has become a common sight in National Hockey League games. A team is awarded a power play, breaks the puck out of their own zone — and then immediately passes it backwards as they get in the vicinity of centre ice. To many fans, it may seem like a puzzling move. After all, isn’t the whole idea of hockey to go forward with the puck? The Winnipeg Jets are not immune to the play, which coach Paul Maurice said was first popular in European hockey before making its way overseas. "We’re running the drop now more consistently," he said, following practice Saturday, one night after his team potted a pair of power play goals in a 4-3 win over Minnesota. "It was pretty important for two of those goals (Friday) night." The way Maurice explains it, the play is all about trying to create chaos on the ice and catching the other team flat-footed. "What it does is the drop sets everybody at the blue line and pushes everybody back, and then you’re standing still with two guys (coming in) with a tremendous amount of speed," he said. "The team that first used it to great effect was Vancouver when they went to the finals that year (2011). They basically won their first three playoff rounds on the drop. They just killed teams on their power play until they played Boston, and Boston decided to let them drop the puck, let them gain the zone and they’ll not be out of position." Maurice said the play can quickly backfire, especially if you have an aggressive penalty killer who reads it well. The Jets, for example, have already scored three short-handed goals this season. "There is a bit of risk. Because if you attack those two guys coming late, you can break something loose sometimes. You’ve got to be right on that one, you’ve got to handle that puck right, if not you’re going to see more short-handed goal, more short-handed rushes," he said. "I think you’ll see teams get away from the drop when they have a lead. But it’ll be here for a while." Like everything in sports, teams are always looking to find an advantage, and imitation really is the most sincere form of flattery. To that extent, Maurice said another new trend has emerged on power plays in recent years. "You’re seeing more players on the flanks on their natural sides. Detroit used that a few years back quite a bit, and now you’re seeing a bunch of teams," Maurice said. "So you see Blake Wheeler on the right side of the ice, on his natural side, not on the one-timer side. And then kind of driving things down to the net, where you’ve got four guys collapsed at the net, something Montreal did really well a few years ago when Saku Koivu was there running it." Of course, the Jets have a not-so-secret weapon which they hope gives them an advantage over their opponents: Patrik Laine. The Finnish sensation was responsible for both power-play goals Friday night, including a rocket of a shot he called a "muffin" after the game. "Well it might be accurate for him. He didn’t get all of it. He just gets it to the right spot. He’s fired some heaters here in practice that move everybody. When he’s teeing that up, I have no problem with everybody leaving the front of the net. It’s safer for the goaltender. It’s safer for everybody," Maurice said. "It comes off his stick with so much heat. That’s the big piece of why he’s just different than everybody else. He can get a shot to the net with a lot of pace to that shot, from anywhere on his body." Winnipeg’s power play is currently running at 17.4 per cent through its first seven games, which puts them 18th overall in the NHL. Winnipeg clicked at 18.2 per cent last season, also good for 18th. The Jets will get the next opportunity to improve those numbers when they return to game action on Thursday in Pittsburgh. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/blue-line-duo-struggling-badly-452369593.html Blue-line duo struggling badly By: Mike McIntyre They are already major pieces of the lineup and the kind of building blocks that seemingly give the Winnipeg Jets an impressive foundation going forward. But the defence pairing of Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey has sprung a few leaks early this season. Trouba, 23, and Morrissey, 22, are routinely being given the toughest matchups by coach Paul Maurice, including playing against opponents’ top line. Trouba, at minus-seven, and Morrissey, at minus-five, currently have the two worst plus-minus ratings on the team. "They have a big responsibility with that matchup. They’re going to grow into it and get better at it. There are nights that they’ve handled it really, really well, and some nights maybe that they’ve struggled with it," Maurice said Saturday. Their last game would fall into the latter category. On Minnesota’s first goal last Friday, Morrissey got crushed with a big hit behind the net and Trouba was caught out of position as Chris Stewart was left all alone in front to score. On the second goal, a bad Trouba pinch led to a three-on-one which Morrissey was unable to defend. "That’s a job we’re more likely, if we don’t like it during a game, to switch it. But not have it change their eventual role. They both need to play that role," Maurice said. Like much of his team, Maurice said they got "lit up" during the first two games of the season in which they were routed by both Toronto and Calgary. But there have been better signs of late as the Jets have won four of their five games since. He stuck with the pairing through Friday’s game, and they rewarded their coach by factoring in when Blake Wheeler scored the game-winner late in the third period. Trouba drew a secondary assist on the play. "Sometimes, you want to go out and dominate the whole 60 minutes and have there be no question or no lulls or changing of momentum in the game, but typically, on most nights, that’s not how it’s going to be," Morrissey said. "It’s kind of finding ways to win and learning how to win in those essential sort of tough games. Where they’re close games and you have to find a way to get over that hump." Maurice said everyone, including himself, may be guilty of taking Trouba and Morrissey for granted. "Well, for sure. Mo’s in his second year, we play him against the other teams’ best and he’s really been quite effective at it. Jake’s had a little bit more up and down, his game in Edmonton is as good a game I’ve seen him play. He’s been solid. Kinda like our team, 4-3, some real good ones and some ones we’d like back. But moving in the right direction," he said. Kyle Connor has seemingly fit right in. Connor scored in his season debut last week against Columbus, then set up Wheeler’s game- winner against Minnesota a few nights later with a perfect pass. It’s the kind of production the team was hoping for when Mathieu Perreault went down with an injury that is expected to sideline him for a month, leaving a big hole on the line with Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. "It’s definitely been fun. They’re two great players. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can. We’re starting to read off each other better," Connor said. Consider his coach impressed. "He’s got some great speed. What we’d like to see (from) that line is that kind of idea, make those plays a little further up the ice, use your speed a little bit longer, and he keeps skating like that, it looks like there might be some chemistry," Maurice said. "When you’re talking to Mark and Blake, he’s quite easy to read off for a young player. Usually, that’s the challenge, the veteran guys have a harder time picking up what the kid is going to do." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/scheduling-quirk-lets-jets-regroup- 452192253.html Scheduling quirk lets Jets regroup Team's goal is to get healthier and get quicker during week off By: Mike McIntyre The regular season is barely underway, but the Winnipeg Jets have been forced to hit the pause button as part of an early scheduling quirk that essentially gives them a second crack at training camp. "It’s actually longer than training camp. You never get five days (between games)," coach Paul Maurice said on Saturday, following an up-tempo, hour-long practice at the Bell MTS Iceplex. That’s the reality facing his team these days. After beating the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Friday night, the Jets won’t play again until Thursday in Pittsburgh, then the next night in Columbus. It would likely be an unwelcome break if they were on an unstoppable roll, but the first seven games of the season have been a mixed bag, exposing several areas that still need work.