Offence from D corps true catalyst for Jets’ quick start

WINNIPEG — The blue-line was the biggest question mark before the season. 

Coming off a first-round exit where their defencemen were dismantled by the Colorado Avalanche’s elite offensive talent, a summer where Brenden Dillon departed in free agency and a pre-season where up-and-comer Ville Heinola got sidelined — the Winnipeg Jets’ back end appeared flimsy.

But 13 games into the 2024-25 season, Winnipeg’s question mark has become an exclamation mark. Although many will point to the Jets’ high-flying offence and stellar goaltending, one could argue their blue-line is the x-factor behind their NHL-best 12-1-0 start. 

The Jets’ back end has combined for a league-high 45 points. Having Josh Morrissey (16 points) and Neal Pionk (13) in the top five among defencemen scoring is a big reason — their blue-line’s collective five-on-five output goes far beyond just those two. Over the last few years, Winnipeg has prioritized having an offensively inclined back end. 

“As a group, we want to get shots through when we get it at the point and be a factor in the rush,” Morrissey said after Tuesday’s 3-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club. “The last (three) years it’s been a big change of our style of play since (Rick Bowness) and (Scott Arniel) came in.”

Morrissey’s offensive outburst over the last few years is a shining example of what Bowness, and now Arniel, have harped on. It’s why the team brought in Colin Miller — who had the hardest recorded shot in the NHL last season — to bring a different flavor to a bottom pairing that has predominantly featured meat-and-potato defenders. And why a stay-at-home defenceman such as Dylan Samberg recorded five shots on net against Utah. 

“We’ve always (told the defencemen) that you’re going to be out there in situations, and (when) you’re in the offensive zone, you’re not just a pylon, you’re not just a spectator, you’re a part of the offence,” Arniel said. “On our breakouts, if you’re just going to try to rush up the ice with three forwards, the opposition’s going to deny you ice and they’re not going to allow you to enter. So, we have to have that second wave. Our D have to be a part of that rush.”

Take Tuesday’s game, as an example. Eleven of the team’s 26 shots during five-on-five play came from defencemen. The game-winning goal was a result of a point shot from Morrissey on the power play, which nicked off Gabriel Vilardi and in.

Sure, point shots in of themselves aren’t Grade-A opportunities. But they can lead to them. 

“When you have a lane to get the puck net-front that creates the chaos, that creates the explosion of where that puck might go to, that creates second and third opportunities,” added Arniel.

No. 900 For Nino 

Nino Niederreiter had a two-goal outing in his 900th career NHL game.

His first goal — which give the Jets a 2-0 lead — was peak Nino. He made a swift stick-lift in the defensive zone to create a turnover before darting down the ice, receiving the puck as the trailer and freezing Karel Vejmelka with a stutter-step deke. 

The 32-year-old is off to a hot start, registering seven goals and 12 points in his first 13 games. It’s a stark contrast from last season’s start, where the Swiss forward scored just five goals in his first 24 games. Niederreiter has a reputation as a streaky scorer but, overall, he’s been dependable whenever lined up alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. Niederreiter has scored 18 five-on-five goals in 93 games alongside Lowry and Appleton — trailing only Nikolaj Ehlers (26) and Kyle Connor (25) through that span. 

Top line in top gear 

Give credit where credit’s due. Arniel’s decision to keep Connor, Mark Scheifele and Vilardi intact has paid off. 

The Jets’ top line has turned things around after an abysmal eight-game stretch that saw them get outscored 2-9 and post a 42.5 expected goals percentage during five-on-five play. Over the last four games, they’ve flipped those outputs — outscoring opponents 6-1 to go along with a 66.1 expected goals for percentage.

The eye test backs up those metrics, as that trio has found a way to spend more time in the offensive zone and plays aren’t dying out between the blue lines. But Arniel says the neutral zone wasn’t their biggest hurdle. 

“I don’t really look at the neutral zone as much,” Arniel said. “I look at how much time you spend at your end of the rink. I think that’s an area that they’ve really worked at and taken pride in. Those guys buy-in just like all the other lines. I think everybody realizes now that when we defend — and I say 200-foot defending, not just our end, might be through the neutral zone, tracking back those type of things — It gets you the puck back. And it gives you the chance to go play offence. That’s what everybody wants to do.”

Other thoughts 

• Dylan Samberg was fantastic against Utah. The 25-year-old registered five shots, two hits and logged a team-high 24:19 minutes of ice time, including 5:34 on the penalty kill.

“We’ve asked him to take on a big load this year. He’s been pretty consistent. He’s had to go out and play against some top skill,” Arniel said. “I thought him and (Pionk) have done a good job; our top four have done a great job against the opposition’s top six.”

• Speaking of that pairing, Samberg and Pionk have posted a 55.62 scoring chance for percentage through 13 games.

• The Jets’ attendance woes likely won’t be going away anytime soon. Despite being the best team in the NHL, only 12,932 fans attended Tuesday’s game. Three of the Jets’ first seven home games drew fewer than 13,000 fans. Winnipeg is averaging 13,800 fans per game, which leaves 1,200 empty seats a night. True North Sports and Entertainment announced a few weeks ago that its season-ticket base had grown by 500 — up to 10,000 — which explains the slight increase in attendance from last season (13,447).

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