It's mid-September and Jets forward Mark Scheifele is clear on a couple of things. First, making the playoffs.
"We have to make it this year," he said. "I think we have the team that has the ability to do big things. We can't be complacent, we can't be satisfied with being good every other game. We have to focus on being consistent each and every night and know if we do that, we'll be successful, we'll make the playoffs and hopefully have a long run."
Have your attention yet? Wait for the next one. He wants to be better than Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid - two of the game's very best, who he trailed by only seven and 18 points, respectively, in the 2016-17 scoring race by year's end. That was a comment he made during an interview at the NHL Media Tour at the league offices in New York before training camp, and it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment-type quip. In fact, he'd been thinking about it for a long time.
Have your attention yet? Wait for the next one. He wants to be better than Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid - two of the game's very best, who he trailed by only seven and 18 points, respectively, in the 2016-17 scoring race by year's end. That was a comment he made during an interview at the NHL Media Tour at the league offices in New York before training camp, and it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment-type quip. In fact, he'd been thinking about it for a long time.
"You want to be the best and I've seen Connor and Sid are the two guys that are at the top of the chart. It's something I definitely think about every day. Everything I do, I think about if Connor or Crosby are doing this, and that's kind of what motivates you. You want to get that edge on them."
"You want to be the guy that pushes for more," Scheifele said. "I've got to do more work, I've got to work harder at staying here [next time]. That's the toughest thing. It's easier getting there but it's harder to stay there, and that's obviously what the best players in the world do. … I don't want to have just one good year where I'm up there. I want to be there each and every season and be fighting for it each and every year."
Head Coach Paul Maurice is one of Scheifele's biggest fans and believes his top centreman has already achieved elite status in this league.
"He is now and he's looking for a far higher ceiling," Maurice said. "The tell for fans, it won't be his points. He capped out at 82 last year, but he's thinking about hundreds and we're all for it. But the big jump in our game is him driving the whole game, at both ends of the rink out against the other teams' best and producing. And He's very close to that now. I'm running him against the other teams' best already."
With the quality of players that Scheifele is competing with for the Art Ross Trophy, he realizes how special it was to be on top of the pack and so did his family.
"Every time my parents saw the NHL scoring leaders in the paper they cut it out," Scheifele said. "I definitely took a picture of where it was me, Connor and Stammer (Steven Stamkos) all at the top. We all work out together and it was kind of funny to see all of us at the top."
"We're all competitors. It's not like you're going to take it easy on one of your buddies," he said. "If they're a friend of yours, you almost want to go harder on them. I think that competition is just the way we are. We're all competitive, we all want to be the best and that's what I like about the game. For me, I get to work out with some of the best players in the world and skate with them everyday. I think that makes me a better player.
"Obviously you're not going to tell everyone everything. There's a part of it where you want to get the edge on a guy and you want to better than him, but you're also pushing each and every day. If he's doing something you want to do it a little bit better than he does. You want to be little faster, a little stronger. If they do something cool, then I do something cool, whatever it is. That's the way I look at it."
Scheifele isn't always on the ice or working out in his push to become the best player he can, which over the course of an 82-game season, could cause him to burn out. There's plenty rest and relaxation on the schedule, too, which helps him get away from the game during the busier times when mental fatigue becomes just as much, if not more of a factor than the physical side.
Of course, he can only stay away for so long. After all, hockey is what he lives for.
"My parents obviously know me better than anyone else in this world. They know if I'm going too far, but they know I want to be the best and I want to do everything in my power to succeed, and they're always behind me no matter what."
A good example of his efforts to separate himself from the game every once in a while came on a recent trip to New York to take in the final major of the tennis season, the U.S. Open, where he saw Roger Federer in action for the first time.
"I've been a tennis fan my whole life," Scheifele said. "My parents played growing up, so that meant me, my brother and sister kind of did, too. We grew up watching tennis, we saw my parents enjoyed watching it and we are all big Federer fans. I've seen him at the Rogers Cup, but I was in New York and I said there's no way I'm not going to this, so we got tickets. I know my mom wants to go to Wimbledon, so that's one thing I definitely want to do for her is to take her to Wimbledon and experience that one day."
It doesn't get any better than Wimbledon.
Scheifele always sets the bar high.
Head Coach Paul Maurice is one of Scheifele's biggest fans and believes his top centreman has already achieved elite status in this league.
"He is now and he's looking for a far higher ceiling," Maurice said. "The tell for fans, it won't be his points. He capped out at 82 last year, but he's thinking about hundreds and we're all for it. But the big jump in our game is him driving the whole game, at both ends of the rink out against the other teams' best and producing. And He's very close to that now. I'm running him against the other teams' best already."
