Small-area games have big pay off in Jets practices

WINNIPEG -Saturday's practice at Bell MTS Iceplex came to an end with a celebration - not necessarily because the 35-minute session was over, but because of how it ended.
When Nikolaj Ehlers lifted a Mathieu Perreault pass into the top corner, he won the two-on-two small area scrimmage the Winnipeg Jets have been doing at the end of each practice this week.
"We've won twice now," said Ehlers with a grin. "So it's a lot of fun."

The group is split into two teams and stand at the top of the circles in one end, while two from each team try to score in the area that remains.
It's fun, but it's also important based on how the Jets want to play.
"It's huge. It's fun too. We're playing for something," said Ehlers. "We're working hard, we're getting into those small battles and trying to work on our game down low. It's a good practice drill."
For head coach Paul Maurice, he sees it as a way for the players to work on the "grind" they need in their game, without the wear and tear constant five-on-five drills can produce.
"Those small area games, that tight two-on-two is really where the game is played now. Everybody's D-zone coverage collapses heavy in the corners. There isn't much room to go," said Maurice.
"If each guy threw in five bucks in a game, it would be on. It's just pride, or who has to skate two laps. When there is anything on the line, it drives it up, they can have a bit of fun with it.
"I liked our practice today. We had great pace and we were driving, but that was the best part of it."

It was the second straight day that Ehlers had scored the winner, however he'll gladly take more of the one he scored last night against the Colorado Avalanche over the one he notched in practice today.
It was the Danish forward's third goal in five games. While this looked to be his easiest, he wanted to make sure he cashed in on captain Blake Wheeler's pass, his third of four assists in the 5-2 win.
"With a guy like Wheels, you have to be ready all the time. He finds those small holes. He's incredibly good at making those important, small passes," said Ehlers.
"I stopped in front of the net, got the pass, and you get a little nervous when you're alone like that and (with) no goalie in the net. But it was a great pass."
Add in Wheeler's empty net goal, and the captain had his first five-point night of his career.
His four assists moved him into second in the NHL in helpers with 18, one back of Colorado's Mikko Rantanen for the league lead.
Wheeler finished last season tied at the top of the league standings in assists with 68, during a career-high 91-point campaign.
"When you're at the coaches meetings in the summer or you have colleagues that you talk to, especially guys after you play, they say 'my God, Blake Wheeler is dominant man out there.' They really see it," said Maurice. "I think Blake has built this. Built his body into a machine that can drive as hard as anybody I've ever coached. All of that has led to the skills that he's always possessed coming out."
In addition to the offensive output, Wheeler's line with Ehlers and Mark Scheifele were also matched against Rantanen's line with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.
Colorado's top line was held off the scoresheet and had six shots on goal.
"A lot of it runs through Mark Scheifele. I thought that was the first game that line really returned to form. They were really good defensively," said Maurice. "We know what Blake does and we've moved the left wing around. But as the centre when you play against a skilled line, they're going to get their chances.
"The centre becomes a defenceman in the defensive zone. He had two or three real good stops and sticks that knocked things down that were real dangerous seam passes."
The Jets are back in action Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils.
ICE CHIPS
Dmitry Kulikov will miss at least a month with the upper-body injury he sustained in the win over Colorado last night.
The defenceman left the game in the first period and didn't return.
"That was his best period of hockey. He was playing great, physical, moving the puck, skating. It's real unfortunate," said Maurice. "It's a real challenge for him now. He felt before his injury last year that he really liked his game. This one is tough for him to handle."
The Jets head coach said the team will recall a player from the Manitoba Moose - who play tonight at Bell MTS Place against the Grand Rapids Griffins - though Maurice wanted to wait until after that game to decide who that player would be.
Maurice also announced Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal on Sunday.