Stanley reminded of small margin of error as Jets gear down for playoff drive

It was a reminder of simply how little room for error there’s this time of yr.

Two days after settling for depth additions on the commerce deadline — watching the Central Division arms race from afar — the Winnipeg Jets acquired a style of what a tight-checking playoff recreation will seem like on Sunday.

Ask anybody in Winnipeg’s room and so they’ll inform you that their identification as a hard-nosed, well-structured defensive staff is constructed for these matchups. Regardless of their high-octane offense, the Jets’ M.O. has at all times been defending first. They try to edge out groups 2-1, not partake in high-scoring monitor meets. 

Early in Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg fared high quality in opposition to one of the NHL’s stingiest defensive groups — Frederik Andersen stonewalled the Jets till the ultimate 2:46 of play — however two crucial errors had them chasing the sport, the sort of errors that show pricey within the playoffs. And Logan Stanley performed an element in each. 

With slightly below two minutes remaining within the first interval, Stanley was caught flat-footed after a point-shot try. He didn’t pivot rapidly sufficient to get in entrance of Mark Jankowski, who slipped previous the six-foot-seven defenceman and transformed on a partial breakaway to open the scoring.

Early within the second interval, Stanley was caught chasing contact alongside the wall — leaving the center of the ice open — which allowed Jankowski to creep into the slot and bang dwelling a rubbish aim to provide the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead. Carolina did not look again in what could be a 4-2 dwelling win.

Certain, each participant is susceptible to a nasty evening. They’re human, in spite of everything. However Stanley’s minus-2 efficiency wasn’t a one-off. It was one more instance of how his shortcomings — his pace, positioning and decision-making — can negatively affect a recreation. And a main instance as to why he shouldn’t be an everyday within the Jets lineup come playoff time. 

Each Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and coach Scott Arniel have advocated for Stanley this season.

Throughout a sit-down interview with reporters from The Athletic and the Winnipeg Free Press in late January, the Jets GM instructed that accidents stunted the 26-year-old’s improvement after an encouraging 2020-21 playoff displaying. A month earlier than, the latter emphasised how helpful Stanley’s measurement was within the lineup.

“He must be in our high six,” Arniel mentioned on Dec. 1, after Stanley took three ill-advised penalties in Winnipeg’s 3-1 loss to Dallas. “He’s a big-bodied man, he’s acquired measurement, he’s acquired expertise on this league. He expects extra from himself, however on the identical time, he’s no good (to the Jets) sitting within the press field and attempting to get higher. He’s acquired to be in these sorts of video games. Hopefully, he’ll proceed to develop.”

On the time, there was some advantage to Arniel’s pondering. The Jets blueline, one of the NHL’s smallest, wanted some beef alongside the sides. On paper, Stanley was their most bodily imposing depth defenceman — to not point out a first-round choose they’ve lengthy believed in — it was smart to provide him runway.

Although Stanley had a stable five-game stretch (by his requirements) after the 4 Nations break, his general physique of work hasn’t been sturdy sufficient to justify an on a regular basis position on a Cup contender. 

Stanley has struggled to weaponize his measurement. 

He’s not a participant who delivers thunderous hits or makes opponents suppose twice about dumping the puck in his nook. And regardless of his willingness to drop the mitts, he doesn’t precisely have an iron fist. In reality, his aggressiveness oftentimes bites the Jets: he’s taken the Eleventh-most penalties per 60 minutes of any defenceman this season (minimal 200 minutes), in line with NaturalStatTrick.com. 

His lengthy attain hasn’t made him an asset on the penalty kill, both. When Stanley is on the ice, the Jets have allowed 11.33 penalty targets in opposition to per 60 minutes — that’s the fifteenth most of any defenceman. He has additionally recorded the fourth-most penalty-kill giveaways per 60 minutes (4.05). 

We’ve seen 51 video games of Stanley. Sufficient to know what he’s — and what he isn’t. 

With Luke Schenn now within the fold, Winnipeg has added a participant who embodies all the things that it hopes Stanley turns into. 

The 35-year-old, two-time Stanley Cup winner Schenn excels at clearing net-front site visitors, profitable one-on-one battles and killing penalties, and he’s registered the third-most five-on-five hits per 60 minutes of any defenceman this season (15.43). And as a veteran of 1,057 profession video games, Schenn is aware of when to select his spots. He could also be 5 inches shorter than No. 67, however there’s no denying he checks all of the packing containers of what Winnipeg desires on its third pair. 

Which makes Stanley’s position more and more redundant. 

• The Jets haven’t been afraid to put Stanley on the fitting aspect — why not see what Colin Miller seems to be like on the left? Miller’s puck-moving capacity may complement Schenn’s effectively. If Miller can tread water on his off aspect, it could give Winnipeg some insurance coverage within the occasion Josh Morrissey or Dylan Samberg get harm. I’d quite have Miller shouldering top-four minutes than Stanley, Haydn Fleury or Ville Heinola. 

• The Jets penalty kill was profitable on all however one of their six shorthanded alternatives. Since Feb. 1, Winnipeg has the sixth-best PK within the league (83.3 per cent). The underlying numbers by means of that span are spectacular.

• I ponder if we’ll see Brandon Tanev and Adam Lowry reunited quickly. These two had been dynamite collectively throughout Tanev’s first stint in Winnipeg. Nino Niederreiter hasn’t appeared like himself shortly, so placing him with Alex Iafallo might be a pleasant change of tempo.