WINNIPEG – It was a much-needed day off from the ice for the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
Neal Pionk said it was an opportunity for a mental reset for the team.
After losing 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche to fall behind in their opening round series 3-1, the Jets are hoping the mental reset will be the starting point of getting back on track.
Winnipeg finds itself in the exact same place as they were in a year ago, winning Game 1 and then losing three straight to face elimination in Game 5. This time though, the Jets will be on home ice and hoping to use their crowd to start chipping away at the Avs.
“Little victories and shift by shift. We can't look at the big picture right now,” said Pionk.
“We just gotta win the first period, second period, third period and go from there.”
Following the loss on Sunday, Jets head coach Rick Bowness said discipline and puck management is what cost his team Game 4. The veteran coach added that those factors will need to improve if his group is going to extend the series with a win on Tuesday.
“First and foremost, it’s got to start with each individual's intensity and battle level. When you start losing those battles on the boards or net front, you end up chasing them and we’re chasing them too much right now. It does start with that. It starts with our puck management, they’re getting way too many chances off the rush because of our turnovers,” said Bowness.
“So, those are individual mistakes that we have to clean up. Clearly, the discipline is (an issue). Taking four penalties in the second period (of Game 4) took us out of the game. We were happy with what we did at the end of the first and we did have some momentum going and then (took) back-to-back penalties and then a late one that took us right out of the game.”
The Avalanche power play has taken over as well scoring two more big goals in Game 4 and is operating at 40% so far through 240 minutes.
“Kind of the little things like blocking shots, winning puck battles, too,” said Pionk when asked about what needs to be tightened up on the PK.
“I'm sure we'll talk about some strategic things tomorrow morning but when it comes down to it, we got to work outwork their power play. They've been clicking pretty good right now.”
Winnipeg won nine straight games (eight to close out the regular season and Game 1) and now has dropped three in a row. Jets captain Adam Lowry feels this is a tight knit group and they have to believe in one another.
“We know we need to play better than we've shown the last couple of games. There've been spurts where we've played better,” said Lowry.
“You look at kind of Game 3, the first 40 minutes I thought we played a pretty solid game. But two-thirds of a game or a third of a game, that's not going to get it done against an elite team like the Avs.”
HELLEBUYCK VEZINA FINALIST
For the second straight year, Connor Hellebuyck will be a Vezina Trophy finalist along with Sergei Bobrovsky of the Panthers and the Canucks Thatcher Demko. A four-time finalist, Hellebuyck won the Vezina in 2019-20, was runner-up in 2017-18 and finished third last season.
“He’s been tremendous for us all year and I’ve said it before. I think he should be in the Hart conversation, he’s so valuable to our team. Him and (Laurent Brossoit) are the backbone of our team, so they both had tremendous years,” said Lowry.
“It’s a nice nod to Connor to be recognized for the amount of work he puts in, (and) his stellar play all year. Maybe that’s just the boost our team needs to go into Game 5 with a little optimism and a little positivity.”
VLADDY UPDATE
Vladislav Namestnikov was hit in the face with a puck in Game 4 and went to hospital for treatment. He did not travel back with the Jets on Sunday.
“He has a fractured cheekbone. There’s no orbital damage but they kept him overnight and he’s on his way back,” said Bowness.
“I sent him a text last night and he answered this morning and said he’s feeling better.”
Bowness added that Morgan Barron has yet to resume skating and Brenden Dillon is unlikely to play in Game 5.
"You know what a competitor Dilly is. We’re not going to put him in harm’s way, let’s put it that way. He’d play with two broken hands if he could, if we let him. We’ll make the right decision based on what’s best for him," said Bowness.
"We’re not going put him out there unless we’re 100% sure there can be no more damage done."