With the quality of players that Scheifele is competing with for the Art Ross Trophy, he realizes how special it was to be on top of the pack and so did his family.
"Every time my parents saw the NHL scoring leaders in the paper they cut it out," Scheifele said. "I definitely took a picture of where it was me, Connor and Stammer (Steven Stamkos) all at the top. We all work out together and it was kind of funny to see all of us at the top."
"Obviously you're not going to tell everyone everything. There's a part of it where you want to get the edge on a guy and you want to better than him, but you're also pushing each and every day. If he's doing something you want to do it a little bit better than he does. You want to be little faster, a little stronger. If they do something cool, then I do something cool, whatever it is. That's the way I look at it."
Scheifele isn't always on the ice or working out in his push to become the best player he can, which over the course of an 82-game season, could cause him to burn out. There's plenty rest and relaxation on the schedule, too, which helps him get away from the game during the busier times when mental fatigue becomes just as much, if not more of a factor than the physical side.
Of course, he can only stay away for so long. After all, hockey is what he lives for.
"My parents obviously know me better than anyone else in this world. They know if I'm going too far, but they know I want to be the best and I want to do everything in my power to succeed, and they're always behind me no matter what."
A good example of his efforts to separate himself from the game every once in a while came on a recent trip to New York to take in the final major of the tennis season, the U.S. Open, where he saw Roger Federer in action for the first time.
"I've been a tennis fan my whole life," Scheifele said. "My parents played growing up, so that meant me, my brother and sister kind of did, too. We grew up watching tennis, we saw my parents enjoyed watching it and we are all big Federer fans. I've seen him at the Rogers Cup, but I was in New York and I said there's no way I'm not going to this, so we got tickets. I know my mom wants to go to Wimbledon, so that's one thing I definitely want to do for her is to take her to Wimbledon and experience that one day."
It doesn't get any better than Wimbledon.
Scheifele always sets the bar high.
When Jets prospect Jansen Harkins first arrived in Winnipeg two summers ago, he knew that in order to become an effective player at the pro level one day, he needed to become just that much quicker in order to keep pace and push it with the elite skaters of the modern-day game. Now, entering the 2017-18 season as a member of the Manitoba Moose, he's more than ready to make the jump after the most productive off-season of his career.
"I had a pretty consistent summer with my trainer and skating coaches," Harkins said. "Nowadays, everyone has so much help. I don't think there's any player in pro hockey that isn't trying to get better and faster and quicker. Everyone at this level is a good skater and the difference is to become a great skater, with quickness and explosiveness off the puck.
"Being an offensive guy, that's something that definitely helps your game in setting up chances and just creating some more offence."
"Being an offensive guy, that's something that definitely helps your game in setting up chances and just creating some more offence."
Harkins played his entire junior career with the WHL's Prince George Cougars, where he set a franchise record with 242 career points (75G, 167A) in only 270 regular-season games.
"Every time I'm on the ice, I want to make a play," he said. "Especially in pro, you're going to get less chances, so when you do get them, you've really got to make sure you make something out of it."
Hovering around the 20-goal mark in each of his last three years with the Cougars, Harkins is known more for his playmaking ability than his marksmanship, but is confident he'll develop that side of his game more with time in the freer-flowing American Hockey League.
In fact, it's already happening.
KELOWNA, CANADA - JANUARY 3: Jansen Harkins #12 of Prince George Cougars warms up against the Kelowna Rockets on January 3, 2015 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
At the September Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., Harkins had three goals in just three games, including a pair in the tournament finale that saw the Jets defeat the Calgary Flames 4-1. The first was a highlight-reel marker that saw him instinctively sidestep a 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender before driving a quick shot over the goalie's glove hand, while the second was more of a grinding type goal - sticking with a rebound in tight and eventually chopping it home from a sharp angle to snuff out the Flames.
"My game fits the pro style pretty well," he said. "I think the game pretty fast. When everyone is out there doing their job, I relax and know what I'm supposed to be doing.
"That gives me more time to make plays."
Like that night in Penticton. Harkins, a natural-born centre, was put on the right side for this contest and showed no ill effects from his transition to the wing. Instead, his versatility, finesse and powerful new stride was on display, giving many - including his new head coach - a strong first impression.
"He's a really intelligent player," said Moose Head Coach Pascal Vincent, who led the prospects in Penticton. "He understands the game and what needs to be done. There's a nice progression going on there and at the start of it is his hockey sense, which is excellent."
He must have picked it up somewhere.
