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No Wheeler, no problem for the Jets

April 9, 2021, 10:11 AM ET [98 Comments]
Anthony Travalgia
Winnipeg Jets Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
On Thursday, Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice confirmed what was expected: Blake Wheeler has been diagnosed with a concussion.

The Jets’ captain has only missed one game in the last five years, and will be out for at minimum, all five games on the Jets’ current road trip.

Losing your captain is a tough pill for any team to swallow, but as any team will tell you, it just means next man up and carry on with your business as usual.

That’s what the Jets did Thursday night in their 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

"He's obviously, the leader of our team and he does so many great things and obviously, his play, with what he does for us on the ice," said Josh Morrisey who was playing without Wheeler in the lineup for the first time as a Jet. "Guys have to step up in all areas of his absence because it’s a big hole to fill."

The Jets got goals from Morrissey, Trevor Lewis, Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp, spreading the offense between defensemen, role players and a pair of guys the Jets rely on for key offensive production.

With Wheeler out, the Jets will continue to rely on their offensive depth to get them by until Wheeler returns. But with that, they’ll still need offensive production from the line of Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

The trio saw 7:21 in five-on-five ice time together before head coach Paul Maurice flipped Copp with Ehlers, trying to balance out his top-six more evenly from a defensive standpoint.

"I liked Nikolaj Ehlers' game. I thought he had a lot of jump, and there was just too much of that idea on that line," said Maurice. "If Mark and Kyle play together, I do think they need a bit of a defensive component with them. Andrew brought that."

The Jets’ new look fourth line provided the team with a spark as well. Nate Thompson centered Lewis and Jansen Harkins who was back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 19.

“Important shifts—and this has happened for a while now with the Thompson line doing all the things right, big penalty kills tonight,” said Maurice. “You have a bunch of people stepping up in Blake’s absence and perform well and it might not necessarily be the guys you might think.”

As has often been the case, the Canadiens managed to tilt the ice in their favor for long stretches of play throughout the net, especially in the middle period. But yet again, it was the play of Connor Hellebuyck in net that helped the Jets earn two points, making 38 saves in total.

It was a night where the Jets got contributions from different parts of their lineups, and from players whose roles aren’t quite to provide the offensive punch.

Morrisey, Neal Pionk, Derek Forbort and Logan Stanley all had a point each on the Jets blueline.

"I thought it was a good team effort tonight," said Hellebuyck. "I was able to see a lot of the pucks and when I didn't, it was a good block. Everyone was in our structure and we had a good game."
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