Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves as he and his Winnipeg Jets teammates blanked the historically hated Edmonton Oilers, 5-0 at the Rexall Centre.
The Jets opened the scoring at 2:34 of the first period, and much like Shawn Matthias, who scored in his first game after being a healthy scratch for the 20 previous games, Marko Dano, making his season debut, had been a healthy scratch for the previous 30 before notching his first of the season.
Scoring for the Jets were: Scorers: Dano (1), Blake Wheeler (11) Kyle Connor (13) (PPG) Bryan Little (7) and Mathieu Perreault (10)
Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves for the shutout; Hellebuyck's 4th of the season and 17th of his NHL career.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Tanev Out Week To Week
Forward Brandon Tanev will miss some action as he has been listed week-to-week with a lower body injury sustained in the game versus the New York Islanders on Friday night.
In his absence, the Jets have re-called Jack Roslovic from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
Jets Avenge Earlier Loss To Islanders, Win 4-2
On Dec. 23, the Winnipeg Jets paid a visit to Brooklyn, New York to face the islanders, in a game the Jets barely got their skate laces tied up and it was 2-0 Iles. The Jets performance over that afternoon game didn't improve. Th Jets left Long Island on the losing end of a 5-2 drubbing.
Last night's game against those same Islanders was a vast improvement. The Jets dominant speed made the difference in this one, with the Jets exacting some revenge for themselves, winning 4-2.
Although the Jets went only one-for-four on the power-play, they received contributions from where they were supposed to after Mark Scheifele went down with shoulder injury Wednesday night against Edmonton.
Shawn Matthias opened the scoring for the Jets two and a half minutes into the game with his first of the season on the power-play.
Captain Blake Wheeler then scored his 10th of the season from Kyle Connor and Patrick Laine.
The only scoring in the second period was had by the Islanders' Anders Lee, making it 2-1. Lee would add the Isles only other goal of the game late in the third.
Three minutes into the third period, Connor scored his 12th, with an assist from Laine. Nine minutes later, Adam Lowry got his 8th from Jacob Trouba and Blake Wheeler.
Wheeler, Laine and Lowry would all have a three-point night.
The win gives the Jets a record of 22-11-6 for 50 points and sole possession of first place in the Central division once again, for the time being, over both the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators, who both lost their respective games last night.
Last night's game against those same Islanders was a vast improvement. The Jets dominant speed made the difference in this one, with the Jets exacting some revenge for themselves, winning 4-2.
Although the Jets went only one-for-four on the power-play, they received contributions from where they were supposed to after Mark Scheifele went down with shoulder injury Wednesday night against Edmonton.
Shawn Matthias opened the scoring for the Jets two and a half minutes into the game with his first of the season on the power-play.
Captain Blake Wheeler then scored his 10th of the season from Kyle Connor and Patrick Laine.
The only scoring in the second period was had by the Islanders' Anders Lee, making it 2-1. Lee would add the Isles only other goal of the game late in the third.
Three minutes into the third period, Connor scored his 12th, with an assist from Laine. Nine minutes later, Adam Lowry got his 8th from Jacob Trouba and Blake Wheeler.
Wheeler, Laine and Lowry would all have a three-point night.
The win gives the Jets a record of 22-11-6 for 50 points and sole possession of first place in the Central division once again, for the time being, over both the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators, who both lost their respective games last night.
Friday, December 29, 2017
In Scheifele's Absence, Jets Veterans Must Step up
As noted in the previous post, with the injury to Mark Scheifele that will keep him out of the line-up for an estimated 6-8 weeks, Winnipeg Jets veterans must step up. That means Patrik Laine must shoot more. Blake Wheeler must crash the net more, Nikolaj Ehlers must possess the puck more, using his speed to create chances; Bryan Little must produce more, and the second and third lines containing Adam Lowry, Mathieu Perreault (who has been moved up to the second line) Matt Hendricks, Joel Armia and Brandon Tanev have to continue to show their depth and support.
The Jets have the depth. That's the good news. They are not, thankfully, a one-trick pony. In fact, not only are the Jets loaded with offense, but so are the their American Hockey League affiliate, Manitoba Moose, who possess first place overall in the AHL. If need be, the Jets can call up jack Roslovic or Mason Appleton, or the under-rated Nic Petan. And there's always the invisible Marko Dano, who has been a healthy scratch for the Jets for 29 consecutive games. Dano is no doubt trade bait.
There's a potential for some valuable points in the next five games, starting tonight against the New York Islanders. The Jets play some teams in that span that are not very good. The Jets play the Buffalo Sabres twice and the Colorado Avalanche once in that time period. The Jets should win all three and take six big points to keep pace, or perhaps surpass Either Nashville or St. Louis in the Central division.
