SBNation.com User Blog: Philip K

Instant Recap: With Southeast Division lead on the line, the Winnipeg Jets came up short against the Washington Capitals

Philip K — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:43:51 -0000

Recap:

With Southeast Division supremacy in the balance, the Winnipeg Jets played another "biggest game of the year", except this time it really was the biggest, against the Washington Capitals. The Jets fell behind early but fought back valiantly to erase the deficit. A second wave of Capitals momentum was too much for Winnipeg to overcome and the Jets left D.C. with a 5-3 loss.

The first goal of the night was an ugly one. Matt Hendricks took the puck out from the corner and fired the puck from below the goal line causing the puck to bounce off Ondrej Pavelec’s shoulder and in. It was a bad omen for what was to come.

John Erskine prevented the Jets from tying the game when he stacked his legs in the crease to block a Blake Wheeler shot.

The Jets had another close call when Ron Hainsey’s shot was deflected by Aaron Gagnon up and over Holtby and to the goal line. Unfortunately for the Jets, it did not go completely over the goal line before it was swept away. Erskine prevented the goal again.

Washington built a two goal lead late in the first period. Mathieu Perrault passed the puck from behind the net to Jason Chimera and Pavelec stopped Chimera’s first shot, but not the second. Ron Hainsey and Grant Clitsome were caught spectating as Perrault and Chimera worked their magic.

Sixteen seconds into the second period Winnipeg potted their first goal on a power play. Evander Kane entered the offensive zone on his off wing and ripped a wrist shot by Braden Holtby. Kane used Erskine as a partial screen that may have bothered Holtby, but I think Washington Capitals fans would agree that the goal was a bit of a softy^.

With just over five minutes left in the second, Blake Wheeler received a sweet pass from Nik Antropov and Wheeler beat Holtby with a slick shot from the slot.

Only seconds later the Capitals regained their lead. Alex Ovechkin slipped a pass through the legs of a kneeling Hainsey to Nicklas Backstrom whose non-kicking skate redirected the puck in. It was the second time Hainsey was caught on his knees as the Capitals scored, I am sure his wife approves of this move more than Charlie Huddy.

Washington’s lead was quickly back at two as they added a late second period goal. A loose puck in front of the net off of a Pavelec rebound found its way to Mathieu Perrault who chipped a shot into the net.

Nik Antropov’s surprisingly effective return to the lineup was bolstered by a goal with eight minutes remaining in the third. He took a couple strides into the offensive zone and he roofed a wrist shot to narrow the Capitals lead to one.

But the Jets were unable to muster any more offense and a late empty net goal by Ovechkin sealed the win and the division crown for the Capitals.

Ten Thoughts:

The Capitals' first goal was ugly. You cannot allow opponents to score when you have a clear look at the puck and the shot comes from below the goal line.
Blake Wheeler will regret raising his arms on the puck that made it to, but not over, the goal line. A swing of the stick at the puck may have pushed it the extra couple of centimeters needed.
Pavelec's Pavelec-ness was on full display tonight, punctuated by weak goals and spectacular saves -- the robbing of Nicklas Backstrom early in the second period being his hilight of the night.
In the third period the Capitals blew a breakaway and hit two posts in a very short time frame, had they connected on any of them they would have built an insurmountable three goal lead.
Nik Antropov drew a penalty with five minutes remaining in the game, and the Jets' power play never looked more inept than in the subsequent two minutes. What looked like a golden opportunity to tie the game turned into a disheartening stretch that Winnipeg never recovered from.
The refs took a deferential approach to the game as there several potential penalties that went unwhistled.
Evander Kane was shaken up late in the second period by a hit from Alex Ovechkin, but he was able to return in the third.
Ovechkin's resurgence this season has been very impressive. I am not a fan of the guy but am able to support anything that reinforces the cluelessness of Mike Milbury.
Washington outshot Winnipeg 41-27. Tough to win with a differential like that.
On the out of town scoreboard watch, the New York Islanders lost in a shootout putting them three points ahead of the Jets in the standings and thus out of reach.The New York Rangers fell to the Florida Panthers, in regulation, and remain one point on Winnipeg with one game in hand. So .. you are saying there is a chance?!?

Gameday Preview: Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals get ready for showdown that could determine Southeast crown

Philip K — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:04:33 -0000

Game Preview:

The Winnipeg Jets continue to sit in purgatory as the only team in the Eastern Conference that has not been officially eliminated from playoff contention while still sitting outside of a playoff spot. That situation would change tonight with a win in Washington D.C. over the Capitals. A regulation win results in the Jets claiming top spot in the Southeast Division, but keep in mind that the Capitals have played one less game. A win in regulation or overtime locks up the division for Washington.

The Jets are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. The offense has led the way through most of the run, having scored at least four goals in the first six games. But last night in Buffalo was a different story, as the team managed just two goals while Ondrej Pavelec was the first star of the night. It would be delightful if the team could combine great goaltending and great offense for the Capitals.

Keys to the Game:

Winnipeg Jets

A full 60 minutes: Last night in Buffalo, the Jets almost let a well played game slip away late when the Sabres put together several good scoring chances. Ondrej Pavelec shut the door in spectacular fashion, but the goalie can not be counted on to bail the team out every night. Playing the second game of a back-to-back will require a concerted effort to keep the energy up as the regular season nears its conclusion.

Wrap it up: A three point game is bad news for Winnipeg. Hopes for a three seed in the playoffs require a clean two points via a win in regulation time.

Amnesia: The last time these teams met was on March 21 and 22 in Winnipeg when the Capitals outscored the Jets 10-1. The Jets players need to forget that those games ever took place because they will not be able pull out a win tonight while suffering from PTSD.

Washington Capitals

Matching up: With injuries plaguing the Winnipeg Jets there are weak spots at the bottom of the lineup for both forwards and defensemen. The Capitals should look to get favourable matchups against these borderline NHLers every chance they get.

Top vs. top: Both of these teams rely heavily on their top lines. If Alexander Ovechkin and co. get the better of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler the Capitals have a very strong chance to win this game.

Early punch: While the Jets want to forget the previous two meetings between these teams, the Capitals want to remind them as quickly as possible. A fast goal for the Capitals may have the Jets feeling déjà vu while breaking their collective spirit.

Player to boo mercilessly:

Lets subsitute a fan for a player for this game. Boo Mr. Maughan consistently and repeatedly.

Prediction:

Winnipeg: 4

Washington: 3 - F

Instant Recap: Winnipeg Jets find refuge in the eye of the storm in 4-3 OT win over Carolina

Philip K — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:45:33 -0000

Recap:

The Winnipeg Jets' stretch of home games against non-playoff bound opponents continued on Thursday night at the MTS Centre, as the Carolina Hurricanes blew through town. The fans were jacked up from the opening puck drop of the game, as the team's hopes for a playoff spot keep rising with each win.

The Jets played a very Jets-like game. There were quite a few positive moments, but they were balanced out by some ugly misplays and stumbles. Winnipeg showed an inability to put a weak opponent away as they allowed Carolina to score two goals late in the third period to send the game to overtime. But Winnipeg flashed their four-on-four skills, as they improved their OT record to 6-2.

The first goal of the game came on a rush that looked pretty innocent, as Bryan Little gently pushed the puck forward into the Canes offensive zone and Justin Faulk looked to body Little out of the play. Unbeknownst to the Carolina defenders, Zach Bogosian jumped into the rush on the right wing and he was able win a race to the puck and chip it by Justin Peters to give Winnipeg the lead.

The Jets notched a rare power play goal in the second period when Blake Wheeler sent a sweet cross-ice pass to Paul Postma, who went top shelf to give the Jets a two goal lead.

Some scrappy end-to-end play resulted in Carolina cutting the lead to one. Justin Faulk made a pass to Tuomo Ruutu who was cutting through the middle of the slot. Ruutu then made a slick move and beat Ondrej Pavelec with a snap shot. Pavelec had made a string of outstanding saves leading up to the goal.

Winnipeg rebuilt a two goal lead midway through the third period. Bryan Little sprung Blake Wheeler for a partial breakaway with a soft pass, and Wheeler fended off Jamie McBain before slipping a shot by Peters. At the time it looked like Winnipeg would smoothly sail to victory.

But Carolina narrowed the gap to one when a Marc-Andre Bergeron slapshot from the point was deflected by Ruutu for his second goal of the night. Pavelec argued that he was interfered with on the play, but any potential contact occurred well after the puck crossed the goal line.

The air was let out of the MTS Centre when Alexander Semin tied the game up with only 1:12 remaining when he popped in a rebound.

Winnipeg picked up the much needed second point by taking advantage of the Hurricanes extremely aggressive overtime play. Dustin Byfuglien cleared the puck into the neutral zone and Andrew Ladd patiently skated into the Canes zone before wristing a shot that Peters stopped. Byfuglien was there to pounce on the rebound and send the fans home happy with his eighth goal of the season.

