FIGHTING FOR TIME
Depth has forced Maurice into tough calls
NEWARK — Filling out his Winnipeg Jets lineup card has probably never been tougher for head coach Paul Maurice than it is right now.
That job only figures to become more challenging later this month with the expected return of defenceman Jacob Trouba and centre Adam Low ry from injury.
As the Jets get face to face the New York Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, Maurice isn’t planning to make any lineup changes after his team has posted consecutive victories to improve to 39-17-9 on the season.
Jets forward Brandon Tanev missed 10 consecutive games with an upper-body injury, but is expected to be a healthy scratch for the second contest in a row.
Just how does Maurice strike the balance between not wanting to change things up and finding room for a player that was an effective player for the Jets prior to the injury?
“That is a really good question and I’m working on that,” Maurice said after the Jets skated at the New Jersey Devils practice rink on Monday afternoon. “Fairly soon, if everything plays out, we’re going to have four extra healthy forwards that have all played for us.
“We’re in a win now, win today mode.”
Starting with training camp, the competition to both stay in the lineup and earn more ice time began in earnest.
But as injuries and opportunities occurred over the course of the season, youngsters like Kyle Connor and later Jack Roslovic have not just established themselves as regulars – they’re making an important contribution on the top two lines.
Connor is actually third on the Jets in goals (22) and sixth in points (41), which is even more impressive when you consider he started in the AHL and missed the first six games.
The addition of veteran centre Paul Stastny gave the Jets even more strength down the middle.
And after starting the campaign with what was basically a top-six and bottom-six forward group, the Jets have evolved into a team that features three scoring lines and a checking line, albeit one that can also chip in offensively.
“The lines are interchangeable and it’s a lot easier because you don’t have to worry about match-ups as much,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “We can put any line out there and we’re confident.”
Having that type of depth is a luxury the Jets haven’t really enjoyed during the six previous seasons.
It makes them a dangerous group to contend with and opposition coaches are being forced to make tough choices when it comes to which line to play the top defence pairing against.
Do you load up and try to contain Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler or do you send the shutdown group out against Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers?
And don’t forget about veterans like Little and Mathieu Perreault.
It essentially becomes a bit of a pick your poison situation.
Internal competition can be a driving force and bring out the best in players.
It can also make life difficult for those on the outside looking in – especially for guys who had been carving out a role like Tanev, as a penalty killer who uses his speed to create havoc on the forecheck.
“The competition is there for sure,” said Maurice. “My sense from behind the bench is that (guys) don’t want to let their teammates down with average play. It’s not so much a fear that they’re coming out (of the lineup). We have fairly defined roles here, in terms of who you’re competing with (for ice time) and it’s not like if you have one off night, it’s not going to cost you your job or your opportunity in the lineup.”
The goal for every team is to win, but those clubs who are often the most successful find a way to make the necessary personal sacrifices while working hard enough to be ready whenever their number is called.
Winning often makes being a healthy scratch a bit more palatable, even though it’s never easy to accept.
“If you’re out of the lineup, obviously you want to be and be playing and be a part of it but for a team, it’s a good thing to have,” said Little. “The depth is so deep that you have good players out of your lineup and good players that are fighting for ice time and trying to get in. We can someone up and they’re NHL ready right off the bat and we’ve got guys fighting for spots in the lineup. We still have guys on the (Manitoba) Moose right now that aren’t even here that can probably step in pretty soon and be a player on this team.
“It’s a good problem to have, that’s for sure. Especially if you get into injury trouble, like we have this year.”