Still though, Scheifele's presence on and off the ice will be tough to overcome, especially come February and the drive for the playoffs intensifies.
The Jets have the depth. That's the good news. They are not, thankfully, a one-trick pony. In fact, not only are the Jets loaded with offense, but so are the their American Hockey League affiliate, Manitoba Moose, who possess first place overall in the AHL. If need be, the Jets can call up jack Roslovic or Mason Appleton, or the under-rated Nic Petan. And there's always the invisible Marko Dano, who has been a healthy scratch for the Jets for 29 consecutive games. Dano is no doubt trade bait.
There's a potential for some valuable points in the next five games, starting tonight against the New York Islanders. The Jets play some teams in that span that are not very good. The Jets play the Buffalo Sabres twice and the Colorado Avalanche once in that time period. The Jets should win all three and take six big points to keep pace, or perhaps surpass Either Nashville or St. Louis in the Central division.
Still though, Scheifele's presence on and off the ice will be tough to overcome, especially come February and the drive for the playoffs intensifies.
Scheifele Out 6-8 Weeks With Upper Body Injury
This one is going to hurt. Winnipeg Jets center, and a key cog in the Jets offense, will be out of the line-up 6-8 weeks with a shoulder injury. Scheifele fell awkwardly into the boards on a innocent looking play by Edmonton Oilers defenseman, Brandon Davidson.Seeing the play, and confirmed by the replays, Scheiefele simply, and unfortunately just land wrong.
This is going to take a big lift by the rest of the team to make up for not only Scheiefele's on-ice production, but his locker-room leadership as well. The alternate captain is reported to be a champion of spirits behind closed doors, and is said to be "irreplaceable" by his Jets teammates.
Players like Blake Wheeler, Patrick Laine, Bryan Little, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mathieau Perreault will have to step up to try and make up some of The Chef's production. And unless Laine or Ehlers, or anyone else goes on a tear in the next few weeks, you may expect the Jets to take a slight tumble down the standings. They won't totally crap the bed, they're too decent for that to happen, but a slide to the wild spot isn't out of the question in the tight, tough Central division, where points are paramount.
Jets Out Duel Oilers, Lose Scheifele
The Winnipeg Jets avoided a three-game losing streak, as well as keeping pace with both the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators, by defeating the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3 at the Bell MTS Centre.
The bad news is, the Jets lost the "irreplaceable" Mark Scheifele for the next six to eight weeks with a shoulder injury.
That is not good. That is a very significant loss to their line-up.
Bryan Little made franchise history by becoming the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers all-time games played leader with 710 games played, surpassing Chris Thorburn, who was left unprotected by the Jets during last summer's NHL expansion draft, stocking the cubbard Golden Knights.
The Oilers opened the scoring on a two-man, short-handed breakaway, when Connor McDavid dished a nice unselfish pass to Leon Draisaitl that got over the outstretched pad of Connor Hellebuyck.
Joel Armia scored twice for his fifth and sixth of the year; his second coming on a breakaway due to a beautiful read right from the face-off in the Jets end, when he stole the puck at the blue-line and raced in to beat Cam Talbot low, glove side.
But this victory was seemingly forgotten by the injury of Scheifele, who fell awkwardly into the boards after being checked by Oilers defenseman, Brandon Davidson. Scheifele left the game 7:37 into the second period and is yet to be evaluated by doctors outside of the team's own physician. As of now, it is being described as a "significant upper-body injury."
Also scoring for the Jets were Kyle Connor with his 11th, on a nice goal-mouth dish from Blake Wheeler and Little, accentuating his record-setting night. It was Little's sixth of the season.
The bad news is, the Jets lost the "irreplaceable" Mark Scheifele for the next six to eight weeks with a shoulder injury.
That is not good. That is a very significant loss to their line-up.
Bryan Little made franchise history by becoming the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers all-time games played leader with 710 games played, surpassing Chris Thorburn, who was left unprotected by the Jets during last summer's NHL expansion draft, stocking the cubbard Golden Knights.
The Oilers opened the scoring on a two-man, short-handed breakaway, when Connor McDavid dished a nice unselfish pass to Leon Draisaitl that got over the outstretched pad of Connor Hellebuyck.
Joel Armia scored twice for his fifth and sixth of the year; his second coming on a breakaway due to a beautiful read right from the face-off in the Jets end, when he stole the puck at the blue-line and raced in to beat Cam Talbot low, glove side.
But this victory was seemingly forgotten by the injury of Scheifele, who fell awkwardly into the boards after being checked by Oilers defenseman, Brandon Davidson. Scheifele left the game 7:37 into the second period and is yet to be evaluated by doctors outside of the team's own physician. As of now, it is being described as a "significant upper-body injury."