Ten Thoughts:

Pavelec made a tremendous pad save on Justin Faulk during a second period Hurricanes power play before making the save of the year when he robbed Faulk again with a swinging stick save.
Byfuglien showed why fans have a love/hate relationship with him in this game. He got a nice breakaway opportunity and made a huge hit on Patrick Dwyer. But he also got caught in the offensive zone a couple of times, including late in the game when he needlessly pinched allowing the Canes to start a rush that eventually ended in Semin's game tying goal. To make matters worse he was idly standing next to Semin when he got the shot off. Thankfully, he totally redeemed himself with the OT winner.
James Wright took a late third period shift with Evander Kane and Olli Jokinen. Why would you willingly place an anchor around Kane's neck?
Ron Hainsey collapsed to the ice while skating by himself late in the third period resulting in a decent chance for Semin. Carolina did not score, but if they had the Hainsey hate would have erupted on twitter (instead the result was only a minor gurgling of hate).
The defence pairings were shuffled during the game with Bogosian playing with Grant Clitsome and Byfuglien playing with Hainsey. Not sure if it makes much difference in the overall scheme of things, but it happened.
Kyle Wellwood made a nifty pass from behind the net to Evander Kane that resulted in a good scoring opportunity in the first period. But hey, lets work Wright into this mix.
Grant Clitsome led the Jets in ice time (25:58). Claude Noel's faith in him appears to be increasing significantly.
Andrew Ladd notched career points 300 and 301 when he assisted on goals by Bogosian and Wheeler. Additionally, Ladd's Little Wheeler just keeps on rolling as they have looked really good late in the season.
Before the game ended, Carolina was officially eliminated from playoff contention with the New York Rangers win over Florida. But kudos to the Hurricanes for playing hard despite their really awful results to close the season.
Ottawa's win over Washington means that a Southeast Division banner is still in play for the Jets.

Gameday Thread: Winnipeg Jets vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00PM CDT, MTS Centre

Philip K — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:23:21 -0000

2012-2013 NHL Regular Season - Game 44
	@
April 18, 2013
MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB
7:00 PM CDT
TV: TSN Jets, RADIO: TSN 1290
Team Vitals
17-23-2 (4th SE, 14th EC)	W/L	(2nd SE, 9th EC) 22-19-2
J.Tlusty (19)	G	A.Ladd (18)
E.Staal (29)	A	A.Ladd (23)
E.Staal (46)	PTS	A.Ladd (41)
C.Ward (9)	W	O.Pavelec (19)
C.Ward (908)	SV%	O.Pavelec (.906)
C.Ward (2.84)	GAA	O.Pavelec (2.75)
Injuries
C.Ward (knee)		N.Antropov (lower-body)
J.SKinner (head)		J.Slater (hand)
T.Brent (lower-body)		A.Peluso (hand)
D.Bowman (upper-body)		T.Enstrom (upper-body)
J.Pitkanen (heel)
2012-13 Team Stats
2.60 (15th)	GF/G	2.58 (16th)
3.17 (28th)	GA/G	2.88 (23rd)
15.2% (23rd)	PP%	13.3% (28th)
78.0% (27th)	PK%	79.4% (T-23rd)
Projected Line-ups (Forwards)
19-Tlusty, 12-E.Staal, 28-Semin	1st	16-Ladd, 18-Little, 26-Wheeler
15-Ruutu, 11-J.Staal, 59-LaRose	2nd	9-Kane, 12-Jokinen, 13-Wellwood
72-Blanchard, 20-Nash, 39-Dwyer	3rd	27-Tangradi, 8-Burmistrov, 15-Santorelli
8-Westgarth, 29-Wallace	4th	17-Wright, 21-Gagnon, 22-Thorburn
Projected Line-ups (Defencemen)
6-Gleason, 27-Faulk	1st	24-Cltsome, 33-Byfuglien
44-Harrison, 77-Corvo	2nd	6-Hainsey, 44-Bogosian
24-Sanguinetti, 4-McBain, 47-M.Bergeron	3rd	5-Stuart, 6-Postma
Starting Goalies
35-Peters	G	31-Pavelec
Also see: Canes Country \| StoryStream \| Game Preview

Instant Recap: Winnipeg Jets fans prepare parachutes after 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders

Philip K — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:34:00 -0000

Recap:

The Winnipeg Jets traveled from Manhattan to Long Island for a Tuesday night game against the New York Islanders. Both teams were playing for the second consecutive night, so some lethargic play was definitely a possiblility.

Unfortunately for Winnipeg fans, the Jets were the team displaying the most lethargy, as even against a rusty backup goaltender – Kevin Poulin – they were unable to muster much offence. New York outshot Winnipeg in each period, with the final tally 39-25. Sometimes shot differentials are not reflected in the actual goal scoring, but tonight the result was a 5-2 victory for the Islanders.

The game had a slow back and forth start with neither team providing much excitement. After the Islanders killed of a penalty Anders Lee walked into the offensive zone along the left wing and he wristed a shot into the net. Ondrej Pavelec looked like a catcher playing with R.A. Dickey for the first time as he watched the puck flutter into the net. The goal was Lee’s first goal in his first NHL game.

A couple of minutes later two unexpected Jets combined to produce a goal. Eric Tangradi made a strong drive to the net along the right wing and Poulin left the rebound in front of the net allowing Paul Postma to jump on the puck and notch his second goal of the season. Postma had sat out the previous four games for Winnipeg.

Secondary scoring night continued in the second period. Tangradi carried the puck into the offensive zone along the left wing before leaving it for Chris Thorburn who moved patiently toward the net. Thorburn then slipped a nice pass to Postma who was skating to the net and he tapped the puck in for his second goal of the night.

Midway through the second, the Islanders tied the game up at two. Mark Streit took a shot from the point that was deftly re-directed by Michael Grabner to Colin McDonald who had a wide open net to shoot at just to the right of the crease.

The Islanders took a 3-2 lead late in the second. Streit took a slapper from the blue line resulting in a big rebound bouncing out to Frans Nielsen who stepped into laser that zipped past Pavelec who was flopping around the crease like a beached whale.

Frustrated by his forwards lack of scoring punch lately, Claude Noel decided to shake things up for the third period. The two big changes saw the Ladd/Little/Wheeler line dismantled and Dustin Byfuglien bumped up to play right wing in place of Wheeler. Wheels shifted to a line with Evander Kane and Olli Jokinen. A shriek of glee was heard in the Jets locker room at intermission and the likely source was Kane.

The lines were further jumbled when Nik Antropov left the game with a lower body injury.

Despite losing Byfuglien as a partner, Enstrom was abandoned by a defensemen and left to fend for himself on a two on one late in the third period. Matt Moulson beat Pavelec after a feed from John Tavares while Paul Postma laboured to get back in the play.

The Jets manufactured a couple of mad scrambles in front of the net with Pavelec pulled. But Poulin and company kept the puck from crossing the goal line while preserving their 4-2 lead. Tavares added a breakaway empty net goal to finish off Winnipeg.

With the loss, the Jets Southeast Division lead continues to crumble. Washington looks like they are going to beat the Hurricanes in Carolina, which leaves the Capitals only two points back of Winnipeg. The Jets problems are exacerbated by the fact that Washington has played two fewer games.

Some Thoughts

Whither the first line scoring? Ladd’s Little Wheeler has gone completely silent in the last five games.
I was mildly displeased to see Postma draw into the lineup for Derek Meech, shows what I know.
I do not think that Jacob Trouba is ready to provide valuable minutes at the NHL level. Also, see previous bullet.
Patrice Cormier’s time in the penalty box must have felt like a sweet vacation. He must be pretty sick of sitting on the regular bench.
When Antropov left, my first thought was TRADE. But alas, just a run of the mill lower body injury.
A lot of Claude Noel's decisions leave me scratching my head, but I am ok with trying Byfuglien as a forward. The forwards need a kickstart badly and there are not many other options right now.
The way the team has looked in the last ten games, giving up an asset that is not an upcoming unrestricted free agent before the deadline is a bad idea.

