Snapshot: Hockey loses a legend.Schmidt ready for Game 3

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The death of legendary play-by-play man Bob Cole on Wednesday echoed through the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche locker rooms in Denver on Thursday.

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Cole passed away at the age of 90 in St. John's, New Jersey.

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For 50 years, he became the soundtrack of Saturday nights as a television commentator. hockey night in canada.

“He's such a legend, such a great guy, and I've met him a few times over the last few years at charity golf tournaments in Halifax,” Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon told reporters in Denver. ” he said. “He'll come forward and support Atlantic Canadians. Great guy, super funny. Really great guy and obviously the best call of all time, so it's very sad to hear that.”

McKinnon grew up a big Pittsburgh Penguins fan, following the career of his best friend and Cole Harbor native Sidney Crosby.

“When you were just growing up, every playoff game, it was surreal,” McKinnon said. “I'm a huge Penguins fan and always hockey night in canada Come on, I loved watching them. I'm from Nova Scotia. So the game is pretty slow for me. I didn't see much of him, but he's a legend. ”

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Jets forward Tyler Toffoli, a native of Scarborough, Ont., said Thursday was tough news to wake up to.

“I have a lot of (memories),” he said. “I woke up this morning and saw that and was pretty disappointed. It's really unfortunate. His career affected a lot of people and affected the careers of a lot of players. It's definitely sad for the hockey world. It's day.

“You'll see some videos and some calls. It's definitely very emotional. He played a huge role in the hockey world and affected a lot of people.”

Jets head coach Rick Bowness said the hockey world has lost a legend and a great human being.

“I spent a lot of time with Bob over the years,” said Bowness, 69. “There's not necessarily specifics, but the most important thing is that every coach and every hockey person around the league believed in him.

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“He was a true professional. You could say anything to him and he would say he had a great game. Very polite, very professional. I had a good relationship with Bob. He was from the Maritimes, he was a Newfoundlander, not a Maritime man, but I always had a great relationship with him. I had nothing but respect.

“The hockey world lost a truly great person today.”

Jets rely on veteran Schmidt

Bowness appears intent on returning to a defensive duo he rarely parted with during the regular season.

Veteran blueliner Nate Schmidt is likely to return for Game 3 of Winnipeg's best-of-seven series against the Avalanche on Friday.

During their time together this season, Schmidt was paired with Dylan Samberg, and the duo conceded a league-low 11 points at 5-on-5 (min. 500 minutes played), giving up a league-low 11 points per 60 minutes. had the second fewest goals conceded in the league at 1.25.

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Schmidt replaces Logan Stanley, who played 31 shifts and had zero points or shots on target in the first two games.

“It's been an exciting series so far and I can't wait to be a part of it,” Schmidt said. “There's a lot of energy in Winnipeg. We want them to bring that to the next two games, Games 3 and 4.”

If Schmidt plays, he will move back to the right side, Bowness said.

“It's a difficult position for the left hand to be on the right side,” Bowness said. “Once you get stuck in the corner, it’s hard for lefties to get back to the right corner because of the way they forecheck and the way they bring the puck.

“We want to move the puck a little faster, but in the last game we still played a little too slow for our liking. So moving the puck faster and playing north, a faster game But it will definitely help us.”

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Schmidt said he thinks there are some things Colorado can do to slow down when it gets going in the offensive zone.

“Trying to cut them off before they get into that move is number one,” he said. “No. 2, when you have a chance to outnumber them in the corner, you can't let them get away. When we let them out, they start moving from low to high, and all of a sudden, they're in the corner. The forward can swing from low to high and over the top of the circle, suddenly opening up the zone.

“That's something we talked about (Thursday) and we hope we can make it happen (in Game 3).”

Meanwhile, Schmidt feels the communication skills he developed with Samberg will play a key role.

“That has to be the foundation for him and me,” Schmidt said. “We believe we've laid the bricks. Now it's time to reap the rewards.”

they said so

Jets head coach Rick Bowness said of his confidence in goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

“I never worry about his confidence. He's very confident in himself. He knows he's an elite goalkeeper. He wants the ball. I love being there in the big moments.”

sbilleck@postmedia.com

X: @Scott Bilek

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