Also scoring for the Jets were Kyle Connor with his 11th, on a nice goal-mouth dish from Blake Wheeler and Little, accentuating his record-setting night. It was Little's sixth of the season.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Losses To Bruins And Iles Cost Jets Top Of Central
With a shoot-out loss to the Boston Bruins and a regulation loss to the New York Islanders, four valuable points were lost that kept the Winnipeg Jets from positioning themselves atop the NHL's Central division.
The Jets played well in Boston, however a hot Tuukka Rask stifled the Jets all night long. Connor Hellebuyck mirrored his counterpart till the very end, only Helle couldn't stop Bruins rookie, Charlie McAvoy in the shootout and the Jets left the TD Garden with one point. Disappointing, given the the Jets played well enough to win, but came up just short in the 2-1 shootout loss.
Patrick Laine scored his team-leading 18th goal.
The game against the Islanders, on the other hand, was a clinic in futility. How the Jets go from dueling a big, strong, grinding team like the Bruins, then simply drop their guard for a spanking against the New York Islanders; a team that had been struggling with a 2-3-2 record in their last seven before this game, is still buzzing in my head.
Tucker Poolman scored his first NHL goal in the loss. Adam Lowry tried to make it look a little less embarrassing with his 7th late in the third, but it was a sunken ship by that point, as the Jets lost one they just as soon forget, 5-2.
With the losses, the Jets stayed pretty much idle in the Central division standings, save for the one point earned against Boston, the Jets remain a technical third in the division, (although tied with the St. Louis Blues for second-who have played one extra game than Winnipeg) with 46 points. The Nashville Predators hold first in the division with 48 points.
The Jets played well in Boston, however a hot Tuukka Rask stifled the Jets all night long. Connor Hellebuyck mirrored his counterpart till the very end, only Helle couldn't stop Bruins rookie, Charlie McAvoy in the shootout and the Jets left the TD Garden with one point. Disappointing, given the the Jets played well enough to win, but came up just short in the 2-1 shootout loss.
Patrick Laine scored his team-leading 18th goal.
The game against the Islanders, on the other hand, was a clinic in futility. How the Jets go from dueling a big, strong, grinding team like the Bruins, then simply drop their guard for a spanking against the New York Islanders; a team that had been struggling with a 2-3-2 record in their last seven before this game, is still buzzing in my head.
Tucker Poolman scored his first NHL goal in the loss. Adam Lowry tried to make it look a little less embarrassing with his 7th late in the third, but it was a sunken ship by that point, as the Jets lost one they just as soon forget, 5-2.
With the losses, the Jets stayed pretty much idle in the Central division standings, save for the one point earned against Boston, the Jets remain a technical third in the division, (although tied with the St. Louis Blues for second-who have played one extra game than Winnipeg) with 46 points. The Nashville Predators hold first in the division with 48 points.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Jets Return Favor To Blues
In the first half of the home and home series against the St. Louis Blues last night, the Blues shutout the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 2-0.
Tonight, the Jets returned the favor by shutting out St. Louis, 4-0 and get themselves back in the win column. At the same time, the Jets keep themselves in the hunt for first place in the Central division.
Adam Lowry opened the scoring on a nice goal-mouth feed from Andrew Copp for his fifth. Patrik Laine now leads the Jets in goals with 16 when he scored on the power-play.Mark Scheiefele scored his 15th, while Josh Morrissey scored his fifth, just over two minutes after assisting on Scheifele's goal.
The Jets fore-checked all game long, and forced multiple turnovers in the Blues zone as well as the neutral zone. They skated hard and made the most of their opportunities. This performance was a far cry from the shut-out loss last night.
Connor Hellebyck made 24 saves for his eighth career shutout. His second this season, and his second career donut against St. Louis.
For the record, the Jets pumped out 46 shots at Blues goalie, Jake Allen. In these last two games against the Blues, the Jets have thrown 98 shots at Allen, scoring on four of them.
The Jets now sit at 19-10-5. With 43 points, they sit three points behind both the Blues and the Nashville Predators.
Tonight, the Jets returned the favor by shutting out St. Louis, 4-0 and get themselves back in the win column. At the same time, the Jets keep themselves in the hunt for first place in the Central division.
Adam Lowry opened the scoring on a nice goal-mouth feed from Andrew Copp for his fifth. Patrik Laine now leads the Jets in goals with 16 when he scored on the power-play.Mark Scheiefele scored his 15th, while Josh Morrissey scored his fifth, just over two minutes after assisting on Scheifele's goal.
The Jets fore-checked all game long, and forced multiple turnovers in the Blues zone as well as the neutral zone. They skated hard and made the most of their opportunities. This performance was a far cry from the shut-out loss last night.
