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WYMAN: Jets have grown into a complete team and it’s showing in the standings

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DALLAS — Even before their impressive 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, members of the Winnipeg Jets were talking about how they had become a complete team as this season has gone along.

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Then they emphasized those words with one of their most complete performances in recent memory.

With all four lines, all three defence pairings and the goaltender in peak form, the Jets won handily against another of the top teams in the NHL and their closest rival in the Central Division standings.

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They got offensive contributions from the fourth line, the third line, the second line and the third defence pairing and 37 saves from goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who needed a good game to quiet some doubters.

Even on a night when top scorers Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were shut out, the Jets routed a very strong Nashville team, in it’s own raucous building.

“We’re getting production from all lines really and that’s what makes a good team,” Jets winger Mathieu Perreault was saying before Thursday’s game. “We have some injuries right now but guys are stepping up and playing well and our goalies are doing a great job. We’ve been playing solid throughout the entire lineup.”

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When you get two goals from fourth-line left-winger Brendan Lemieux another from his linemate Mason Appleton and another from third-line checker Brandon Tanev, you are going to be successful on most nights.

Add in the terrific performances by third-pairing defencemen Joe Morrow and Sami Niku, who each had two assists and were plus-4 on the evening, and you have a recipe for success.

Morrow and Niku wouldn’t even be playing were it not for injuries to Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Chiarot, but they are making the most of their opportunities and contributing in a big way. Appleton likely wouldn’t be playing without an injury to Nikolaj Ehlers, but he scored his second of the season Thursday.

Despite some key injuries, the Jets have won four straight games and now have a four-point lead over second-place Nashville, with two games in hand, atop the Central Division. They are now 14 points clear of the Dallas Stars, a team they will face on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena, and the Colorado Avalanche. Those teams are tied for third place in the Central and are in a dogfight for the playoffs.

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This is a team that has the skating legs and the skill — plus a couple of quality goaltenders — to dominate opponents on a regular basis and they are starting to do just that. While things looked off with the team earlier in the season despite its winning ways, the Jets looked very much like the team that made it to the Western Conference final last season in their wins over Nashville and Vegas this week.

“We’re well on our way,” defenceman Josh Morissey said. “It’s a long season and we’re just past the midway portion now but the team we are right now is better than the team we were when we first stepped on the ice this year. We’ve been improving.”

What’s perhaps most impressive about the Jets is they are still a young team sprinkled with veterans that has figured out how to play the right way.

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“We have one of the younger teams in the league, so obviously there’s a lot of learning that goes on for young guys but we’ve handled it really well and I’ve liked the way we’ve been growing as a team,” Morrissey said. “I still believe we have room to get better and that’s an exciting thing.”

With a record of 31-14-2 to this point of the season, the Jets are on pace to finish with 112 points, which would be two less than last year, but they certainly have the inside track on first place in the Central and home-ice advantage in the early rounds of the playoffs.

They are likely to add in some way at the trade deadline plus get Byfuglien, Chiarot and Ehlers back in the lineup and could get even stronger for the stretch run.

Hellebuyck has had a fine view of the action from his crease this season and has been impressed with the well-rounded performances

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“I thought a lot of guys played very well (in Nashville) and all the way down the lineup you could see all the guys were doing right thing and it pays, it shows,” Hellebuyck said. “The little things wear away at teams and I thought we did those really well.”

They’ve been doing them really well night in and night out as of late.

Depth defencemen Niku and Morrow take big step forward for Jets

DALLAS — Sami Niku had by far the best night of his young NHL career and Joe Morrow showed he’s more than just a plug-and-play defenceman.

Playing on the Jets third defence pairing, Niku and Morrow had a big hand in the Jets 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. They each had two assists and were plus-4 on the night.
It was an impressive performance, especially considering head coach Paul Maurice was concerned about them getting picked on by the big Nashville forwards prior to the game.

“We were thinking with the forecheck that we see from Nashville that this would be a challenge for Sami, just on lack of experience, but he and Joe were both really good,” Maurice said. “They moved the puck so well, they got out of trouble before it started, and got some pucks to the net, made simple offensive plays and as a confidence builder for those guys, it’s huge.”

Twyman@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/Ted_Wyman

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