Gameday Thread: Winnipeg Jets at New York Islanders, 6:00PM CDT, Nassau Coliseum

Philip K — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:11:24 -0000

2012-2013 NHL Regular Season - Game 38
	@
April 2, 2013
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
6:00PM CDT
TV: TSN Jets, RADIO: TSN 1290
Team Vitals
18-17-2 (1st SE, 3rd EC)	W/L	(4th ATL, 9th EC) 17-16-3
Two tied (14)	G	J. Tavares (22)
A. Ladd (18)	A	M. Moulson (24)
A. Ladd (32)	PTS	J. Tavares (37)
O. Pavelec (15)	W	E. Nabokov (17)
O. Pavelec (.904)	SV%	E.Nabokov (.905)
O. Pavelec (2.80)	GAA	E. Nabokov (2.72)
Injuries
G. Clitsome (eye)		J. Joensuu (groin)
J. Wright (upper-body)		D. Ulstrom (groin)
A. Peluso (hand)		B. Strait (ankle)
J. Slater (hand)		T. Thomas (tea party fever/hiding in cabin)
Z. Redmond (femoral artery)
2012-13 Team Stats
2.43 (T-22nd)	GF/G	2.78 (10th)
2.92 (21st)	GA/G	3.14 (T-27th)
13.4% (26th)	PP%	21.1% (9th)
79.8% (T-22nd)	PK%	80.2% (T-19th)
Projected Line-ups (Forwards)
16-Ladd, 18-Little, 26-Wheeler	1st	26-Moulson, 91-Tavares, 24-Boyes
9-Kane, 12-Jokinen, 20-Miettinen	2nd	12-Bailey, 51-Nielsen, 21-Okposo
27-Tangradi, 80-Antropov, 13-Wellwood	3rd	40-Grabner, 10-Aucoin,13-McDonald
22-Thorburn, 8-Burmistrov, 28-Cormier	4th	27-Lee, 53-Cizikas, 17-Martin
Projected Line-ups (Defencemen)
39-Enstrom, 33-Byfuglien	1st	47-MacDonald, 3-Hamonic
44-Bogosian, 6-Hainsey	2nd	11-Visnovsky, 14-Hickey
5-Stuart, 4-Postma	3rd	2-Streit, 7-Carkner
Starting Goalies
31-Pavelec	G	60-Poulin
Also see: Lighthouse Hockey \| StoryStream \| Game Preview

Instant Recap: Southeast race tightens as Carolina Hurricanes blow through Winnipeg Jets

Philip K — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:34:17 -0000

Recap:

After losing a game in Pittsburgh on Thursday that pretty much everyone expected the Winnipeg Jets to lose, it was back to "important" games on Saturday afternoon as the Southeast Division leading Jets hosted the second place in the Southeast Carolina Hurricanes.

The Saturday afternoon game is not for everybody. Some people may have been glued to March Madness, some may have needed to appease partners by taking part in non-sporting activities. These people were the lucky ones on this particular day, as the Jets dropped another frustrating home game as they sputter towards the playoffs. Winnipeg managed to put more pucks on net than the Hurricanes, and really did not suffer from a lack of scoring chances, but a 3-1 loss was still the result.

Things started going poorly for the Jets right from the opening puck drop. A minute into the game, Eric Staal flopped onto the puck behind the Jets' net before Dustin Byfuglien came to give him a nice love tap with his right hand. Buoyed by this friendly gesture, Staal made a wraparound attempt that led to a Tuomo Ruutu shot that was stopped by Ondrej Pavelec, but the 35 million dollar man Alexander Semin potted the rebound to give an early lead to the Hurricanes.

On the Hurricanes’ first power play of the game, they increased their lead to two. Jussi Jokinen muffed a good scoring opportunity before cashing in his next opportunity seconds later off a nice cross-ice pass from Joni Pitkanen. Most AIH contributors expressed a desire to pick up Jokinen when he was put on waivers earlier in the week, so it seems somehow appropriate that he stuck it to the Jets in this game.

The Jets had more pep in their step to start the second period, and it took less than 90 seconds for the Canes' lead to be cut to one when Evander Kane fed a pass to Olli Jokinen who was not willing to concede being the second best Jokinen in this game.

The dominant story line of the latter half of the second period was Winnipeg’s penalty kill as a parade of Jets went to the penalty box. Some good luck and good effort saw them escape the stretch without giving up a goal.

The Jets looked poised to have a strong third period after they had the momentum while at five-on-five in the second and then fired the crowd up by killing off all of the penalties. But looks can be deceiving, as the third started in a similar fashion to the first. 28 seconds into the period, number 28 -- Alexander Semin -- fed a pass to Eric Staal in the high slot. Staal took a shot that deflected off a Jet, through Pavelec’s legs and into the net to give Carolina another two goal cushion.

From there, Carolina stuck to a conservative cycle game as they methodically worked the puck along the boards while the Jets tried frantically to generate scoring chances. Justin Peters managed to keep the puck out of the net, and Winnipeg fell by a score of 3-1.

Ten thoughts:

Patrice Cormier played 1:06, Chris Thorburn played 4:53 -- boosted by some time on the penalty kill, Eric Tangradi played 5:49. I cannot help but feel that Claude Noel wants Chevy to give him different players for the end of the bench.
Wellwood and Antropov both played around ten minutes, meaning that the team is relying way too heavily on Kane, Ladd, Little and Wheeler right now. Even if the team makes the playoffs, it is possible that those guys are going to be too worn out to put up much of a fight.
Evidence that Dustin Byfuglien’s poor play of late is not related to fatigue: he was lazy and uninspired for the game’s first shift.
With Enstrom back, could we please stop seeing Olli Jokinin used at the point on the power play?
Olli Jokinen’s goal was his first at the MTS Centre. Maybe the second one will not take quite so long.
The pass from Ladd to spring Little for a breakaway was a beauty.
Derek Meech’s part in breaking up a Canes four-on-one was impressive – Pavelec’s goaltending was also key on the play. When Stuart is healthy, I hope Meech sticks in the lineup.
It is hard to argue that Byfuglien did not deserve a penalty for dumping Jeff Skinner. Whether Skinner deserved a penalty for holding Buff’s stick before that is another issue.
I hate seeing hits like the one where Burmistrov stuck his leg out on Riley Nash. Brings back bad memories of Ulf Samuelsson.
The inconsistency of this team makes it hard to imagine Kevin Cheveldayoff will be a "buyer" at the deadline. Expect the Jets to either stand pat or trade away an expiring contract.

Winnipeg Jets bounce back with 3-2 win over Tampa Bay

Philip K — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:34:25 -0000

Recap:

The MTS Centre may not have been rocking in the same way that fans grew accustomed to last season, but the Winnipeg Jets were thankful that the boo-birds stayed away on Sunday. Some good bounces and solid goaltending by Ondrej Pavelec resulted in victory for the Jets as they maintained their lead in the Southeast Division.

Tobias Enstrom returned to the ice on Sunday evening, and with the injuries to Ron Hainsey and Mark Stuart, the Jets’ lineup is chock full of defensemen that like to get involved offensively. Grant Clitsome is the only blue liner who does not look to jump into plays on a regular basis, so it should come as no surprise that two of the three goals scored by Winnipeg came from defensemen.

Winnipeg opened the scoring in the first period on a sloppy play that started with a shot by Dustin Byfuglien. Eventually Blake Wheeler attempted to send a pass to Bryan Little that didn’t get through cleanly, but the puck took a fortuitous hop that put Lightning goalie Cedric Desjardins out of position and Little was able to pop in his fifth goal of the season.

The Jets were happy to be up 1-0 after the first period, but they had some good fortune to be in that position. They were outshot and outchanced, but the combination of the Lightning missing the net and Ondrej Pavelec making some tough saves put Winnipeg in the lead.

While the first period was relatively stoppage free with no penalties, the second saw both teams playing less disciplined hockey as they accumulated three penalties each.

Alexander Burmistrov drew the first penalty of the period, and it did not take long for the Jets to strike. Dustin Byfuglien took a half-slapper from near the faceoff dot that beat Desjardins to the glove side.

Tampa Bay struck back with a quick power play goal of their own. Martin St. Louis got the puck at the right point and sent a cross-ice pass to Steven Stamkos who took a very Stamkos-y shot that beat Pavelec.

Later in the second, St. Louis partially negated a Zach Bogosian high sticking penalty by getting a stick up himself. On the four-on-four, Andrew Ladd sent a pass from the corner to a pinching Tobias Enstrom who was all alone in front of the net. Enstrom went top shelf to make his return to the ice a sweet one.

The third period saw the game's second four-on-four situation. The Lightning cut the lead to one when Eric Brewer took a soft wrister from the point that Cory Conacher deflected by Pavelec. I blame the Jets twitter personnel for that one, as they had earlier in the evening pointed out that the Jets were outscoring opponents 6-0 during four-on-four situations this season.

Tampa Bay tried to put the pressure on down the stretch, but the Jets and Pavelec held strong in maintaining their 3-2 lead. With the win, Winnipeg moved four points up on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Southeast -- it should be noted that the Hurricanes have three games in hand. Those two teams meet in Raliegh on Tuesday in another important divisional matchup.

Some thoughts:

It is not often that you see Stamkos blow two good scoring chances the way he did in the first period. That was a good omen for the Jets.
Olli Jokinen’s one handed feed from the end boards to Kane in front of the net was a beauty. Too bad Kane could not finish the play.
Desjardins’ stats may not be great this season, but do not tell that to Andrew Ladd. He was robbed twice in the game.
Pavs big save on Conacher after three penalty killing Jets got caught trying to go on a rush was clutch. The typical rule is to send one person in on the PK, when being aggressive send two, not sure there are any circumstances where you can justify having three guys flying up ice on the PK.
Kane had a sweet pass of his own in the third to Antti Miettinen that ended in a nice save by Desjardins.
I was not specifically focussed on the pair of Derek Meech and Paul Postma, but when I did notice them they were playing well.
Blake Wheeler probably earned the goaltender interference penalty in the third, but Desjardins looked to embellish the contact pretty substantially. His need to see the trainer makes it possible that it was worse than it looked, or he was really committing to the role.
It’s nice to see the saga of Alexander Burmistrov progress, as he moved to the second line midway through the game.
Wellwood, Tangradi and Antropov generated some good chances in the third period. Hopefully Tangradi can make the most of his chance to play above the fourth line.

