Jets Beat Coyotes; First Win After Olympic Break

In their first game back since the Olympic break, the Winnipeg Jets got back in the win column to continue their mostly winning ways with coach Paul Maurice, now 10-3-1, the Jets defeated the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout.

The game shouldn't went that far as the Jets out-played the Yotes a majority of the time.  A clearly chincy call for hooking (and I mean phantom penalty in every sense of the word) on Mark Stuart.  The Coyotes capitalized on the ensuing power-play and tied the game at two.  Overtime solved nothing and Olli Jokinen has a shootout winner to go along with his recent Olympic bronze medal.  Devin Setoguchi also scored in the shoot-out for the Jets.

Ondrej Pavelec silenced his critics, at least on this night, as he was brilliant when he had to be, especially in the shoot-out.

The Jets are now only two points behind the Dallas Stars for the second wild card spot and the eighth seed in the NHL Western conference.  However, between the sixth-place Nashville Predators and the eighth-place Stars, only four points separate five clubs, including the Jets.

The Jets now sit in fifth with an overall record of 29-26-6 for 64 points.

Trade Rumors

It's that time of year again.  With the Olympic break over, the NHL trade deadline is fast approaching.  General Managers have until three P.M. on Wednesday, March 5 to build their teams to what they think is needed to become a contender for the 2014 Stanley Cup, or to simply continue building for the future.

At My NHL Trade Rumors, Ryan Rintoul lays out his perception of what the Winnipeg Jets need and what they can afford.

All Jets Healthy; Ready for Season Stretch Run

With the Winnipeg Jets sick bay emptied out, except for Grant Clitsome, who has a season-ending back injury; the return of Evander Kane, Matt Halischuck and Jim Slater (who will undoubtedly help with the Jets dismal face-off percentage) now puts the Jets back at full roster for the first time since October.

However, head coach Paul Maurice says although the players have been cleared by team doctors, they still have to cleared by him.

Jets Olympians Return; Jokinen Brings Back Bronze

The Olympics are over, Canada won gold and Olli Jokinen is the only Jets to have an Olympic medal around his neck.  Not the championship from Sochi and not second-place silver, but the bronze medal that symbolizes not only the victory over the Blake Wheeler and the United States, but the game before that eliminated the host Russians in the semi-finals.

Wheeler, for his part is more than a little disappointed in the Americans fourth-place finish, but says it won't ruin his playoff push with the Jets.

Kane Returns to Line-Up

Evander Kane is ready and willing.  His injured hand that ballooned up "to the size of a baseball," just before the Olympic break is apparently healed and Kane has received clearance to play.  Coach Paul Maurice said Kane will be in the line-up Thursday when the Jets host the Phoenix Coyotes at the MTS Centre.

Jets Outdoor Practice

Perhaps in preparation for the 2016 Heritage Classic (which, by the way, I believe will pit the Jets-wearing a jersey to honor the original Jets, plus the Falcons, Monarchs and Victorias-

 

               

 versus Montreal, given the history between the two hockey cities dating back to the late 1800s and the infancy of Stanley Cup play) the Winnipeg Jets held an open outdoor practice on the Red River at the Forks in front of hundreds of people that braved the frigid temperatures to watch the Jets run drills, interact and even scrimmage with a local pee-wee team.

Sorry about the picture location on the page.  I can't seem to figure out why it's doing what it's doing.

   

                           
           
                       




           

Jets Get Back to Work

The Winnipeg Jets got back to business as they held their first practice after the Olympic break, minus their four Olympians.  Forwards Micheal Frolic of the Czech Republic, along with his teammate, goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, are on their way back to Winnipeg after their respective teams were defeated in the Olympic men's semi-final.  The USA's Blake Wheeler and Finland's Olli Jokinen will stay behind in Sochi, Russia just a little while longer, as their two teams will play for the bronze medal, as they were defeated by Canada and Sweden, who will battle for the gold medal on Sunday morning.

Here is some post-Olympic comments by the Coach Maurice and his players.