Connor Hellebyck made 24 saves for his eighth career shutout. His second this season, and his second career donut against St. Louis.
For the record, the Jets pumped out 46 shots at Blues goalie, Jake Allen. In these last two games against the Blues, the Jets have thrown 98 shots at Allen, scoring on four of them.
The Jets now sit at 19-10-5. With 43 points, they sit three points behind both the Blues and the Nashville Predators.
Jets Lose Ground With Losses To Hawks, Blues
An important four points escaped the Winnipeg Jets the last couple of games, losing to division rivals the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 14th.
Ehlers was the only Jet to bend the twine on this night, as the Jets defensive core left Connor Hellebuyck out to dry, as he faced 32 Chicago shots, making 25 saves.
The Hawks started quick and never relented. This was not the Jets best effort, especially at home.
Perhaps more importantly, the Jets also lost to the division-leading St. Louis Blues last night in the first half of a home-and-home series that continues today with a 6:00 PM start.
Facing ex-team-mate and long-time Thrasher/Jet, Chris Thorburn, all the Blues needed was goals by Vladimir Tarasenko and Vince Dunn to down the fledgling Jets.
Steve mason started for the Jets, and if it wasn't for him, things would have gotten a lot worse. He made 28 saves in the loss, for a record of 2-5-1.
Blues goalie Carter Hutton had a much better outing, as he collected the goose-egg off of 48 saves. The jets did have their chances, and Mason did his best to give his team-mates a chance.
This puts the Jets in third spot in the Central division with a record of 18-10-5 for 41 points. Dallas and Chicago are creeping up fast.
Ehlers was the only Jet to bend the twine on this night, as the Jets defensive core left Connor Hellebuyck out to dry, as he faced 32 Chicago shots, making 25 saves.
The Hawks started quick and never relented. This was not the Jets best effort, especially at home.
Perhaps more importantly, the Jets also lost to the division-leading St. Louis Blues last night in the first half of a home-and-home series that continues today with a 6:00 PM start.
Facing ex-team-mate and long-time Thrasher/Jet, Chris Thorburn, all the Blues needed was goals by Vladimir Tarasenko and Vince Dunn to down the fledgling Jets.
Steve mason started for the Jets, and if it wasn't for him, things would have gotten a lot worse. He made 28 saves in the loss, for a record of 2-5-1.
Blues goalie Carter Hutton had a much better outing, as he collected the goose-egg off of 48 saves. The jets did have their chances, and Mason did his best to give his team-mates a chance.
This puts the Jets in third spot in the Central division with a record of 18-10-5 for 41 points. Dallas and Chicago are creeping up fast.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Jets Back In Win Column After Victory Over Canucks
Back on home ice, back to collecting those "w's."
After three consecutive losses on their latest road trip, the Winnipeg Jets got back in the win coilumn after stifling the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night, 5-1, snapping their season-high three-game losing streak.
Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for his 16th win and ups his home ice record to 11-0-1.
Dmitry Kulikov opened the scoring with just his second of the year. Josh Morrissey collected his fourth. Mathieu Perreault scored two, his eighth and ninth, while Nikolaj Ehlers potted his 14th on the power-play.
This was a must win in my opinion. Another loss would have brought on doubt and the possible beginnings of a slide in the standings. Being one point ahead of Nashville and three behind St. Louis for first in the Central division is a lot better than three and five points respectably. A loss of confidence would make that trip back up the standings that much more arduous.
After three consecutive losses on their latest road trip, the Winnipeg Jets got back in the win coilumn after stifling the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night, 5-1, snapping their season-high three-game losing streak.
Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for his 16th win and ups his home ice record to 11-0-1.
Dmitry Kulikov opened the scoring with just his second of the year. Josh Morrissey collected his fourth. Mathieu Perreault scored two, his eighth and ninth, while Nikolaj Ehlers potted his 14th on the power-play.
This was a must win in my opinion. Another loss would have brought on doubt and the possible beginnings of a slide in the standings. Being one point ahead of Nashville and three behind St. Louis for first in the Central division is a lot better than three and five points respectably. A loss of confidence would make that trip back up the standings that much more arduous.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Mason Activated From IR, Comrie Re-Assigned To Moose
Winnipeg Jets goaltender, Steve Mason has been activated from injury reserve and Eric Comrie has been re-assigned to the Jets American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Byfuglien Out With Lower-Body Injury
Winnipeg Jets defenseman, Dustin Byfuglien sustained a undisclosed lower-body injury suffered in last night's overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He left during the third period and will be evaluated by team physicians. Byfuglien has 15 assists on the year with no goals scored.