Capitals have their way with drowsy Jets in 4-0 shellacking

Philip K — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:22:16 -0000

Recap:

The Southeast leading Winnipeg Jets faced off with a division foe on Thursday evening at the MTS Centre. A win would have given the en fuego Jets a four point division lead and also would have sent the teetering Capitals over the playoff odds cliff. The Washington Capitals were buoyed by the return to the lineup of defenceman Mike Green who Caps fans were hoping would serve as a good luck billiken for the team.

The Jets wanted to get the crowd fired up early, but the way Winnipeg started the game was a bit of a shocker, as they were on their heels, sloppy and lethargic. After the lackadaisical start the Jets never really recovered and the Capitals had their way for three periods of ugly hockey. Jets fans left the game feeling a serious case of March Sadness.

Washington scored the first goal of the game due to some clumsy play by Grant Clitsome and some spotty goaltending by Ondrej Pavelec. Clitsome did not break any cardinal rules, but he was part of a comedy of errors that saw him botch an attempt to keep the puck in the offensive zone, bumble an attempt to dump it back in, and fall down trying to hit Troy Brouwer against the end boards. The last folly gave Brooks Laich a chance to slide a pass to Brouwer who beat Pavelec with a soft wrist shot.

The Jets best scoring opportunity of the opening period came on a two on one where Olli Jokinen fed a nice pass to Annti Miettinen who was stoned by Braden Holtby. Holtby's movements were spartan but effective.

Late in the first period, Washington built a two goal lead when Alex Ovechkin jumped on a puck like a golden bear or eagle along the half board. He took a couple steps toward the net before snapping a pass through the legs of Dustin Byfuglien to Marcus Johansson who potted the goal. Evander Kane blew a chance to play the puck, leaving it for Ovechkin.

The Jets’ crummy play continued early in the second period. Alexander Burmistrov coughed the puck up to Eric Fehr directly in front of the Jets’ net forcing Pavelec to show the reflexes of a wildcat to maintain the two goal deficit.

The play evened out at that point as the teams played a scoreless second period while combining for a siesta inducing seven shots. Midway through the period, Mark Stuart went to the dressing room after a crushing hit from Ovechkin. Stuart showed the resolve of a bulldog by returning for a shift in the third period before shutting it down for the night. If only this writer could have been so lucky to stop watching the game at that point.

Early in the third period the Jets went on the power play, but it was Washington that got the best scoring chance when the point playing Olli Jokinen turned the puck over in the neutral zone to Brooks Laich who failed to beat Pavelec on the breakaway as Dustin Byfuflien displayed the speed of a duck trying to get back in the play.

Winnipeg's best chance of the game came when Kane fed a nice pass to Miettinen midway through the third. Holtby was able to fling his right pad out to stop Miettinen’s backhand attempt while the rest of his body bit on Mittens’ deke.

The Capitals added two more goals late in the game on one timers from Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom to add insult to injury. For the game, Washington outshot Winnipeg 25-20, and I would guess that the Fenwick report will look even worse from a Jets perspective

Winnipeg blew a great opportunity to get a wolverine like grip on the Southeast Division lead. But their playoff odds will not move very much due to losses by the Hurricanes and Rangers.

The Jets need to perform better in Friday night's rematch between these two teams, or the media will be ready to pounce like a tiger.

Some thoughts:

That was ugly
Revenge will be sweet

Gameday Thread: Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:00PM CDT, MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Philip K — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:22:34 -0000

2012-2013 NHL Regular Season - Game 26
	@
March 12, 2013
MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB
7:00PM CDT
TV: TSN Jets, RADIO: TSN 1290
Team Vitals
(3rd NE, 5th EC) 15-10-1	W/L	12-11-2 (2nd SE, 9thEC)
J. van Riemsdyk (14)	G	A. Ladd (13)
P. Kessel (16)	A	T. Enstrom, A. Ladd, B. Wheeler, B. Little (11)
N. Kadri (25)	PTS	A. Ladd (24)
J. Reimer (9)	W	O. Pavelec (9)
B. Scrivens (.920)	SV%	A. Montoya (.909)
B. Scrivens (2.46)	GAA	A. Montoya (2.33)
Injuries
J. Lupul (arm)		A. Peluso (hand)
		T. Enstrom (shoulder)
		Z. Redmond (femoral artery)


2012-13 Team Stats
3.04 (7th)	GF/G	2.52 (21st)
2.65 (13th)	GA/G	2.88 (20th)
18.6% (12th)	PP%	13.5% (28th)
84.3% (7th)	PK%	76.9% (27th)
Projected Line-ups (Forwards)
21-van Riemsdyk, 42-Bozak, 81Kessel	1st	16-Ladd, 18-Little, 26-Wheeler
41-Kulemin, 84-Grabovski, 39-Frattin	2nd	9-Kane, 12-Jokinen, 13-Wellwood
16-MacArthur, 43-Kadri, 47-Komarov	3rd	17-Wright, 80-Antropov, 20-Miettinen
38-McLaren, 11-McClement, 28-Orr	4th	27-Tangradi, 19-Slater, 22-Thorburn
Projected Line-ups (Defensemen)
3-Phaneuf, 53-Kostka	1st	24-Clitsome, 33-Byfuglien
36-Gunnarsson, 4-Franson	2nd	6-Hainsey, 44-Bogosian
45-Fraser, 55-Holzer	3rd	5-Stuart, 7-Meech
Starting Goalies
34-Reimer	G	31-Pavelec
Also see: Pension Plan Puppets \| StoryStream \|

Gameday Thread: Winnipeg Jets vs Tampa Bay Lightning, 6:30PM CST, Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida

Philip K — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:02:24 -0000

2012-2013 NHL Regular Season - Game 23
	@
March 7, 2013
Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
6:30PM CST
TV: TSN Jets, RADIO: TSN 1290
Team Vitals
(2nd SE, 11th EC) 10-12-1	W/L	10-11-1 (2nd SE, 11th EC)
S. Stamkos (17)	G	A. Ladd (12)
M. St. Louis (24)	A	T. Enstrom (11)
S. Stamkos (34)	PTS	A. Ladd (21)
A. Lindback (8)	W	O. Pavelec (8)
M. Garon (.912)	SV%	O. Pavelec (.897)
M. Garon (2.85)	GAA	A. Montoya (2.74)
Injuries
B. Pouliot (upper-body)		A. Peluso (hand)
M. Garon (lower-body)		T. Enstrom (shoulder)
M. Ohlund (knee)		Z. Redmond (femoral artery)


2012-13 Team Stats
3.42 (1st)	GF/G	2.54 (19th)
3.13 (26th)	GA/G	3.04 (25th)
20.9% (7th)	PP%	14.3% (26th)
81.0% (17th)	PK%	73.5% (30th)
Projected Line-ups (Forwards)
11-Pyatt, 91-Stamkos, 26-St. Louis	1st	16-Ladd, 18-Little, 26-Wheeler
12-Malone, 4-Lecavalier, 16-Purcell	2nd	9-Kane, 12-Jokinen, 8-Burmistrov
74-Palat, 89-Conacher, 19-Crombeen	3rd	17-Wright, 80-Antropov, 20-Miettinen
76-Labrie, 17-Killorn, 44-Thompson	4th	27-Tangradi, 19-Slater, 13-Wellwood
Projected Line-ups (Defensemen)
77-Hedman, 25-Carle	1st	24-Clitsome, 33-Byfuglien
2-Brewer, 6-Salo	2nd	6-Hainsey, 44-Bogosian
3-Aulie, 15-Lee	3rd	5-Stuart, 4-Postma
Starting Goalies
39-Lindback	G	35-Montoya
Also see: Raw Charge \| StoryStream \|

Gameday Thread: Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers, 6:30PM CST, BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

