Chicago Blackhawks better than their record, Maurice says
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/12/2017 (2297 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Chicago Blackhawks might be second from the bottom in the Central Division, but Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice still considers them the class of the group.
“The style of game they play and their ability to play that game with their elite players still seems to be strong. They are fast. They’re a really skilled group. If you’re off them by five feet they’re going to beat you,” said Maurice, following the Jets morning skate ahead of their game against the Blackhawks tonight at Bell MTS Place (7 p.m.).
The Blackhawks (15-11-5) are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday – capping off a perfect three-game home stand that also included victories over the Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres.
Before that, though, Chicago had lost five straight.
The Jets sit third in the Central with a record of 18-8-5. After a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, Winnipeg has now won seven straight games at home and has yet to lose in regulation in their last 11 (10-0-1). Both streaks are personal bests for the franchise since arriving from Atlanta for the 2011-12 season.
Tonight marks the first of five games between the two divisional foes. Winnipeg has had some real success against the Blackhawks, beating them four of five games during the 2016-17 season. Three times last season the Jets limited Chicago to one goal or fewer, including one shutout.
“They’ve had a lot of tight games with us. For a couple years they’ve had a lot of games where they shut us right down and we weren’t able to get on the scoreboard for a couple of stretches against them,” said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville.
“We’ve had some good games in this building and we’ve had some tough ones in here. They’re a team that’s got some young guys that are going to that next level as a team, and they got some balance in their lineup. They’re fast, quick and dangerous… that will be our test tonight.”
Though the Jets have had Chicago’s number in the past, that hasn’t altered the approach from inside the team’s locker room. They understand the challenge at hand: Chicago might not be having similar success as years past, but a veteran club like that is capable of turning the tide at any moment.
“We know a lot of the faces over there. They’re a team where if you give them time and space they’re going to make you pay,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “It’s just a game where you want to try and eliminate that; you want to make them come 200 feet. Any chances they don’t have to manufacture, there’s a good chance they’re going to end up in your net.”
Much of the Jets’ success on home ice has been because of a formidable power play. Winnipeg has had a success rate of 35.3 per cent with the man advantage at Bell MTS Place, scoring on 18 of 51 attempts. They have also scored power-play goals in five of their last six games — a stretch where they have gone 9-for-27.
Winnipeg has also played well in divisional games, posting a record of 5-1-1 against Central teams this year. The Jets went 19-8-2 in the division last season, a record that tied the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago is 2-5-2 within the division this year.
“The parity is there now, I think,” said Maurice. “There is going to be 16 teams that make the playoffs that are all truly legitimate teams, and this would be one of them. If Chicago gets into that group they can win it.”
Defenceman Dmitry Kulikov and Jacob Trouba were both missing from the morning skate, but Maurice said they are good to play. Connor Hellebuyck will get his third consecutive start in net. The third-year goalie has been stellar this season, posting a 16-3-4 record in 23 starts. The 24-year-old has a 2.44 goals against average and a 9.20 save percentage.
The Jets have also called up Julian Melchiori from the Manitoba Moose after news broke earlier this week that Dustin Byfuglien (lower-body) would be out until at least after Christmas. Toby Enstrom (lower-body) is also out for another month.
Winnipeg Jets projected lineup:
Forwards
Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler
Nik Ehlers-Bryan Little-Patrik Laine
Andrew Copp-Adam Lowry-Brandon Tanev
Mathieu Perreault-Matt Hendricks-Joel Armia
Defence
Josh Morrissey-Jacob Trouba
Dmitry Kulikov-Tyler Myers
Ben Chiarot-Tucker Poolman
Goalies
Connor Hellebuyck
jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca
twitter: @jeffkhamilton
Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer
After a slew of injuries playing hockey that included breaks to the wrist, arm, and collar bone; a tear of the medial collateral ligament in both knees; as well as a collapsed lung, Jeff figured it was a good idea to take his interest in sports off the ice and in to the classroom.