Jansen's father, Todd, was a former second-round pick himself and had success as a goal-scorer in more than 10 years with various teams in minor pro leagues across the U.S. before finishing his career in Europe. He appeared 48 NHL games with the Flames and Hartford Whalers as well, scoring three goals, three assists, and recording 78 penalty minutes in the early nineties.
Today, Todd is the general manager of the Cougars and has been for the past three years, getting an up-close look at Jansen's development all the way from Day 1.
"I don't know about breaking the game down, (but) he always told me his opinion," said Harkins. "If I'm not playing very well, he'll tell me and if I am, that's when we get to talk about it in a fun way.
"He's definitely always been there and provided a second opinion and support, which is awesome."
Now, for the first time in a while, those post-game chats will have to be done over the phone. It's a new chapter in this young man's career, and he's officially off on his own.
One day after a tough 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Winnipeg Jets got back to work, and did so with a slightly different look. Head coach Paul Maurice shuffled his lines, a continuation of the move he began in the second period of last night's game. At that time, he moved Mathieu Perreault to Bryan Little's wing with Patrik Laine on the other side, while Nikolaj Ehlers joined Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.Those two lines were the same today, while Nic Petan - who didn't play last night - slotted in on the right wing with Adam Lowry and Shawn Matthias. Brandon Tanev, Andrew Copp, and Joel Armia rounded out the forward lines."Every time I'm on the ice, I want to make a play," he said. "Especially in pro, you're going to get less chances, so when you do get them, you've really got to make sure you make something out of it."
Hovering around the 20-goal mark in each of his last three years with the Cougars, Harkins is known more for his playmaking ability than his marksmanship, but is confident he'll develop that side of his game more with time in the freer-flowing American Hockey League.
In fact, it's already happening.
KELOWNA, CANADA - JANUARY 3: Jansen Harkins #12 of Prince George Cougars warms up against the Kelowna Rockets on January 3, 2015 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. At the September Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., Harkins had three goals in just three games, including a pair in the tournament finale that saw the Jets defeat the Calgary Flames 4-1. The first was a highlight-reel marker that saw him instinctively sidestep a 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender before driving a quick shot over the goalie's glove hand, while the second was more of a grinding type goal - sticking with a rebound in tight and eventually chopping it home from a sharp angle to snuff out the Flames.
"My game fits the pro style pretty well," he said. "I think the game pretty fast. When everyone is out there doing their job, I relax and know what I'm supposed to be doing.
"That gives me more time to make plays."
Like that night in Penticton. Harkins, a natural-born centre, was put on the right side for this contest and showed no ill effects from his transition to the wing. Instead, his versatility, finesse and powerful new stride was on display, giving many - including his new head coach - a strong first impression.
"He's a really intelligent player," said Moose Head Coach Pascal Vincent, who led the prospects in Penticton. "He understands the game and what needs to be done. There's a nice progression going on there and at the start of it is his hockey sense, which is excellent."
He must have picked it up somewhere.
Jansen's father, Todd, was a former second-round pick himself and had success as a goal-scorer in more than 10 years with various teams in minor pro leagues across the U.S. before finishing his career in Europe. He appeared 48 NHL games with the Flames and Hartford Whalers as well, scoring three goals, three assists, and recording 78 penalty minutes in the early nineties.
Today, Todd is the general manager of the Cougars and has been for the past three years, getting an up-close look at Jansen's development all the way from Day 1.
"I don't know about breaking the game down, (but) he always told me his opinion," said Harkins. "If I'm not playing very well, he'll tell me and if I am, that's when we get to talk about it in a fun way.
"He's definitely always been there and provided a second opinion and support, which is awesome."
Now, for the first time in a while, those post-game chats will have to be done over the phone. It's a new chapter in this young man's career, and he's officially off on his own.
The team looked over video from the loss before taking to the ice for a full 60-minute practice, which finished with 20 minutes of conditioning work.
"That wasn't even close to a bag skate, nobody puked," Maurice said. "(Maybe) if we had spent another 20 minutes at it. Back-to-back practices early in the year, it won't happen later in the year, your conditioning is something you want to maintain and improve on.
"It was only a hard skate the whole practice if the players worked hard at it, and they did. There was real good intensity, at the end of the skate we had it should have had them bent over a little bit, and it did."
The forwards weren't the only ones to see a shuffle, as the defensive pairs were switched up in practice as well, with two days to go until the Jets take on the Calgary Flames:Kulikov-Trouba
Morrissey-Byfuglien
Enstrom-Myers
Chiarot-Poolman
"Going on the road I think we know we have to play a simpler game. Not as much offensive creativity, especially coming out of our own end," said Jacob Trouba. "As defensemen, just get the puck up to the forwards and chip it out and keep going, and play with some speed. We had plenty of chances last night. Obviously we didn't keep enough pucks out of our net.