Philip K — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:14:26 -0000

2012-2013 NHL Regular Season - Game 13
	@
March 5, 2013
BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida
6:30PM CST
TV: TSN Jets, RADIO: TSN 1290
Team Vitals
(4th SE, 14th EC) 6-11-5	W/L	10-10-1 (2nd SE, 10th EC)
J. Huberdeau (10)	G	A. Ladd (12)
T. Fleischmann (10)	A	T. Enstrom (11)
J. Huberdeau, B. Campbell (15)	PTS	A. Ladd (20)
J. Theodore (4)	W	O. Pavelec (8)
J. Markstrom (.915)	SV%	O. Pavelec (.900)
J. Markstrom (3.05)	GAA	A. Montoya (2.74)
Injuries
S. Weiss (wrist)		A. Peluso (hand)
J. Theodore (lower-body)		T. Enstrom (shoulder)
E. Jovanovski (knee)		Z. Redmond (femoral artery)
K. Versteeg (chest)
S. Upshall (lower-body) D. Kulikov (hand) M. Weaver (lower-body) S. Bergenheim (groin) M. Caruso (wrist)
2012-13 Team Stats
2.46 (22nd)	GF/G	2.62 (19th)
3.68 (30th)	GA/G	3.00 (25th)
20.0% (10th)	PP%	14.3% (24th)
75.0% (29th)	PK%	72.7% (30th)
Projected Line-ups (Forwards)
11-Huberdeau, 15-Shore, 88-Mueller	1st	16-Ladd, 18-Little, 26-Wheeler
14-Fleischmann, 57-Goc, 82-Kopecky	2nd	9-Kane, 8-Burmistrov, 80-Antropov
12-Skille, 18-Matthias, 52-Rheault	3rd	17-Wright, 12-Jokinen, 20-Miettinen
13-Santorelli, 25-Smithson, 22-Parros	4th	27-Tangradi, 19-Slater, 13-Wellwood
Projected Line-ups (Defensemen)
51-Campbell, 44-Gudbranson	1st	24-Clitsome, 33-Byfuglien
17-Kuba, 23-Strachan	2nd	6-Hainsey, 44-Bogosian
47-Robak, 34-Yonkman	3rd	5-Stuart, 4-Postma
Starting Goalies
35-Markstrom	G	31-Pavelec
Also see: Litter Box Cats \| StoryStream \|

Instant Recap: Good times keep rolling as Jets drop Devils 3-1

Philip K — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:52:41 -0000

On February 17 the Winnipeg Jets lost their third consecutive home game and the fans were becoming noticeably restless with the poor results being produced by the team. Only eleven days later the folks in attendance at the MTS Centre were amped up with excitement as the Jets seem to have turned their season around.

After winning four games on a five game road trip the Jets kept up the positive momentum as they escaped with a scrappy 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Stretches of the game were not pretty, but two goals -- one early and one late -- by Andrew Ladd combined with some pretty strong goaltending by Ondrej Pavelec -- it's always fun to be able to say that -- resulted in a victory that keeps the Jets in a tie for the Southeast Division lead while also putting them in a tie for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Right off the opening faceoff, New Jersey defenceman Marek Zidlicky decided that he needed to move strongly in the direction of Bryan Little in the neutral zone. As a result, Andrew Ladd was alone on the left wing and when the puck made its way to Ladd he walked in for an easy breakaway goal eight seconds into the game as Zidlicky sprawled futilely to the ice in the background.

After killing off a penalty to start the second period, the Jets may have relaxed a little too much as Andrei Loktionov zipped by Mark Stuart on the right wing before beating Pavelec with a snap shot to tie the game at one. Alexei Ponikarovsky picked up an assist on the goal in his return to Winnipeg after his brief tenure with the Jets.

With under ten minutes remaining in the third period there were offsetting penalties that resulted in four on four hockey. Dustin Byfuglien made a strong drive around the net before throwing the puck out front where Ladd slammed it home for his second goal on the night.

Shortly after the Jets go ahead goal, Adam Henrique had a breakaway opportunity to tie the game, but he missed the net to allow Winnipeg to preserve the lead.

Blake Wheeler added an empty net goal with 35 remaining to seal the victory for Winnipeg while spoiling Travis Zajac's first game in his hometown.

Some thoughts:

Wheeler is not getting a lot of scoring chances, but there are lots of times where he has the puck and it looks like something good is about to happen and then the play fizzles. I expect him to have a bit of a point burst in the near future, particularly if he starts shooting the puck on odd-man rushes.
The Jets' penalty kill continues its progression back to the mean. Alexander Burmistrov and Evander Kane have settled in as the team's top forward combo on the PK.
Both teams looked very unimpressive on the power play.
Evander Kane's goal and point streaks came to an end. But he still looked dangerous frequently. It's exciting to see him develop into an elite player right before our eyes.
AIH favourite Andrei Loktionov continues to impress for the Devils. It's easy to look at Eric Tangradi and think that there was a better deal out there for Chevy to make.

Winnipeg Jets vs New York Rangers February 26, 2013 Gameday Preview

Philip K — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:39:25 -0000

Game Preview:

The Winnipeg Jets play under the bright lights of New York City on Tuesday as they visit the New York Rangers. The current road trip has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for the Jets. They have won three of the four games so far, but caused some stress for fans when they blew a lead against Philadelphia on Saturday. They followed a different script on Sunday in New Jersey when they pulled off a come from behind victory against the Devils.

Coming off a terrific regular season in 2011-12, the New York Rangers had high expectations this year. Those expectations were buoyed by the acquisition of Rick Nash. But a lack of goal scoring has seen the Rangers start the season poorly. A recent spate of injuries has made it difficult for the Rangers to improve their 10th place position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Nash is still out --but should return soon-- and the Rangers are really hurting on the blue line. Ryan McDonagh, Michael Del Zotto, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are all dealing with various ailments. McDonagh is the only one of the defence group who will definitely not be in action against Winnipeg, but the other three are probably not at 100%, leaving the Rangers' defence vulnerable.

For Winnipeg, Dustin Byfuglien should be in the lineup in spite of his own lower body injury. But Antti Miettinen's return to the lineup was brief, as he is back on the shelf again, with Chris Thorburn returning to the lineup.

Keys to the Game:

Winnipeg Jets

Put pucks on the net: With Henrik Lundqvist in goal, it is tough to score goals against the Rangers under any circumstances, so it is especially important to get a high percentage of shots on net.
Utilize your speed: The Rangers defence is a bit gimpy right now, so the Jets should try to make their lives as difficult as possible by skating them into the ice.

New York Rangers

Clear the defensive zone: Keeping the shifts of their defencemen as short as possible will be a priority for the Rangers, expect a lot of quick flips out to the neutral zone.
Focus on Jets 3rd defence pair: The Rangers are the home team and can play the match up game. They should place a high priority on trying to get players like Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik matched up with the likes of Paul Postma and Grant Clitsome.

Prediction:

Jets 2

Rangers 3

Gameday Thread: Winnipeg Jets vs Pittsburgh Penguins, 6:00PM CST, MTS Centre

Philip K — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:39:29 -0000

2012-2013 NHL Regular Season - Game 13
	@
February 15, 2013
MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB
6:00PM CST
TV: CBC, RADIO: TSN 1290
Team Vitals
(2nd ATL, 4th EC) 9-5-0	W/L	5-6-1 (3rd SE, 11th EC)
J. Neal (10)	G	A. Ladd (6)
S. Crosby (14)	A	T.Enstrom (11)
S. Crosby (20)	PTS	T.Enstrom (13)
M.A. Fleury (6)	W	O.Pavelec (3)
T. Vokoun (.918)	SV%	A. Montoya (.889)
T. Vokoun (2.27)	GAA	A. Montoya (2.74)
Injuries
		A. Miettinen (upper-body injury)
		A. Montoya (lower-body-injury)



2012-13 Team Stats
3.14 (6th)	GF/G	2.67 (18th)
2.43 (8th)	GA/G	3.25 (25th)
27.3% (3rd)	PP%	19.6% (12th)
82.5% (14th)	PK%	67.5% (30th)
Projected Line-ups (Forwards)
14-Kunitz, 87-Crosby, 9-Dupuis	1st	16-Ladd, 18-Little, 26-Wheeler
24-Cooke, 71-Malkin, 18-Neal	2nd	9-Kane, 8-Burmistrov, 80-Antropov
19-Bennett, 16-Sutter, 48-Kennedy	3rd	27-Tangradi, 12-Jokinen, 13-Wellwood
10-Glass, 46-Vitale, 27-Adams	4th	17-Wright, 19-Slater, 22-Thorburn
Projected Line-ups (Defensemen)
44-Orpik, 7-Martin	1st	39-Enstrom, 33-Byfuglien
2-Niskanen, 58-Letang	2nd	6-Hainsey, 44-Bogosian
47-Depres, 5-Engelland	3rd	5-Stuart, 25-Redmond
Starting Goalies
29-Fleury	G	31-Pavelec
Also see: Pensburgh \| StoryStream \|

Claude Noel plans to juggle the Winnipeg Jets' lines

Philip K — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:41:56 -0000

On Friday, Claude Noel discussed with the media the need to change things up with his line combinations. As evidence to back his assertion, he alluded to the lacklustre +/- stats of one of his lines. This is a thinly veiled reference to the Evander Kane, Olli Jokinen and Blake Wheeler line.

The three players have the three worst +/- ratings on the team and are a combined -20. But it seems strange to choose today as the day to pick on them, as the three players actually had a strong game on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. As the Fenwick data for the game shows, that line was about as good as it could be aside from the absence of goals.

Further evidence of the line's bad luck are the full season PDO ratings of the three players. Wheeler, Jokinen and Kane have the three lowest PDO scores on the Jets. All three players are below 900, indicating that they have suffered atrocious luck so far.

The fact that Noel wants to split them up seems to show an over-reliance on +/- and a lack of awareness of statistics that give a broader picture of what is happening when a player is on the ice. Even based on just watching the Leafs game, most viewers were impressed by the work of the Jokinen line.

