'That's Winnipeg Jets hockey': Injury-ravaged Jets showcase depth in victory vs. Canucks

WINNIPEG — That ‘no excuses’ mantra Rick Bowness has been preaching came in quite handy for the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

On a day that began with news right-winger Blake Wheeler and defenceman Nate Schmidt joined the growing list of the walking wounded that won’t be returning anytime soon, the Jets found a way to pull together and find a way.

Whether it was defenceman Kyle Capobianco jumping into the lineup for the first time in nearly a month — and just the fourth time in 30 games this season — or Axel Jonsson-Fjallby emerging from the press box after two healthy scratches, the Jets got some goal-scoring from the periphery of the lineup and some rock-solid play from their stars in what turned into a 5-1 blowout victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

“Yeah, that’s Winnipeg Jet hockey. That’s what we’ve been talking about all year,” Jets left-winger Kyle Connor, who opened the scoring, told reporters in Vancouver. “Next man up. Everybody do their job. (That’s a) great response from everybody. We needed help from everybody, top to bottom. Like you saw on the score sheet, everybody contributed.

“You know you’re going to need it in this league. There are so many teams that go through it. We’re in the thick of it, tough schedule, injuries and we’re not making any excuses, guys are coming up, they’re motivated, they want to make a difference and they can. You see it every night. So, it’s huge. You’re going to need it down the stretch and into the playoffs here. So it’s great that we’re getting contributions.”

Those contributions stretched beyond the points for Jonsson-Fjallby, who showed some jump on his first shift, drawing an interference minor against Tyler Myers that led to the power-play goal from Connor.

That’s precisely the type of response Bowness was looking for after asking more of his newly-constructed fourth line earlier this week.

The same applies to Sam Gagner, who got bumped back up into the top-6 on Thursday but could see regular time there with Wheeler on the shelf for an extended period of time.

Gagner produced a goal and an assist on Saturday, while newcomer Karson Kuhlman jumped into the lineup after being claimed off waivers on Tuesday and played 16:32, skating mostly with Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti.

As for some of the other top performers, Jets centre Pierre-Luc Dubois was also heavily involved, recording three assists to give him 33 points in 30 games this season.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck wasn’t overworked by any stretch of the imagination but he allowed only one goal for a second straight game — and this one was a result of a beautiful redirection from Canucks captain Bo Horvat.

In his post-game interview, Hellebuyck was showering praise on the unsung heroes in this victory.

“I love to see it. I love to see the guys succeed especially with how hard they've been playing and how hard they've been working for me. I'm so excited for them,” said Hellebuyck. “It's always hard going through injuries but this is what you want out of your team. You want everyone to be playing the same exact way. The details are right and then when you hit a little adversity you just rely on your systems and your grit and I think that's what we did.”

In a week that started with news of forward Nikolaj Ehlers returning to the ice for the first time since undergoing sports hernia surgery, Bowness told reporters in Vancouver on Saturday morning that right-winger Blake Wheeler required surgery on Friday after taking a deflected shot in the nether region and that he would be out for at least four weeks.

“He’s had a procedure. He’s probably out at least four weeks, as are everyone else on our injured list. We don’t expect anyone coming back in the next 3-4 weeks at all,” said Bowness. “Blake, you give him 100 percent credit to come back and play in the third period like he did. He’s one tough cookie, man, he’ll play through everything. This is something that had to be dealt with, it’s dealt with, and we need him to have a speedy recovery and get him back on the ice - and in the room - as quick as we can.”

In the meantime, the Jets will be looking for the forward group to band together and try to pick up the slack for Wheeler, who is enjoying an impressive offensive season that already includes nine goals and 26 points in 29 games - which leaves him fourth in team scoring.

Wheeler has also played an important role in the leadership department.

“He’s played through pretty much everything under the sun,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele told reporters in Vancouver after the morning skate. “To see him come back and play the third (on Tuesday) shows his pain tolerance, first of all. But he’s just a warrior.

“I thought he was fine once he came back to play. I was like, OK, he got through the worst of it. Obviously that wasn’t the case. For him to gut out and play the last period, that took some serious balls. Obviously it sucks to be missing him right now. Just hope he has a good recovery and is back in no time.”

Compounding matters for a hockey club already without Ehlers, Mason Appleton (wrist), Saku Maenalanen (suspected shoulder) and Logan Stanley (suspected left knee), Schmidt is also expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a suspected right shoulder injury after he was on the receiving end of a jarring hit from Nashville Predators forward Tanner Jeannot late in the first period of Thursday’s game.

That opened the door for Capobiano to appear in his first game since Nov. 19 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, skating alongside Dylan Samberg on the Jets’ third pairing.

As he’s done in his previous appearances, Capobianco was quick to show why he’s been kept on the roster despite seeing limited game action.

He’s mobile, can move the puck efficiently and gets involved when the opportunity arises.

For all of the talk about the Jets getting offence throughout the forward group, they also got offensive contributions from each of the three D pairs.

Neal Pionk scored the 18th goal from a Jets D-man this season, moving the team into fifth place in the NHL in that department, while Brenden Dillon, Josh Morrissey and Samberg all chipped in with assists.

The Jets will close out a two-game road swing with a game against the Seattle Kraken on Sunday night and there’s an outside chance prized prospect Ville Heinola could draw into the lineup — though the solid showing from Capobianco might delay his return by one more game.

Heinola hasn’t played since early December, missing the past four Manitoba Moose games with an illness, which is one of the reasons Capobianco drew into the lineup on Saturday.

The other reason was related to the way Capobianco has handled being a frequent healthy scratch, something that didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates — or the guy filling out the lineup card.

“Kyle has been a great teammate here all year. He hasn’t played very much, but he comes to the rink every day and is a true pro,” said Bowness. “He’s worked very hard and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do without one word of complaint.”

Make no mistake, at some point sooner than later, Heinola is about to receive the opportunity that he, and many members of the #freeVille fan club, have been waiting for.

With Schmidt out long term, there is finally an opening on one of the Jets’ power play units and given Heinola’s offensive abilities, he figures to be featured in that role once he draws into the lineup.

Provided he plays at a high enough level, Heinola will be given the chance to show the coaching staff if he’s ready to make the jump on a full-time basis.

How this audition goes for Heinola could ultimately factor into the approach the Jets take regarding their wish list for the NHL trade deadline.

But that’s a topic for another day.

For now, the Jets (now 20-9-1 on the season) are hoping to keep rolling, despite missing six players who account for nearly $25 million in salary.

“Well, again, we’re not going to find any excuses. We’re going to find solutions,” Bowness told reporters after the game. “When you say that you’ve got to have different guys stepping up and making major contributions.”