Jets Lose To Bolts; Go 0-5 In Overtime
With their first three-game losing streak of the season, the Jets put that streak together probably at the most inopportune time. They've fallen from the top of the NHL to the bottom five in three games. All losses. This night it was the other top team in the league that added to their woes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, going down 4-3 in overtime. That's the Jets fifth loss in overtime this season, with not a victory in the extra frame.
The Jets are still in good shape, but these losing streaks can really put the kibosh on an otherwise productive season, and the Jets have seen their fair share of those over the years. With a record of 17-9-4, sporting 38 points, the Jets remain in third place in the Central division, whereas they were first just five days ago.
Andrew Copp opened the scoring with his fourth, while Nikolaj Ehlers got his 13th and Kyle Connor is into double digits as he added his 10th.
Patrik Laine added an assist, while Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler were kept off the score-sheet entirely.
That's the second consecutive game Scheifele has been held pointless.
The Jets are still in good shape, but these losing streaks can really put the kibosh on an otherwise productive season, and the Jets have seen their fair share of those over the years. With a record of 17-9-4, sporting 38 points, the Jets remain in third place in the Central division, whereas they were first just five days ago.
Andrew Copp opened the scoring with his fourth, while Nikolaj Ehlers got his 13th and Kyle Connor is into double digits as he added his 10th.
Patrik Laine added an assist, while Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler were kept off the score-sheet entirely.
That's the second consecutive game Scheifele has been held pointless.
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Jets Play To Level Of Panthers, Lose Out
With Connor Hellebuyck taking a break in the schedule, back-up Eric Comrie got the call to be in between the pipes against the Florida Panthers, in which should have been a sort of night off for the Winnipeg Jets. It was not. Even though Comrie made 30 saves.
The Panthers buzzed around the Jets net all night and refused to show any respect to one of the supposed top teams in the NHL. Even after throwing 41 shots towards the Cats net, the Jets scored enough goals to close it down, but couldn't. It's not that the Panthers were relentless, they just capitalized on their chances, whereas the Jets did not.
Although Patrik Laine scored his team-leading 15th goal and Blake Wheeler added his eighth on the power-play, the Jets went one for eight on the power-play. Not the numbers of supposedly one of the best PPs in the league.
Mark Scheifele was held off the scoreboard entirely; something we haven't seen all season long.
The Jets just couldn't get things done. Period. Maybe all those empty red seats threw them off, because there was nobody in that building. There were more people on the player's bench than in the stands. It was incredible and not in a good way.
The Jets better get their act together, because they're in for it tonight against the top team in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning; and Stamkos and company will be showing no mercy.
The Panthers buzzed around the Jets net all night and refused to show any respect to one of the supposed top teams in the NHL. Even after throwing 41 shots towards the Cats net, the Jets scored enough goals to close it down, but couldn't. It's not that the Panthers were relentless, they just capitalized on their chances, whereas the Jets did not.
Although Patrik Laine scored his team-leading 15th goal and Blake Wheeler added his eighth on the power-play, the Jets went one for eight on the power-play. Not the numbers of supposedly one of the best PPs in the league.
Mark Scheifele was held off the scoreboard entirely; something we haven't seen all season long.
The Jets just couldn't get things done. Period. Maybe all those empty red seats threw them off, because there was nobody in that building. There were more people on the player's bench than in the stands. It was incredible and not in a good way.
The Jets better get their act together, because they're in for it tonight against the top team in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning; and Stamkos and company will be showing no mercy.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Scheifele And Wheeler Push Each Other
Since the 2011-2012 NHL season, when center Mark Scheifele joined the ranks of the Winnipeg Jets, being their first draft pick since 1995, he and captain Blake Wheeler have shown quite the chemistry together. It wasn't right away, as Scheifele's first tenure with the club lasted only seven games before he was sent back to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.
Former head coach Claude Noel gave Scheifele a chance early on, but it was on a line with Bryan Little (who was temporarily on the wing) and a mix of Brett MaClean and Antti Miettinen, as the top line at the time consisted of Andrew Ladd, Wheeler and Evander Kane; and he didn't produce much.
But by the 2013-2014 season, as Scheiefele had developed with the St. John's IceCaps a bit after the 2012-2013 OHL season ended, before playing for the 2012 World Junior squad, and showed definite improvement working with Colts head coach, Dale Hawerchuck and national team coach Don Hay.
In that season, his first full one with the Jets, Scheifele scored 13 goals and 21 assists in 63 games. And over the next three seasons, he would improve incrementally with 34, 32 and 50 point seasons, including last season where he scored a career-high 32 goals.
Blake wheeler has always been a consistent points-getter ever since he signed with the Boston Bruins in 2008 after deciding not to sign with the Phoenix Coyotes, the team that had drafted him in 2004. His highest career total in points was in 2015-2016 with the Jets, where he netted 78 points on 26 goals and 52 assists. He's on pace to beat that total this season.