Jets Go 2-1-1 on Road Trip After Loss to St. Louis

In their last game before the Olympic break, the Winnipeg Jets were trying to avoid their first consecutive loss under head coach Paul Maurice since he took over January 12 against the host, St. Louis Blues won 4-2 in a shootout.  They didn't.  Although the Jets came back in the third period and tied the game at three (one of three comebacks) forcing overtime that solved nothing, they were not able to put any further pucks past St. Louis goaltender Brian Elliot in the shootout. 

Jets forward Mark Scheifele scored twice and was close at various times at becoming the first Jet to score a hat trick since the team's relocation from Atlanta in 2011.  Dustin Byfuglien scored the equalizer for the Jets with 6:57 remaining in the third.
The Jets went 0-3 in the shootout, while the Blues scored twice from goals by T.J. Oshie and Vladimir Tarasenko.

The Jets are now 9-3 under Maurice.

Ovechkin, Caps Down Jets in DC

Alexander Ovechkin scored after what seemed to be a goaltender interference when Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec was pushed into his net after a scramble in front of the Jets net.  The goal counted and the Capital added an insurance goal to defeat the Jets 4-2.

Thorburn Scores Late Winner, Jets Down Hurricanes 2-1

With only his second goal of the season, his 95th point of his career, Chris Thorburn finished off a great play by Jacob Trouba as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 tonight with just 1:03 remaining in regulation.

Jets captain Andrew Ladd scored his 13th to open up the scoring before Carolina's Riley Nash tied it up at 2:42 of the third period before Trouba took one behind the net for a wraparound attempt before Thorburn finished it off.

The Jets are now 11-2 under head coach Paul Maurice, back to .500 on the road at 14-14-1, are three games above .500 for the season for the first time this season at 28-25-5.  But most important, the Jets are now only two points out of a playoff spot, the second wild card, currently held by the Vancouver Canucks.  This win puts the Jets on another three-game win streak.

The Jets head next to Washington on Thursday to take on Alex Ovechkin and the struggling Washington Capitals.

Jets Finally Take One in Montreal

Believe it or not, after 19 years a Winnipeg-based team has finally won an NHL game in Montreal.

The Jets 2.0 defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 at the Bell Centre this afternoon.  Something the original Winnipeg Jets hadn't done since 1995.  The Jets controlled most of the play throughout the game as they took advantage of struggling Habs club.

This win puts the Jets just six points out of the second wild card spot and the eighth seed in the Western conference.  It also ties them with both Dallas and Nashville with 59 points in the Central division.
The Jets next face the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of this four game road trip before the Olympic break.

Jets Outlast Canucks

Stay calm.  Play your game.  Win.

That's all it is really.  The Winnipeg Jets showed why they've been successful of late-in spite of more preventable giveaways.  They had an early lead but lost it.  But they stayed together, earned a goal and defeated the Vancouver Canucks at the MTS Centre last night 4-3 to keep the little Jets that could rolling along.  The Jets gave up 2-0 and 3-2 leads, but closed the game out even under some pretty heavy-and desperate pressure from the Canucks at the end of the final frame.

Devin Setoguchi silenced some of his critics with a two-goal performance, including the winner with 2:56 remaining in the third period.
Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba continue to perform as Scheifele was all over the ice and in the Canucks faces earning an assist on Setoguchi's first tally and Trouba collected another point as he helped with Setoguchi's winner.
Ondrej Pavelec made 26 saves.

The Jets are now 7-2 under Paul Maurice and are 26-25-5 overall this season.  The club is tied for sixth in the Central division with the Dallas Stars at 57 points and now eight points out for the final wild card spot currently occupied by these same Vancouver Canucks.

The Jets now head out on the road east against Montreal, Carolina, Washington and then back west for a stop in St. Louis before the Olympic break on February 8. Let's hope they can keep it up and go 2-2 (although 4-0 would be awesome) to keep the playoff dream alive. Because really, if they can't clear this four-game hurdle with the confidence they have now, the season is a wash.

However, the Jets used to (and I say that with every inch of reservation) find ways to lose.  Are they now (again with reservation...) finding ways to win?


It looks like the Jets have a new team tradition...