The bad luck those three players have faced early in the season is bound to change eventually, regardless of whether they stay on the same line or not. When their +/- and goal scoring improves, hopefully Noel does not think it is because of his brilliant line juggling.

Instant Recap: Winnipeg Jets let win slip away to the Toronto Maple Leafs

Philip K — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:54:38 -0000

Recap:

The dominant storyline leading up to this game was the return Randy Carlyle. The former Winnipeg Jet defenseman and Manitoba Moose head coach and GM received a nice ovation from the crowd. He managed to maintain the Kitty scowl despite the warm feelings. Toronto goalie James Reimer also had a homecoming as he returned to his native province; the fans were less enthused with this story line.

Before the game, both teams probably looked at the other sides' current defense crew and started salivating. The Leafs saw Postma, Redmond and Clitsome and probably thought "who are these guys?" While the Jets saw Kostka, Fraser and Holzer and thought "we can take them."

As it turned out, both teams' D played reasonably well. Paul Postma butchered the puck on the power play leading to a goal and he looked a little shaky a couple other times. But the other lesser known defensemen had solid games.

The Jets started the game well, hemming the Leafs into their own end and getting a few scoring chances. Mark Stuart dinged the post with a shot and Andrew Ladd got a good opportunity that he could not bury. Eventually Bryan Little drew a penalty that led to a stagnant power play and Winnipeg's momentum was lost.

The first period ended scoreless, but the Jets struck early in the second. After a penalty to Nik Antropov for cross-checking Nazim Kadri, Winnipeg's penalty kill was put to the test. Tobias Enstrom caused a turnover in the defensive zone before passing the puck along to Bryan Little who was able to start a two-on-one break that Zach Redmond finished by shnarping a wrist shot top shelf for his first NHL goal.

The Leafs returned the favour by scoring a shorty of their own. Postma coughed up the puck at the blue line and Tyler Bozak was off on a partial breakaway that Ondrej Pavelec was unable to stop.

Winnipeg took the lead again early in the third period when Bryan Little corralled the puck along the boards and sent the puck back to Grant Clitsome at the blue line. Clitsome let a shot rip that was screened by Andrew Ladd and found the back of the net. Clitsome was originally given credit for the goal, but eventually the goal was given to Ladd.

Toronto tied the game up with five minutes remaining when Matt Frattin drove to the front of the net while Cody Franson let a slapper go from the top of the faceoff circle. Frattin deflected the shot and it sailed by Pavelec who was in the process of moving out to challenge the shot.

Less than a minute later Toronto completed the comeback by scoring on the power play. Phil Kessel broke his early season scoring slump by potting his first goal of the year. The goal came on a pretty simple play where Tyler Bozak left a drop pass for Kessel who took a stride in from the blue line before snapping a shot to the top corner on Pavelec's glove side.

Pavelec is going to wish he had another chance at the Kessel goal, because while it was a sweet shot, it is a save you expect your goalie to make.

Some notes:

The rarely seen concealing the puck penalty -- I did not even know the official name of the penalty before tonight -- was called twice in a two minute span. The call on Evander Kane was warranted, but James van Riemsdyk had every reason to be annoyed with the refs on his call.
Little picked up two assists in the game and his line with Alexander Burmistrov and Andrew Ladd was Winnipeg's best line all night.
Enstrom extended his point streak to eight games.
Zach Redmond continues to impress and must have moved ahead of Paul Postma on the depth chart at this point. Redmond's 24:04 of ice time was second only to Ron Hainsey for the Jets. When Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian return to the lineup it will be interesting to see how the organization handles the situation.
Winnipeg managed to outshoot Toronto 25-18. But the Leafs were solid on faceoffs, winning 35 to the Jets' 24.

Instant Recap: Winnipeg Jets topple Florida Panthers 3-2, ending a three game losing streak.

Philip K — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:59:55 -0000

Recap:

After an embarrassing road trip, the Winnipeg Jets returned home to the MTS Centre hoping to end a three game losing streak against the Florida Panthers. The Jets fell behind in the first period, but managed to come back and eventually win the game with only a handful of seconds remaining in overtime on a goal from Bryan Little.

Ondrej Pavelec did not look terrific in the game, but after his recent performances a night where he gives up only two goals on seventeen shots while looking serviceable is a step in the right direction.

The game got off to a plodding start as neither team was able to generate much in the way of scoring chances. It took over six minutes for the Jets to get credit for their first shot on goal and there were only three minutes left in the period when Winnipeg had their first dangerous scoring chance on a soft backhand shot from Bryan Little that floated off the crossbar.

Florida struck for the first goal of the game late in the first when Drew Shore dipsy doodled into the offensive zone, undressing Tobias Enstrom in the process, before zipping a shot that was stopped by Pavelec but rebounded straight to Jonathan Huberdeau who calmly deposited the puck into the net.

The pace of play picked up considerably in the second period. The two teams traded goals early in the frame. Enstrom tried to atone for his prior miscue by whipping a beautiful stretch pass to Blake Wheeler who was waiting at the Panthers blue line. Wheeler stepped into the offensive zone and ripped a shot by Scott Clemmensen that was redirected by Panther defenceman Keaton Ellerby.

The Panthers quickly regained their one goal lead when they won an offensive zone faceoff and Tomas Fleischmann sent a relatively soft shot through traffic that Pavelec did not see until the puck was in the net.

With eight minutes left in the second Winnipeg tied the score again when Mark Stuart took a shot from the point that went through traffic -- various observers thought that Alexander Burmistrov or Andrew Ladd might be credited for the goal -- before beating Clemmensen.

The third period differed from the first by having plenty of action. But the shots on goal were rare, and no goals were scored. Both teams had to kill penalties late in the period to keep the game tied.

Claude Noel mixed up his penalty killing units by giving cameos to Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd and Evander Kane while shorthanded. Normally, a night that sees the team kill two penalties is not noteworthy, but after the Jets' recent stretch Claude Noel must be filling pretty good about tonight's performance.

In overtime, Olli Jokinen missed the net on a glorious power play opportunity but the Jets did not let the man advantage go to waste as Little managed to pot the overtime winner with only fifteen seconds remaining in the game -- and six seconds remained in the power play. Little received a pass from Zach Redmond in the middle of the ice and walked in before wristing the puck past Clemmensen.

Some Notes:

Tobias Enstrom's assist on the Wheeler goal extends his point streak to seven games. Enstrom currently leads all NHL defenseman in points.
Zach Redmond picked up his first and second points of his NHL career by assisting on the Stuart and Little goals. Overall Redmond had a very impressive game.
Mark Scheifele was back in the press box as a healthy scratch. One must think that his days on the Jets roster this season are drawing to a close.
The Jets managed only three shots in the first period, two shots in the third period, but they did get fourteen shots on net in the second.

Altitude Check: Winnipeg Jets News and Headlines, Friday August 31, 2012

Philip K — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:16:02 -0000

Hey all! Here is our feature running Monday through Friday that will bring you up to date on what's going on in the media pertaining to the Winnipeg Jets and elsewhere in the NHL.

Ed. Note: Now that we are through with the Stanley Cup Finals, Altitude Check will only be running on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Here is what's in the news for Friday, August 31, 2012:

The Winnipeg Jets' broadcast schedule was released yesterday. In a best case scenario, the season will start on HNIC, with 21 more games on CBC. Five games will air on TSN nationwide. [Jets.com]

Paul Postma is on a one-way contract this season and is excited at the chance to stick in the NHL. "I still have to prove myself and I’ve been working hard all summer on that. I’m looking forward to when camp starts and I can make an impact on the team." [Jets.com]

Jets players are preparing to play this season, regardless of the state of bargaining. [WFP]

Ron Hainsey is the Jets' player rep and is taking part in the CBA negotiations. "It's been a heck of a process. Not a day goes by where I don't learn something. I'm still hopeful we can get this thing done on time." [WFP]

Olli Jokinen is in town and he did some skating with his daughters. He thinks that Canadians are "super nice." [WFP]

Jokinen enjoyed going to Europe during the last lockout, but with his wife and kids already moved to Winnipeg and school starting next week he is less enthusiastic about heading across the pond this time around. [Sun]

Ed Tait examines the offseason moves of each team in the Southeast division. [WFP]

Sportsnet has a series looking at potential breakout players. For the Jets, they highlight Alexei Ponikarovsky and Zach Bogosian (with the recent wrist surgery news, they may be wishing for a do-over). [Sportsnet.ca]

Puck Daddy breaks down the winners and losers in NBC Sports' schedule this season. [Puck Daddy]

A team in Croatia is getting ready to host a game in an ancient Roman Coliseum. Click through just to see the photos. [Puck Daddy]

Kyle Turris and Jordan Eberle are the latest young players to sign long-term extension before the lockout. [Ottawa Citizen] [Edmonton Journal]

Jonathan Willis breaks down the NHL's latest proposal. [NHL Numbers]

Michael Grange says Gary Bettman is the big man in the board room. [Sportsnet.ca]

Altitude Check: Winnipeg Jets News and Headlines, Friday August 24, 2012

Philip K — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:52:10 -0000

Hey all! Here is our feature running Monday through Friday that will bring you up to date on what's going on in the media pertaining to the Winnipeg Jets and elsewhere in the NHL.

Ed. Note: Now that we are through with the Stanley Cup Finals, Altitude Check will only be running on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Here is what's in the news for Friday, August 24, 2012:

Evander Kane is still hopeful that we will see an NHL season. “You don't want to sit out a season, you don't want to miss any time. I watched last year what happened with the NBA and NFL and you want to get things handled. I think the players for the most part are pretty respectful of the owners and I think we just want a fair deal, that's really what it boils down to.” [Jets.com]

There are other league meetings going on these days in addition to those related to collective bargaining. At a rules enforcement meeting players supported the idea of naming and shaming floppers. [NHL.com]

Another young player reached a deal before the current CBA runs out. Taylor Hall signed on for a seven-year $42 million deal with the Oilers. [Edmonton Journal]

The NHL and NHLPA do not want to waste their time indoors with the weather being so nice. So, talks will get serious next week, maybe. [Sportsnet]

A lockout could result in a stronger than usual Team Canada at the World Juniors this year. [Backhand Shelf]

Twitter is all aflutter with rumours of Evander Kane demanding a trade again. The credibility of the rumours appear to be as solid as usual. [Twitter]

It seems a study like this comes along every couple years, but a new study says that Canada could support three more NHL teams. [CP]

Altitude Check: Winnipeg Jets News and Headlines, Wednesday August 15, 2012

Philip K — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:24:06 -0000

Hey all! Here is our feature running Monday through Friday that will bring you up to date on what's going on in the media pertaining to the Winnipeg Jets and elsewhere in the NHL.

Ed. Note: Now that we are through with the Stanley Cup Finals, Altitude Check will only be running on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Here is what's in the news for Wednesday, August 15, 2012:

We are still accepting entries for next Monday's edition of the AIH Mailbag, remember to send in your thoughts or questions to us via Twitter @arcticicehockey, or email us at sbnarcticicehockey@yahoo.ca.

Team Canada won the fourth and final game of their series against Russia leaving the series tied 2-2. So they played an extra frame to determine a winner, and Ryan Strome potted the big goal for Canada. "That's going to probably stick in my mind for a long time," Scheifele said of Strome's series clincher. "He's a great player he really helped us get over that hump. He's got an unbelievable shot and unbelievable moves." [TSN]

OHL Prospects finishes their look at each NHL team's OHL prospects with the Winnipeg Jets. Mark Scheifele, Ivan Telegin, Julian Melchiori, Cody Sol, Austen Brassard and Scott Kosmachuk are discussed. [OHL Prospects]

Player rep Ron Hainsey does not believe it is time to panic yet Kent. "I don't think we're at the point where it's panic time because we've got meetings scheduled for the next four weeks," Jets NHLPA rep Ron Hainsey said Tuesday from Toronto. "But we both think we have some teams that need help and the players are willing to help in that regard to make sure these teams are in good standing for the long term. We want to make sure we can help these teams and fix the system now so that teams that aren't as fortunate as those in markets that are driving revenue up are going to be healthy in the long term." [WFP]

The owners want to reduce costs by giving the players a smaller proportion of revenue. The players want to increase revenue sharing for smaller market teams. Gary Lawless believes a combination of the two is good for Jets fans. [WFP]

The NHLPA's CBA proposal on Tuesday includes a reduction in the share of revenue given to the players, but also addresses more help for small-market teams. Harrison Mooney of Puck Daddy gives the details. [Puck Daddy]

The Ice Caps are heading to the other end of the island. Their training camp will be held in Corner Brook. The team will also spread three games across the province. [The Telegram]

The Free Press liked the Sun's article about local businesses wanting a resolution to collective bargaining so much that they decided to write their article on the same topic. [WFP]

Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien are spending some of their free time catching fish in BC. [Instagram, Instagram] New goalie Mark Dekanich was not to be out-done. [Lockerz]

The Telegram of St. John's checks in with the Ice Caps regarding the possibility of the team playing games in Winnipeg in the event of the lockout after the Winnipeg Sun's article on the topic. There are no plans for any AHL games to be played in Winnipeg. [The Telegram]

Backhand Shelf gives you permission to not care about the negotiations surrounding the collective bargaining agreement. [Backhand Shelf]

Max Pacioretty signed a six-year contract extensions with Montreal worth $27 million, giving the Jets and Evander Kane another comparison as contract negotiations continue. [Montreal Gazette]

Which Olympic events suit the Winnipeg Jets players?

Philip K — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 17:15:15 -0000

It is the time of year when there is not much going on in the hockey world other than CBA negotiations. I would like to know the details of the new labour agreement when it is reached and am not interested in hearing about the posturing that takes place while each side negotiates their way to a conclusion and reporters speculate on the potential for doom and gloom. As a result, it can be a little difficult to come up with interesting ideas to write about at right now.

At the same time, a sporting event is going on that I do have great interest in. I love watching the Olympics and letting my blind patriotism loose every two years. So I started to think about how I could mix a post combining the Winnipeg Jets and the Olympics. NHL players are world class athletes that surely would excel in other venues if given the opportunity. So I have bravely decided to answer the question that the local beat writers refuse to discuss, which Olympic event is each Winnipeg player best suited for?

Note: The criteria I have used to select an event for each player varies widely and may at times defy logic. To add to the degree of difficulty for this post, I allowed myself to use an event only once and to consider field hockey off limits.

Nik Antropov - Beach Volleyball

Antropov is tall, has decent reflexes and he is more athletic than he looks which makes him an ideal man to put at the net. Plus, he often looks like he is daydreaming about relaxing on a beach.

Zach Bogosian - Fencing

Bogo has a killer instinct while avoiding the label of a dirty player. A gentlemanly sport that mimics a duel to the death seems ideal.

Dustin Byfuglien - Equestrian

Buff loves to take risks, but does not have the energy to make up for situations where he makes mistakes. Equestrian is perfect, because the horse does most of the work. I do not mean to belittle equestrian riders, but Ian Millar is 65 years old and about to compete in his tenth Olympics, energy and stamina are not the keys to this sport. Imagine how much more effective Byfuglien would be if he could catch a ride back to the defensive zone. Due to his size the horse may object to this pairing.

Alexander Burmistrov - Badminton

Burmi is quick, has good reflexes and coordination and his puckhandling skills should translate to good racket skills.

Grant Clitsome - Synchronized swimming

It would have been a travesty to not pair a player with this sport, and aside from his name Clitsome does not stand out in any way. If he needs pointers he can always consult Martin Short.

Tobias Enstrom - Football

Enstrom's solid positioning skills would transfer easily to a non-contact sport. And I bet that Enstrom's ability to calmly advance the puck up the ice would translate very well to the footie pitch where he could hit a winger in stride with a pinpoint pass. The only drawback is that there are probably managers out there hoping to get bigger and more physical.

Ron Hainsey - Sailing

This is a tough one. Hainsey is from Connecticut which has a bit of an elitist feel. Other than dressage, sailing is about as elite a sport as you can get. Plus, Hainsey looks like he could handle himself on a sailboat.

Olli Jokinen - Riflery

Jokinen has been referred to as a sniper at times, making the only event to include firearms a good fit.

Evander Kane - Boxing

This was probably the easiest pairing to make. His parents named him after Evander Holyfield and his biggest claim to fame in the league up to this point is his knockout of Matt Cooke.

Andrew Ladd - Decathlon

Ladd is a well rounded player that does a lot of stuff well but he does not have one individual skill that makes him elite. Thus the ten event test of overall athleticism is the choice.

Bryan Little - Track Cycling

Little is fast and has great leg strength but does not have the typical size of a track sprinter. His floppy hair could remind people of Curt Harnett, making him right at home on a bike.

Antti Miettinen - Race Walking

Mittens does some things kind of well, but he does not do anything well enough to stand out. I assume that these are the same traits of the people who are not quite good enough at traditional sports but whose competitive spirit does not allow them to fade away to a sedentary lifestyle so they keep trying new things until one day they wake up and find themselves at the start line of a race walk.

Al Montoya - Steeplechase

Montoya and this event have some things in common. Montoya was considered a marquee prospect when he was selected sixth overall in the draft and the steeplechase was one of the marquee events in the early Olympics. Now, it would not be a surprise if both of them were cut by the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Ondrej Pavelec - Trampolining

With all of Pavs' acrobatic bouncing and flopping in the crease, this sport seems like a perfect fit.

Alexei Ponikarovsky - Handball

Poni is the type of player who does not get noticed a lot, and if not for his time as a Maple Leaf he would have spent his career in obscurity. Handball is similar. No one can name the reigning Olympic champion of the sport, but at the end of the day competitors still get to say that they are Olympic athletes in the same way that Poni will get to look back and say that he played in the NHL for over twelve years.

Paul Postma - 4x100 Meter Relay

In 1996 Canada won the gold medal in this event with three world class sprinters (Donovan Bailey, Bruny Surin and Glenroy Gilbert) and one guy that was just happy to be along for the ride (Robert Esmie). At this point in his career, Postma is just happy to be on the Jets' roster.

Jim Slater - Diving (10M platform)

Slater has said that he would love to go to outer space, so the height of the high dive should not be a problem for him. (Oh boy, we are really reaching now)

Mark Stuart - Canoe (Slalom)

Stuart has the rugged outdoorsy look of a guy that would grab his canoe and disappear for a week to explore his home state while portaging between several of the 10,000 lakes.

Chris Thorburn - Judo

Thorburn is a tough guy that likes to mix it up, but his athletic skills are more varied than a player stuck with the goon label. So his combat skills seem best suited to a sport like judo.

Kyle Wellwood - Rhythmic Gymnastics

Welly is not nearly athletic enough for regular gymnastics, but with his great hands and maneuvarability I bet he could do some really artistic stuff with the ribbon.

Blake Wheeler - Basketball

When Wheels drives to the net he often tries to put the opposing defenceman on his back in a way that is reminiscent of a power forward making a post move from the block.

Do you think that any of these pairings are off base? Are there advanced statistics that would aid in making the determinations? If so, share in the comments.

Was size the Jets' missing ingredient?

Philip K — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:19:12 -0000

Much has been made about how the Winnipeg Jets goal this offseason was to get bigger up front. After the free agent signings of Alexei Ponikarovsky and Olli Jokinen the general consensus is that the mission has been accomplished.

Grantland’s Bill Barnwell already did a piece discussing how size does not automatically equal wins in the NHL, so I’ll leave that argument aside for the time being. But I would question the contention that last season’s Jets were a small team.

In 2012 the average NHL player was 200.5 pounds in weight and 72.0 inches in height. The average Jets forward (minimum fifteen games played) weighed 201.4 pounds and stood 73.5 inches tall. This was not an undersized team.

While the additions of Poni and Olli do make the Jets bigger up front, that is largely due to the fact that the 5’9" 180 pound Tim Stapleton has been banished to Minsk of the KHL for next season. The team has already lost the large body of Tanner Glass and Eric Fehr is very likely to be playing somewhere else next season. Fans should not be moaning about the loss of these two strapping lads, because they are marginal NHL players.

If size is the cure all for the Winnipeg Jets’ woes, bumping Nik Antropov up to a more prominent role would be the answer. At 6’6" and 245 pounds Antropov is the biggest forward on the roster, even after the offseason activity.

After seeing the LA Kings romp to the Stanley Cup this season the monkey see monkey do world of NHL GMs has seen the mantra of "we need more size up front" become so overused that it is an understatement to refer to it as a cliché. Lost in the analysis of the Kings is that the biggest reason they won the Cup is that they have one of the top two goalies in the game.

If the Kings were to replace Jonathan Quick with Ondrej Pavelec, their playoff results would have been very different and there would be less drooling over the size of their forwards. Conversely, if the Jets had the good fortune to swap out Pavelec for Quick, the team’s improved results would make the size of the forwards suddenly less of an issue.

The Jets had none of the top 30 point producing centres in the NHL last season. With Bryan Little centering the first line and a revolving door of players manning the centre position on the second line, the Jets may not have been big up the middle, but the main ingredient missing was overall skill.

Of the top 30 point producing centres + Sidney Crosby, the average height was 73 inches and the average weight was 199.1 pounds. Getting one or more players that can play centre and produce at a high enough level to make that list should have been the priority of the offseason. Luckily enough, Winnipeg signed the only available player on that list this offseason, Olli Jokinen.

Poni is a good addition to the team, because he is a better winger than Tanner Glass, the guy he is replacing on the third line. Olli is a good addition because he is a better centre than what the team was putting out there on the second line last season. If Pavel Datsyuk had been available instead of Jokinen, I hope that the Jets would have made a strong attempt to sign him despite of his comparably diminutive size because the Jets need to acquire better players to improve, regardless of their physical measurements.

Altitude Check: Monday, June 25, 2012 Winnipeg Jets News Headlines

Philip K — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:45:58 -0000

Hey all! Here is our feature running Monday through Friday that will bring you up to date on what's going on in the media pertaining to the Winnipeg Jets and elsewhere in the NHL.

Ed. Note: Now that we are through with the Stanley Cup Finals, Altitude Check will only be running on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Here is what's in the news for Monday June 25, 2012:

The Winnipeg Jets' six picks at the NHL draft and the acquisition of Jonas Gustavsson's rights = intrigue. [WFP]

Mark Scheifele is getting used to playing for Steve Spott, coach of the rival Kitchener Rangers, in advance of the four-game challenge between Canada and Russia in August. Spott says the only question regarding Scheifele right now is "sheer physical strength and it's going to come." [WFP]

The Copper & Blue breaks down the odds of a late round pick making it to the NHL and explains why it makes sense to take risks on high upside players that are not a sure thing to come to North America. [Copper & Blue]

Lukas Sutter apparently plays like a Sutter. "I think I play a little bit similar to Brandon, but a little more sandpaper to my game, a little bit tougher," Lukas said. "It's something where you have to play that way to be a successful player nowadays, the way L.A. played down the stretch.. Everyone was physical and paid the price." [WFP]

Chris Mason was not gung-ho about returning to the Jets at the end of the season due to his playing time. After surveying the free agent landscape, he would now "want to come back and be part of this commitment to rebuild." [WFP]

Jonas Gustavsson does not know how seriously the Jets are taking him. [Winnipeg Sun]

NHL.com recaps the events of the weekend, including the trade of Jordan Staal from Pittsburgh to Carolina in return for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin and the 8th pick in the draft. [NHL.com]

The Schenn brothers have also been united as the Maple Leafs traded Luke to the Flyers in exchange for James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers may have been reamed on this one. [TSN]

The Jets decided not to make a qualifying offer to Winkler native Eric Fehr. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on Sunday as a result. [WFP]

Bobby Ryan is sick of having his name mentioned in trade discussions, wishes Anaheim would just pull the trigger already. [Courier Post]

Jacob Trouba was at the top of the Jets' list when it came time to pick. Trouba's old coach seems to think it was a good pick. "We always compare him to a shark out on the ice. He's got a real good edge to him and competes, handles himself like a real pro." [WFP]

Sean Leahy breaks down the winners and losers of the draft. [Puck Daddy]

Gary Lawless thinks Ondrej Pavelec's KHL negotiating leverage has now been counterbalanced by the acquisition of Jonas Gustavsson's rights. [WFP]

Meet the new guy: Jacob Trouba

Philip K — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 19:12:33 -0000

While there is disappointment in some corners that the Winnipeg Jets selected Jacob Trouba with the ninth overall pick in the draft on Friday night due to the availability of some highly skilled and highly rated forwards (Forsberg, Grigorenko and Faksa jump immediately to mind), Jets fans need to face the reality that Trouba is now part of the organization and see what the new guy brings to the table.

Trouba is a 6’2" defenseman from Michigan that has played the last couple seasons for the U.S. National Team Development Program. He has international experience at the World Juniors in 2012 and at the World Under-18 Championships in 2011 and 2012.

In his two seasons playing for the USNDT in the USHL, Trouba put up decent if not overwhelming offensive numbers. In 2011-12 he had seven points in 31 games, and last season he improved to eighteen points in 22 games. At the World Juniors he had two assists in six games.

Trouba is headed to the University of Michigan in the fall where it can be expected that he will play at least two seasons. Kitchener owns his rights in the Ontario Hockey League, but all indications are that he is heading to Ann Arbor. Some people are concerned about Trouba’s development prospects at Michigan. Danl1988 linked to this old story in yesterday’s draft thread where Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi unloads on Wolverines coach Red Berenson for his coaching tactics while Jack Johnson was at Michigan. Hopefully Trouba is able to develop disciplined play in spite of the environment.

Trouba is a big guy already at age eighteen (196 lbs) and he plays a physical game. He often looks for the big hit. One of the video clips TSN loved to play to emphasize his physical play was a hit he made as an eleven year-old where he completely obliterated an opponent (it is kind of odd to see TSN panelists drool over a hit thrown by a little kid that in today’s NHL would probably elicit debate regarding whether it was a clean hit due to the hyper-awareness of concussions, but I digress). He is an imposing player on the ice due to his combination of size and mean-spiritedness.

In terms of skill, Trouba is a good skater and he has a heavy slapshot from the point. He is not a whiz handling the puck, but he makes good decisions passing the puck. A comparable current NHLer may be the Winnipeg Jets' own Zach Bogosian.

The Jets currently do not have a need on defence, but veterans Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey are both unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2012-13 season. Despite the lack of an opening on the depth chart right now, by the time Trouba is ready to be an NHL contributor there may be a hole waiting to be filled.

Trouba's red flags (other than the Michigan thing): His favourite TV show is Two and a Half Men and his favourite actor is Adam Sandler (source: NHL.com profile).

Possible nickname: The Troubadour

As you may have noticed, the writer of this post is also a new guy. I had been running my own Jets blog for the past year and I am happy to be joining the fold here at Arctic Ice Hockey.