"We've got 81 games left, and we have to move on to the next one."
"Three or four of those drills had that component," Maurice said. "We have to get to the net harder, and certainly we have to do a better job of identifying who we've got, and being in better body position. Goal number seven is a pretty good example of that."
"We're not sitting and waiting three weeks. We've got to get it going," he said. "This franchise doesn't move forward until it can defend. You can put all the talent in the world on the ice, you're not winning a thing until you've got a real good comfort level to defend."
"It was only a hard skate the whole practice if the players worked hard at it, and they did. There was real good intensity, at the end of the skate we had it should have had them bent over a little bit, and it did."
The forwards weren't the only ones to see a shuffle, as the defensive pairs were switched up in practice as well, with two days to go until the Jets take on the Calgary Flames:Kulikov-Trouba
Morrissey-Byfuglien
Enstrom-Myers
Chiarot-Poolman
"Going on the road I think we know we have to play a simpler game. Not as much offensive creativity, especially coming out of our own end," said Jacob Trouba. "As defensemen, just get the puck up to the forwards and chip it out and keep going, and play with some speed. We had plenty of chances last night. Obviously we didn't keep enough pucks out of our net.
"We've got 81 games left, and we have to move on to the next one."
"Three or four of those drills had that component," Maurice said. "We have to get to the net harder, and certainly we have to do a better job of identifying who we've got, and being in better body position. Goal number seven is a pretty good example of that."
"We're not sitting and waiting three weeks. We've got to get it going," he said. "This franchise doesn't move forward until it can defend. You can put all the talent in the world on the ice, you're not winning a thing until you've got a real good comfort level to defend."
The Winnipeg Jets held practice for the final time at BELL MTS Iceplex on Friday before departing on a three game Western Canada road trip that starts in Calgary on Saturday night against the 0-1 Flames.There were no changes to the lines and defense pairings from Thursday's skate, so Nic Petan could make his season debut on a line with Shawn Matthias and Adam Lowry.
Speaking of Lowry, he quietly led the Jets forwards in ice time on Wednesday against the Maple Leafs with 20:23, thanks in large part to all the power play and penalty kill time he logged.
"He's going to do both. We'd like to stay out of the penalty box and on a percentage basis in the game we did that relative to our opponent (Toronto)," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. "He does a great job net front. He's a good screener (on the power play) and he gets his handle on the pucks. We need him to kill penalties as well, he's in the three hole in terms of our lines so his 5-on-5 time will be reasonable."
Statistically, the score sheet says the Jets went 0-for-8 with the man advantage, but Lowry believes that's where the team excelled in terms of generating offence.
"You look at the puck movement and the changes we were able to create on the power play, it wasn't like we had a tough time getting into the (offensive) zone or we couldn't set up or have any zone pressure," explained Lowry. "We fired 16 or 17 shots, and one of the goals was right at the end of the power play. Obviously, you are going to feel a lot better about yourself if you score two or three power play goals on those eight opportunities.
"I think the message in our room right now is that the power play is moving in the right direction. Obviously, it's the results that matter but there is something we can build off of."
"(They) worked hard yesterday," said Maurice. "Our first 23 minutes of practice today was about speed and they had an awful lot of it. So they were rolling pretty good today."
"The last couple of days here we've really come to the rink working hard," added Josh Morrissey.. "It's been not as cheerful and what not because no matter what, no one likes to get embarrassed like that, so obviously we put it behind us. The last two days we've really upped the intensity at practice and we want to take that business attitude into this road trip."
Statistically, the score sheet says the Jets went 0-for-8 with the man advantage, but Lowry believes that's where the team excelled in terms of generating offence.
"You look at the puck movement and the changes we were able to create on the power play, it wasn't like we had a tough time getting into the (offensive) zone or we couldn't set up or have any zone pressure," explained Lowry. "We fired 16 or 17 shots, and one of the goals was right at the end of the power play. Obviously, you are going to feel a lot better about yourself if you score two or three power play goals on those eight opportunities.
"I think the message in our room right now is that the power play is moving in the right direction. Obviously, it's the results that matter but there is something we can build off of."
"(They) worked hard yesterday," said Maurice. "Our first 23 minutes of practice today was about speed and they had an awful lot of it. So they were rolling pretty good today."
"The last couple of days here we've really come to the rink working hard," added Josh Morrissey.. "It's been not as cheerful and what not because no matter what, no one likes to get embarrassed like that, so obviously we put it behind us. The last two days we've really upped the intensity at practice and we want to take that business attitude into this road trip."
No comments:
Post a Comment