2 weeks Ago By Scott Billeck
Josh Morrissey made a massive jump in his offensive game two years ago. Last year, he sacrificed some of that offence to improve defensively, buying into the team-defence philosophy former head coach Rick Bowness used to help the Winnipeg Jets surrender the fewest goals in the NHL. Now, Morrissey wants the best of both worlds.
“I want to keep (that offensive play) and improve and to have my defensive game at its highest end, too, an not trade one for the other but try to have both,” Morrissey said Thursday. “I was really happy with how our whole team’s defensive game improved last year. Obviously, individuals benefit from that.
But I was happy with my commitment to both ends of the puck. “So, my thoughts (during the offseason) were how can I continue to evolve offensively, defensively? Watch some things (on video) that I can use in and just try to learn something to improve my game. Looking at that and try to work on some special teams stuff.
That’s an area that we worked on improving and that I want to improve on myself personally, too – some things to improve on the power play.” Here are a few other odds and ends from Thursday: • Nikita Chibrikov continued to turn heads, laying the boom on 6-foot-6, 211-pound forward Kieron Walton during the morning session. Chibirkov is listed as nine inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than Walton.
No matter. “ I’m not scared about that,” Chibrikov said. “I’m not the biggest size, but I try to do all the work that big guys do.
It doesn’t matter for me. I feel like I should do it, in the corners or blocking shots. It doesn’t matter.
” • Head coach Scott Arniel told Ville Heinola to use last season’s impressive training camp to his advantage this year. “I challenged him last year to come in and fight for one of those jobs, and he did,” Arniel said. “He came ready.
I said the same thing to him this year. I think he gained confidence last year by how he played. He knew he played well, and he gave himself a chance.
” • Vladislav Namestnikov said it took a couple of months before his face felt normal again after taking a Nate Schmidt howitzer to the cheek during the first round of the playoffs. “Constantly pain in the cheek,” he said. “It’s not fun.
Very painful. Hopefully, it doesn’t happen to anyone.” • If a young player will secure a spot in Winnipeg’s lineup, they’ll do it on merit.
“It’s all about the Jets winning,” general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said. “Every decision we have made and we are going to continue to make is going to be about trying to put the Jets in the best opportunity to win. The National Hockey League is a very tough league to develop in.
You can have a great five weeks, 10 weeks, two months and have one bad month or a couple of bad weeks and the mental side can be very, very tricky for any player.” scott.billeck@kleinmedia.
ca X: @scottbilleck.