Wheeler is a playmaker. He has that uncanny ability to find teammates in spots that no one in the opposition uniform is expecting. His east-west passes to Scheifele this season has demonstrated that.
Half of Scheifele's goals this season are thanks to Wheeler's slick passing and on-ice intuitiveness, and many of last season's 32 goals as well.
Now that they've been playing together on the Jets top line all season now, there's no denying their chemistry is beyond reproach.
This article from NHL.com's Nicolas Cotsonika tells the tale of why these two have forged such a bond on and off the ice and why there's no reason it can't continue.
Former head coach Claude Noel gave Scheifele a chance early on, but it was on a line with Bryan Little (who was temporarily on the wing) and a mix of Brett MaClean and Antti Miettinen, as the top line at the time consisted of Andrew Ladd, Wheeler and Evander Kane; and he didn't produce much.
But by the 2013-2014 season, as Scheiefele had developed with the St. John's IceCaps a bit after the 2012-2013 OHL season ended, before playing for the 2012 World Junior squad, and showed definite improvement working with Colts head coach, Dale Hawerchuck and national team coach Don Hay.
In that season, his first full one with the Jets, Scheifele scored 13 goals and 21 assists in 63 games. And over the next three seasons, he would improve incrementally with 34, 32 and 50 point seasons, including last season where he scored a career-high 32 goals.
Blake wheeler has always been a consistent points-getter ever since he signed with the Boston Bruins in 2008 after deciding not to sign with the Phoenix Coyotes, the team that had drafted him in 2004. His highest career total in points was in 2015-2016 with the Jets, where he netted 78 points on 26 goals and 52 assists. He's on pace to beat that total this season.
Wheeler is a playmaker. He has that uncanny ability to find teammates in spots that no one in the opposition uniform is expecting. His east-west passes to Scheifele this season has demonstrated that.
Half of Scheifele's goals this season are thanks to Wheeler's slick passing and on-ice intuitiveness, and many of last season's 32 goals as well.
Now that they've been playing together on the Jets top line all season now, there's no denying their chemistry is beyond reproach.
This article from NHL.com's Nicolas Cotsonika tells the tale of why these two have forged such a bond on and off the ice and why there's no reason it can't continue.
Jets Fall To Wings
After being decimated 10-1 the night before by the Montreal Canadiens, you had to know the Detroit Red Wings were going to be out for retribution; and they didn't disappoint. At least not their own fans.
Last night at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, the Wings handed the Winnipeg Jets their seventh loss in regulation, 5-1
Patrik Laine continues to come back from his own self-described "slump" as he scored the only marker for the Jets on this night, his 14th of the season, tying him for the team lead in goals with Mark Scheifele.
Going one for six on the power-play is not going to help produce goals. Not in this league. And the Jets are supposed to be one of the most proficient in that department this season. Didn't look that way last night. If it wasn't for Connor Hellebuyck, it would have been worse.
Hopefully, the Jets can get back on track Thursday in Sunrise, Florida, when they face the Luongo-less Panthers.
Last night at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, the Wings handed the Winnipeg Jets their seventh loss in regulation, 5-1
Patrik Laine continues to come back from his own self-described "slump" as he scored the only marker for the Jets on this night, his 14th of the season, tying him for the team lead in goals with Mark Scheifele.
Going one for six on the power-play is not going to help produce goals. Not in this league. And the Jets are supposed to be one of the most proficient in that department this season. Didn't look that way last night. If it wasn't for Connor Hellebuyck, it would have been worse.
Hopefully, the Jets can get back on track Thursday in Sunrise, Florida, when they face the Luongo-less Panthers.
Student Of The Game
Whenever Scheifele is not on the ice during a game or practice, he is off the ice continually honing his skills that make him the generational talent that he is; and boy are Winnipeg Jets fans thankful general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff called his name in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 24, 2011.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Jets Defeat Sens, Hellebuyck Earns First Shutout Of Season
It's been a long time coming, but it was also just a matter of time for Connor Hellebuyck. He and his Winnipeg Jets teammates dominated the visiting Ottawa Senators to the score of 5-0 to give Hellebuyck his first well-deserved shutout of the season. He made 21 saves.
The Jets peppered the Senators net so much, starter Mike Condon was chased out after 22 shots against, allowing all five Winnipeg goals; relief netminder Craig Anderson faced another 27. That's 49 shots thrust upon the opponent's net. And seemingly at will.
The Jets return to first in the Central division and Western conference. It also put them back into a tie for first overall in the NHL, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but more than that, it may cement some respect from the hockey media that have scoffed at the Jets for years. It may be only December 3rd, but the Jets are flying high, with no sight of their high-octane offense diminishing any time soon.
Mark Scheifele opened the scoring on the power-play with his team-leading 14th of the season. Blake Wheeler got his 26th assist of the season on the play and is really close to the franchise's all-time lead in that category.
Matheau Perreault, just moved to the top line with Scheifele and Wheeler, due to the injury of Kyle Connor, scored his seventh on an assist from Jacob Trouba and another by Wheeler.
In the third, Wheeler scored his seventh on a nice feed from Scheifele from behind the net.
Patrik Laine scored his 13th, in his 100th NHL game, on a five-on-three power-play on an assist from Wheeler; the Jets captain's fourth point of the game. This was Wheeler's third four-point game of the season thus far.
Thirty seconds later, Tyler Myers scored his 5th in his 500th NHL game. Bryan Little and Perreault had the helpers on this one, giving Perreault two points on the night.
Right from the drop, this one didn't even seem all that fair. The Jets out-skated, out-shot, out-blocked, outhit and out-classed the Senators. It should have been more of a blowout, as it really was a clinic. Sens goaltender, Craig Anderson, in relief of the banished Condon, should get some kudos for keeping it as it was.
The Jets peppered the Senators net so much, starter Mike Condon was chased out after 22 shots against, allowing all five Winnipeg goals; relief netminder Craig Anderson faced another 27. That's 49 shots thrust upon the opponent's net. And seemingly at will.
The Jets return to first in the Central division and Western conference. It also put them back into a tie for first overall in the NHL, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but more than that, it may cement some respect from the hockey media that have scoffed at the Jets for years. It may be only December 3rd, but the Jets are flying high, with no sight of their high-octane offense diminishing any time soon.
Mark Scheifele opened the scoring on the power-play with his team-leading 14th of the season. Blake Wheeler got his 26th assist of the season on the play and is really close to the franchise's all-time lead in that category.
Matheau Perreault, just moved to the top line with Scheifele and Wheeler, due to the injury of Kyle Connor, scored his seventh on an assist from Jacob Trouba and another by Wheeler.
In the third, Wheeler scored his seventh on a nice feed from Scheifele from behind the net.
Patrik Laine scored his 13th, in his 100th NHL game, on a five-on-three power-play on an assist from Wheeler; the Jets captain's fourth point of the game. This was Wheeler's third four-point game of the season thus far.
Thirty seconds later, Tyler Myers scored his 5th in his 500th NHL game. Bryan Little and Perreault had the helpers on this one, giving Perreault two points on the night.
Right from the drop, this one didn't even seem all that fair. The Jets out-skated, out-shot, out-blocked, outhit and out-classed the Senators. It should have been more of a blowout, as it really was a clinic. Sens goaltender, Craig Anderson, in relief of the banished Condon, should get some kudos for keeping it as it was.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Connor Injured, Will Miss Game Against Ottawa
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Jets Beat Golden Knights, Take Sole Possession Of First In Central
Well whaddya know? The Winnipeg Jets are in first place in the Central division, as well as the Western conference and are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for first overall in the NHL.
No. I'm serious. The Winnipeg Jets are in first place in the Central division and Western conference of the National Hockey League. In December. And it's a pretty big deal.
Although I am personally tickled pink by this latest revelation, it is not unprecedented, as many media outlets are reporting. It did, in fact, happen one other time in the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 short history when they were in the South-East division, before the 2015 division realignment that had them battling it out for a third-seed playoff spot in the Eastern conference against the Washington Capitals. An endeavor that went south quickly after the Jets embarked on a five-game losing streak, culminating in back-to-back home losses to those very same Capitals.
After last night's victory against the Vegas Golden Knights, in which the Jets once again matched their total goal output in one game with seven goals against, they left their feisty, never-say-die opponents shaking their heads after the Jets showed them whose house it was in a 7-4 loss.
Patrik Laine awoke himself from his self-described slump (he had not scored in the past four games) with a goal and two assists, including a wicked wrister from the blue-line and perhaps an even nicer assist on Kyle Connor's eighth goal on the power-play 33 seconds into the third period. Connor also scored his ninth into an empty-net to seal the deal.
Laine should probably "feel bad" about his self-perceived lack of production more often, since the last time he did so, he went on a seven-game goal-scoring streak. Head Coach Paul Maurice joked that Laine will be holding a press conference "on how he's the worst player in the history of the game. We're gonna sponsor it."
Good stuff.
Mark Scheifele continues to be the man as he scored his 13th of the season, as well as adding two assists.
Nicolaj Ehlers potted his 11th with a nifty wrap-around after a feed from Laine. Ehlers also added an assist on Tyler Myers opening goal on the power-play. The Jets took good advantage of their power-play opportunities as they went three for five with the extra attacker.
Connor Hellebuyck continues to improve his won-loss record, as he is now 14-2-3 and continues to make his case for being on the NHL All-Star game starting line-up. But since the Winnipeg Jets have been shown hardly any love (or none at all) in this incarnation or earlier, don't hold your breath thinking Helle will be in between the pipes in Tampa when the puck drops on that one.
No. I'm serious. The Winnipeg Jets are in first place in the Central division and Western conference of the National Hockey League. In December. And it's a pretty big deal.
Although I am personally tickled pink by this latest revelation, it is not unprecedented, as many media outlets are reporting. It did, in fact, happen one other time in the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 short history when they were in the South-East division, before the 2015 division realignment that had them battling it out for a third-seed playoff spot in the Eastern conference against the Washington Capitals. An endeavor that went south quickly after the Jets embarked on a five-game losing streak, culminating in back-to-back home losses to those very same Capitals.
After last night's victory against the Vegas Golden Knights, in which the Jets once again matched their total goal output in one game with seven goals against, they left their feisty, never-say-die opponents shaking their heads after the Jets showed them whose house it was in a 7-4 loss.
Patrik Laine awoke himself from his self-described slump (he had not scored in the past four games) with a goal and two assists, including a wicked wrister from the blue-line and perhaps an even nicer assist on Kyle Connor's eighth goal on the power-play 33 seconds into the third period. Connor also scored his ninth into an empty-net to seal the deal.
Laine should probably "feel bad" about his self-perceived lack of production more often, since the last time he did so, he went on a seven-game goal-scoring streak. Head Coach Paul Maurice joked that Laine will be holding a press conference "on how he's the worst player in the history of the game. We're gonna sponsor it."
Good stuff.
Mark Scheifele continues to be the man as he scored his 13th of the season, as well as adding two assists.
Nicolaj Ehlers potted his 11th with a nifty wrap-around after a feed from Laine. Ehlers also added an assist on Tyler Myers opening goal on the power-play. The Jets took good advantage of their power-play opportunities as they went three for five with the extra attacker.
Connor Hellebuyck continues to improve his won-loss record, as he is now 14-2-3 and continues to make his case for being on the NHL All-Star game starting line-up. But since the Winnipeg Jets have been shown hardly any love (or none at all) in this incarnation or earlier, don't hold your breath thinking Helle will be in between the pipes in Tampa when the puck drops on that one.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Jets Lose Deservedly To Avs
This was not a game the Winnipeg Jets deserved to win by any measure. Yes, it was the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Yes, the Jets had a 3-2 lead with eight minutes left. But when you're in the penalty box for over half a period (total game time) of 14:00, an you really expect to be productive?
No. And the Jets weren't either. The result was another Jets overtime loss, 3-2. I don't know what type of system Paul Maurice is instilling to make them take so many dumb, offensive-zone penalties, but it's clearly working if you want to be short-handed for a quarter of the game.
Josh Morrissey opened the scoring (his 3rd) at 8:43, only to have the Avs tie it up on, what else? A power-play, at 13:23. No scoring in the second and Bryan Little gave the Jets the lead at 4:08 of the third. But some more dumb penalties cost the Jets. And no penalty is dumber than too many men on the ice. You know what's even dumber than that? Two too many men penalties. So, naturally the Avalanche tied it up not too long after the Jets designated player sat down in the sin-bin for the bench penalty.
The way overtime started, there was just a feeling of dread drifting about, and sure enough, 59 seconds into the extra frame, the Avs wunderkind, Nathan MacKinnon beat Connor Hellebuyck (who made 23 saves) up high for the win.
Not the best game the Jets have put forth.
No. And the Jets weren't either. The result was another Jets overtime loss, 3-2. I don't know what type of system Paul Maurice is instilling to make them take so many dumb, offensive-zone penalties, but it's clearly working if you want to be short-handed for a quarter of the game.
Josh Morrissey opened the scoring (his 3rd) at 8:43, only to have the Avs tie it up on, what else? A power-play, at 13:23. No scoring in the second and Bryan Little gave the Jets the lead at 4:08 of the third. But some more dumb penalties cost the Jets. And no penalty is dumber than too many men on the ice. You know what's even dumber than that? Two too many men penalties. So, naturally the Avalanche tied it up not too long after the Jets designated player sat down in the sin-bin for the bench penalty.
The way overtime started, there was just a feeling of dread drifting about, and sure enough, 59 seconds into the extra frame, the Avs wunderkind, Nathan MacKinnon beat Connor Hellebuyck (who made 23 saves) up high for the win.
Not the best game the Jets have put forth.
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