Road-heavy schedule just what Jets need

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This article was published 23/10/2016 (2733 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets are likely hoping the old formula of ‘practise makes perfect’ comes with a bit of wiggle room.

The Jets play 16 games over the next 28 days, including 10 on the road.

Head coach Paul Maurice said it’s not just the sheer number of games stacked up over the next four weeks that could prove daunting, but also the shortage of teaching time for a young club that really needs it.

“I’d like to tell you I know (how the club will respond) but I’ve never seen (a stretch) like this,” Maurice said following Monday’s morning skate at the MTS Iceplex. “There are some brand-new things that we’ve never dealt with before.

“You’ve got a young group and the kids will probably think this is how the NHL works… you never practise, you just play games.”

The Jets face the Dallas Stars Tuesday night at American Airlines Center and then return home to host the Stars on Thursday night. The Jets then head to Denver for a Friday night game against the Colorado Avalanche before flying home to host the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday afternoon.

To start the next month, Winnipeg will host the Washington Capitals on Nov. 1 before departing for three games in four nights against the Capitals, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.

Maurice, whose club (2-3) has a pair of overtime victories in three games at the MTS Centre (Sunday’s loss against the Edmonton Oilers was at Investors Group Field) so far this season, maintains time away should be beneficial.

“It’ll be good. We get them together, get them out on the road a little bit and it puts everybody in the same room an awful lot,” he said. “It will be good for our team.”

Missing another Classic

Veteran defenceman Mark Stuart was matter-of-fact Monday about being relegated to the press box for two of the Winnipeg Jets’ marquee games this season.

Stuart and veteran forward Chris Thorburn were healthy scratches for the home opener Oct. 13 — a thrilling 5-4 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes — and the outdoor Heritage Classic at IGF, one of the franchise highlights since the move from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.

It was striking that two of the team’s most loyal foot soldiers, with tenure dating back to the Thrashers days, were on the outside looking in.

In his Heritage Classic post-game comments, coach Maurice said the decision was particularly difficult.

But Stuart said missing the matchup in the great outdoors — a 3-0 triumph for the Edmonton Oilers — was equivalent to getting scratched any other time during the long NHL season.

“It’s always tough sitting and watching,” said Stuart, 32, from Rochester, Minn. “But it’s no different than any other game when you’re not in the lineup. You’ve just got to do your work, get your workouts in and do what you can to stay sharp.”

Stuart’s had no luck with outdoor games. He was sidelined with an injury and missed the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park as a member of the Boston Bruins, who defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime.

Not that special

Winnipeg’s power play was potent in the pre-season but has been unproductive through five games of the 2016-17 season.

The Jets are tied for 25th in the NHL with just two goals in 20 man-advantage chances — a success rate of 10 per cent. Rookie forward Patrik Laine, 18, has both goals.

A chunk of time was spent working on the power play during Monday’s skate, and Maurice said he’s seeing signs the unit — with regulars such as defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and forwards Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Nik Ehlers — is on the verge of breaking out.

“We got 12 (pucks) to the net (Sunday), we got 13 pucks  to the net another night. It’s almost there,” said Maurice. “The structure we like, but the pace of it and moving personnel around is something we’ll continue to do until we can get that good feeling, that chemistry when a group goes out and feels like they’re dangerous every time.”

Winnipeg’s penalty killers, meanwhile, have been successful just 68.9 per cent of the time, which is second-last in the league.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell