BILLECK: Jets leadership answers the challenge

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Published Oct 30, 2024  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  4 minute read

CP-Web. Winnipeg Jets celebrate the goal by Winnipeg Jets defenceman Neal Pionk during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Winnipeg’s leaders made a statement on Wednesday night in Detroit.

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They weren’t about to allow a repeat performance.

From the opening shift, where Adam Lowry’s relentless line went out and set the tone, to when the top trio opened the scoring 2:48 into the game, to the continued defensive presence on the scoresheet.

The Jets answered the bell, silencing the criticism after a tough loss with a masterclass on responding to a bad night at the office.

A 6-2 win over the Red Wings put the Jets back in the win column, the ninth tick through 10 games.

It wasn’t just the score that stood out. It was how the team arrived there.

Kyle Connor’s quick cross-ice feed to Gabriel Vilardi put Winnipeg in front before three minutes were gone, putting the pre-game chatter about the line’s five-on-five woes to bed.

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“We’re a good line,” Mark Scheifele told reporters.”There’s games that go our way that don’t go our way, but we were 8-0 before last game. So that’s something. And obviously, we all played a great game. KC and Gabe were absolutely fantastic tonight. And it showed and it was fun to play with those guys tonight.”

About 90 seconds later, Neal Pionk awoke from his nightmare against Toronto, scoring his first of two in the game to ease the memory of being on the ice for five on Monday.

“The sun came up, thankfully,” Pionk said. “It was just a team thing. Obviously, we didn’t play very well, me personally either. It’s all part of being a pro. I talked to (defensive partner Dylan Samerg) and we both agreed we just got to turn the page and get on to the next game.”

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Vilardi would help return the favour for Connor’s league-leading ninth goal of the season, capping off his multi-point night as the line finished plus-three on the scoresheet while controlling possession and outshooting and out-chancing their opponents.

Lowry’s line ground out another goal, with Nino Niederreiter scoring 10 seconds into the third. Head coach Scott Arniel welcomed the quick response after Detroit scored twice in the second period to pull the game to 3-2.

“Everybody was put in a little bit of a, ‘Let’s see how we respond after the last game,’ and it was a great response,” Arniel said.

And he couldn’t have asked for a better one.

“Our start in the first obviously set the tone,” Arniel said. “I thought it was everybody again. We had to be back to (having) everybody playing their A-game, and I thought we did tonight. Good contributions from everybody. We went after them and made them play in their end of the rink to kind of take the crowd out of it a little bit and we did that.”

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Pionk ensured Winnipeg’s power play continued to churn along, scoring the team’s eighth goal of the season with the man advantage.

The 29-year-old rearguard, in a contract year, is now second in the league in defensive scoring, and Winnipeg’s defensive corps took over the top scoring ranking by blue-liners with 34 points.

Detroit’s only hope came on the power play, as the Jets penalty kill had an off night in what’s otherwise been a steady, solid start to the season.

Connor Hellebuyck won his seventh game of the season and responded well after allowing five against the Leafs. The two-time and reigning Vezina winner has a 2.12 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Here are a few other thoughts after Wednesday’s win:

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• If you haven’t heard, Connor reached the 500-point milestone on Wednesday. He’s the sixth player from the vaunted 2015 draft class to reach that mark, joining Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho and Jack Eichel. “Five hundred points, that’s unbelievable, in the sense that it shows the type of player he is, how hard he works,” Arniel said. “He’s a professional through and through. He’s an elite player in this league. We like to keep him as our little hidden secret but I don’t think that’s going to happen anymore. People know he’s got 500, that he can score and that he’s off to a great start to start this year.”

• Pionk invoked the words of former head coach Rick Bowness describing his night against Toronto. “S— happens.” Scheifele, meanwhile, was as blunt as it gets: “We sucked.”

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• Speaking of Pionk, he’s been very good this season. It’s what made Monday as noticeable as it was. Really solid on both sides of the puck. He will never admit it, but injuries slowed him over the past couple of years. 

• I’ve said it here before: there’s a tangible change in Winnipeg’s approach to this season. The disappointment of losing like they did to Colorado in the playoffs is being channelled correctly. This team’s upset they’re still undefeated and not just happy to be 9-1. 

• Connor’s defensive work keeps getting better. It was something he’s been criticized about, but it’s improved a lot over the past couple of seasons. “I just love the fact there were a couple of times in the third period where we were up three goals or whatever it was, and he was still pouring back on the back-check, and he was still trying to pop sticks,” Arniel said.

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