‘You couldn’t have written it up better’

Calvin Pickard has been many things to Stuart Skinner.

An ally, sounding board, confidante and most importantly, a close friend.

They were a goalie tandem for parts of three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, making two trips to the Stanley Cup final, combining for 29 playoff wins, but falling just short of achieving the ultimate goal on both of those occasions.

They were opponents just once last season when the Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins met for the first time since the trade that shipped Skinner to Pennsylvania, but it was Tristan Jarry – the guy he was traded for – standing at the opposite side of the rink.

So when the puck drops inside Canada Life Centre on Tuesday and the Jets and Minnesota Wild meet for the first of four times this season, Skinner and Pickard will go head-to-head for the first time in their careers.

“I actually texted him (Sunday) night, ‘you couldn’t have written it up better,’” Skinner said after Monday’s workout. “He’s a fantastic human being. He’s one of my best buddies. He’s helped me a lot, in so many different ways. We went to the (Stanley Cup) final twice together, so that really brings out a true bond and friendship. I’m excited to see him out there and I’m excited to play (against) him.

“We’ve really leaned on each other through these years and we still talk all the time and still text all the time and FaceTime, all of those good things. That’s the great thing about technology,”

After Skinner signed a two-year deal with the Jets on July 1, Pickard, a Winnipegger, told the Free Press that “Winnipeg was getting a good one.”

“He’s been undervalued for what he’s done in his career so far,” Pickard said on the same day he signed a one-year deal with the Wild. “He’s a horse. He can play a ton, he’s durable and he’s got a ton of experience. He’s dominated playoff series.’ You can read whatever you want and see the stuff that’s written online about him, but the truth of the matter is he’s played a lot of good hockey.”

That trend has continued in the early days with the Jets, with Skinner going 2-0-1 while posting a 2.62 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

Pickard is set to make his first start for the Wild after Jesper Wallstedt got the call against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in St. Paul, Minn.

The Jets are set for a stretch of four games against Central Division opponents, with a date against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes sandwiched in between, which means Skinner should stay busy during the next two weeks.

Winnipeg is off to a 3-1-1 start, which is encouraging for Jets head coach Scott Arniel, but Friday’s 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks was a not-so-subtle reminder that the absence of consistent secondary scoring needs to be remedied.

With that in mind, Monday’s line combinations featured tweaks to three of the four lines in the quest to find both chemistry and balance.

Although Arniel was quick to point out he hadn’t made a final determination about the roster against the Wild, Monday provided a few hints, including a potential promotion for Nino Niederreiter – who was skating alongside Viggo Bjorck and Gabriel Vilardi after sitting out the past three games as a healthy scratch.

Niederreiter went without a shot or a shot attempt in the first two games of the season, but he had a bit more bounce to his step during Monday’s workout and sounded optimistic.

“Each and every day I come to the rink, I try to do (my) best. It’s something I always know that’s what I’ve got to do,” said Niederreiter, who admitted the early healthy scratches have been tough to handle. “Obviously, there are certain things which you want to say, (others) you don’t want to say. So, I’m just going to leave it at that. If he uses me, then great. If not, then I work on myself.”

A return to the lineup for Niederreiter would likely leave Brad Lambert as a healthy scratch.

Lambert has no points and just three shots on goal in five games this season, averaging 10:36 of ice time thus far.

The Jets’ second line has yet to hit the scoresheet at even strength through five games and the same goes for the fourth line, which could be part of the reason Morgan Barron moved back to centre and was flanked by Cole Koepke and Vladislav Namestnikov.

Barron has been used alongside both Bjorck and captain Adam Lowry, but Jets head coach Scott Arniel believes there is one aspect of his game that has yet to be on full display while playing on the wing.

“I know I’ve been using (Barron) as a winger on that checking line, but I just really am a big fan of him in the middle of the ice,” said Arniel, noting that Barron could help improve the face-off numbers as well. “He doesn’t really show his speed like he shows up when he’s playing centre.”

No matter what combinations end up being used, the Jets fully recognize they can’t be as reliant as they’ve been on the top line so far, since Kyle Connor (six) and Cole Perfetti (three) have combined for nine of the 13 goals the team has scored.

Defensively, the Jets have allowed 15 goals (one of which was an empty-netter), but are showing signs of playing a style that is repeatable.

“Well, we’re faster, quicker to close,” said Arniel. “We’re doing a better job of not getting stuck in our end for extended periods of time.”

The status of Jets top defenceman Josh Morrissey for Tuesday’s game remains up in the air.

While Arniel said Morrissey (who missed Friday’s game with an upper-body injury) remains day-to-day, he was out on the ice with skills coach Matt Larke for some work, but didn’t participate with the main group.

MOOSE TRACKS: The Jets’ primary affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, are off to a 3-1 start in American Hockey League action, outscoring opponents 18-6. The offence has been led by veteran Noah Gregor, who has already racked up four goals and seven points, which put him in a prime position if the Jets are looking for a recall candidate up front. Kevin He (three goals, four points), Brayden Yager (two goals, four points) and Danny Zhilkin (one goal, four points) are also off to a strong start. Between the pipes, Dom DiVincentiis has turned aside 67 of 69 shots on goal for a .971 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average, while Thomas Milic is sporting a .920 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. The Moose host the Texas Stars on Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe