WINNIPEG — A game-saving play in the season home opener foreshadowed the impact Neal Pionk would have this season.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev was inches away from having a clear lane to an empty net, which would’ve put the Jets down 2-0 with just under a minute and a half left. Mikheyev tried to chip the puck past Pionk but he responded aggressively, leveraging his stick, foot speed and body positioning to angle off his opponent. Mikheyev fell and bobbled the puck.
Attacking the puck carrier head-on — rather than retreating back and defending Mikheyev face-to-face — was a gamble. But it paid off 17 seconds later as Mark Scheifele tied the game and he’d also add the winner in OT. None of that would’ve been possible if it weren’t for a play that Pionk says is a byproduct of his “aggressive mindset.”
“Have I been burned on it? Absolutely,” Pionk said one day after Winnipeg’s second win. “But that’s why the net is empty. You’ve got to make aggressive plays.”
It’s no secret that the 29-year-old is having a career year, sitting tied for sixth in NHL defencemen scoring with three goals and 17 points through his first 19 games. But Pionk’s value stretches far beyond the box score.
“Points? They’re whatever,” Pionk told Sportsnet.ca during a one-on-one interview in early November. “I care about winning. If we lose, I’m pissed. If we win, that’s great — I really don’t care if I have a point or not. I care about helping the team win and being a driver.”
Pionk has been just that.
After a 2023-24 campaign where he struggled mightily amidst tragedy – his best friend Adam Johnson died from a freak accident in an EIHL game – Pionk has been one of Winnipeg’s most effective players during five-on-five play and on both special teams units. And it’s a direct result of his aggressiveness and hockey sense.
He’s been rock solid alongside Dylan Samberg on the team’s second pair – registering a 53.1 expected goals-for percentage during five-on-five play – while matching up against the opposition’s top-six. On paper, the six-foot defencemen may not fit the bill of a prototypical ‘shutdown’ defenceman but that notion gets thrown out the window once you watch him play.
He has a knack for killing plays.
“One-on-one, that’s where he excels,” Adam Lowry told Sportsnet.ca last month. “It’s one of those under-appreciated skills. It’s tough to gauge the quickness aspect of the read he makes when he steps up and closes the gap. He’s able to get in on you and take away your time and space earlier than you anticipate.”
Time and time again this year — be it how he’s nullified players like Evgeni Malkin and Leon Draisaitl off the rush, won puck battles, broke up countless 2-on-1s against and delivered two highlight-reel hip checks — we’ve seen Pionk play much bigger than he is.
“If you’re going to play at my size, you’ve got to be smarter than (your opponent),” Pionk explained. “You’re not going to be able to push them around or bully them, so you have to think a little bit.”
The naked eye may trick one into thinking that a solid defensive defenceman needs to be a big, mean, bruising body. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to taking away time and space from opponents.
“We always say, ‘get into the hands of people,’ whether they’re big or small, if you get your body close and get in tight on them, it’s harder for them to work. It’s harder for them to make plays,” Arniel said after the team’s Nov. 2 practice.
Pionk’s aggressiveness is also a big driver in how he’s producing points this season. He’s not shy to take gambles. He’ll oftentimes join the rush — even crashing the net, from time to time, if he sees an opening — and he’s not afraid to carry the puck deep into the offensive zone and facilitate a scoring chance.
“A lot of it has to do with how the game is flowing,” Pionk said. “Let’s say you’re down a couple goals, you have to take more risks. If you’re up a couple of goals, you’re going to hold back a little bit. There’s that period at the start of the game where you’re feeling things out. If the teams need a push, maybe you take a gamble. If the team’s pushing really hard and the forwards are working really well and creating lots of turnovers, maybe you don’t take that gamble.”
Pionk has registered 0.91 five-on-five high-danger shot attempts per 60 minutes, which ranks him in the 90th percentile among defencemen who have played at least 150 minutes, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. When Pionk’s on the ice, the Jets produce 3.79 more five-on-five high-danger shot attempts per 60 minutes than they do when he’s not on the ice.
Pionk’s play driving has not only shored up the team’s second pair but it’s also helped alleviate concerns regarding Winnipeg’s top-four as a whole.
Winnipeg’s bottom-six has been excellent all year and it’s not just because of Adam Lowry’s line.
The Jets’ fourth line of Morgan Barron – Rasmus Kupari – Alex Iafallo has been exceptional.
According to Moneypuck.com, that trio ranks second in five-on-five expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.8) among lines that have played at least 100 minutes together. They also rank 15th in expected goals for percentage (58.2 percent), one spot below the team’s third line (58.5 percent).
“It’s a modern-day fourth line,” Alex Iafallo told Sportsnet.ca after Wednesday’s practice. “We’re working our tail off but (Kupari) and (Barron) have incredible skill. Those guys can make plays and when you’re flying around the ice and forechecking like we are, we’re going to get the puck back most of the time.”
Kupari has added an interesting dimension to that line.
Acquired in the Pierre-Luc Dubois blockbuster, the 24-year-old only played in 28 games for the Jets last year. Kupari was an enigma last year. He displayed his lightning-fast speed, but beyond that, he didn’t bring much to the table. But right from the get-go of training camp, Arniel made a point of giving Kupari lots of runway to earn that fourth-line centre role. And it’s paid off.
Kupari has evolved into an excellent 4C.
He’s become a faceoff specialist, winning 54.6 per cent of his faceoffs — a massive increase from last year (46.7 per cent) — and he’s been called upon to win draws beyond his regular shifts. He’s also weaponized his speed on the forecheck and in transition.
“He’s always pushing the pace and it does a lot to back other teams off and it gets us the first touch on the forecheck when we do dump the puck in,” Barron said Wednesday.
Ville Heinola was reassigned to the Manitoba Moose for a conditioning loan on Monday. Arniel said Heinola won’t be in the AHL for the full two weeks and he should be back with the club in short order. With Logan Stanley on IR, it would appear there’s a prime opportunity for Heinola to display his talents once he’s recalled.
“I’m his biggest fan. I want to see him in games,” Arniel said on Monday.
But one ought to wonder what the long-term plan is here. How much leash will Heinola have, coming off an injury? Better yet, say Heinola plays well, are they going to allow him to put together a string of games like they’ve allowed Stanley to? One would hope so.
While Heinola may not, stylistically, fit the mould of a prototypical sixth defenceman — compared to Stanley or Fleury — the Jets, especially with the cushion they have in the standings, need to see what they have in their 2019 first-round pick. Whether they see him as a lineup regular or not.
The longer he’s in the press box, the more his trade value will decline.
