Game 50 vs Edmonton: Pavelec Performance & Neutral Zone Play

10 years ago

Well that was exciting.

The joy seems to be back in Joyville. Wait. Sorry, wrong head coach.

Things seem to be going pretty well for the Jets lately, and a dominant performance against the Edmonton Oilers really proved that point. The dominance started in the neutral zone though, where the controlled entry bug seems to be spreading throughout the lineup.

Zone Entries

5 vs 5	Player	# of successful entries	Shots (From Entries)	Shots/Entry	Controlled Entries	Shots (From Control)	Shots/ Controlled	% With Control
2	Pardy	1	1	1.00	1	1	1.00	100%
5	Stuart	1	2	2.00	0	0	N/A	0%
7	Ellerby	1	0	0.00	0	0	N/A	0%
8	Trouba	2	0	0.00	2	0	0.00	100%
12	Jokinen	4	2	0.50	3	1	0.33	75%
14	Peluso	3	4	1.33	0	0	N/A	0%
16	Ladd	4	4	1.00	2	2	1.00	50%
17	Wright	2	2	1.00	1	2	2.00	50%
18	Little	5	5	1.00	3	5	1.67	60%
22	Thorburn	2	1	0.50	1	1	1.00	50%
26	Wheeler	6	2	0.33	2	1	0.50	33%
33	Byfuglien	4	2	0.50	2	1	0.50	50%
39	Enstrom	3	1	0.33	1	1	1.00	33%
40	Setoguchi	1	1	1.00	1	1	1.00	100%
44	Bogosian	4	1	0.25	1	1	1.00	25%
55	Scheifele	3	1	0.33	2	1	0.50	67%
58	O’Dell	3	1	0.33	1	0	0.00	33%
67	Frolik	5	3	0.60	2	3	1.50	40%
	JETS	54	33	0.61	25	21	0.84	46%
	OPP	52	19	0.37	23	11	0.48	44%
	OZF	9	3	0.33
	DZF	6	0	0.00

Observations

Although the Jets are yet to crack that 50% controlled entry mark, they are starting to see everyone in the lineup commit more to it, and it’s having some pretty good results. The Jets are a good team off of the rush, and the more they use that to their advantage the better. There is no doubt in my mind that their domination on the possession charts came because of their efficiency in the neutral zone.
Ladd, Little and Frolik all had pretty solid games in the neutral zone. Somehow they still managed to finish at evens on the scoring chance charts, but it’s a step in the right direction. Hopefully they can get it together soon, or the questions of them staying together long term will arise.
Even a fair number of the Jets defensemen got into the mix. This was likely due to the style of play the Oilers were engaged in, but it was quite the sight when guys like Trouba and Bogosian were ready and willing to rush up the ice.

Pavelec Performance

I thought Pavelec had a bit of a weaker game against Edmonton. He held his own for a while, but neither goal was one that I really liked. The second of which I believe he could have prevented completely with better rebound control.

Goal	Situation	Why It Went In	Where It Went
1	Jets Penalty Kill	Beat Clean	Glove Hand
2	Sustained Pressure	Rebound	Left Pad

Quick Explanations

First, Mark Stuart needs to learn how to react to a play. He was completely useless where he was standing. Heck, he didn’t move at all for a good 5 seconds in that play. Next, I am not a fan of how little Pavelec tried to challenge that shot. He had time to make that shot a lot more difficult for Eberle, but didn’t.

Now, a lot of you are likely wondering why I slotted this under “rebound”. Let me explain. I couldn’t find a good clip to use, but the only reason that play was possible, was because Ondrej kicked a shot from distance out into the middle of nowhere, allowing the Oilers to maintain possession and ultimately score that goal. Better rebound control, and none of that likely happens.

Apart from the goal, the rebound might actually have some implications on how Maurice views Pavelec. Throughout the broadcast, the guys from CBC mentioned that Paul can handle the little 1-3ft rebounds that Pavelec lets out, as those he can usually get back with control. It’s the long ones that result in goals that he doesn’t like. I think we can use the above goal as a perfect reason why.

Things to Watch For

The Jets head into California this week for a matchup against the “impossible to beat at home” Ducks and the deadly Sharks. It’s the first true tests of Paul Maurice’s tenure behind the Winnipeg bench, and will say a lot about the supposed changes he has made. Here are a few things to watch for heading into them:

Will Evander be a player? Evander Kane finally practiced today following his hand injury against the Lightning. His addition to the lineup really makes things interesting for Paul Maurice. Where will he play? Will Buff stay a forward? I’m looking forward to see what decisions are made.
Where does O’Dell fit in? One of the interesting story lines if Evander doesn’t go is where Eric O’Dell will play. Paul Maurice did what Claude Noel would not against the Oilers, and benched Chris Thorburn in favour of his young scorer. It worked well. Does he keep O’Dell there against the Ducks? I surely hope so.
How will the goalies be handled? At some point soon, Paul Maurice is going to have to go with Al Montoya. I’m not sure when, but I would assume at the latest it will be this weekend against Toronto or Chicago. Nonetheless, I get the feeling that the controversy will stir up again once Monty gets the net.

Final Thought

As much as I have loved Paul Maurice, the things he has said, and the moves that he has made, the true test of this team will be the response once they lose. It’s going to happen eventually, and will (in all likelihood) happen against the Ducks (who are yet to lose at home in regulation this year). This is going to be a really telling week for the Jets. Have they really changed? Or is it going to fall into more of the same very quickly?