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Cheveldayoff Optimistic About Jets’ Next Season

Apr. 10, 2012 at 3:07 pm CDT in Sports Comments (1)

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

Winnipeg Jets' general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff addresses the media on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. (DARRIN BAUMING / CHRISD.CA)

WINNIPEG — It’s that time of year, when NHL coaches and general managers of non-playoff teams begin the autopsy of their franchise’s season, dissect their rosters and lay out a plan of attack to play deeper into the month of April — and hopefully May and June — the next year.

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff addressed the media Tuesday afternoon, and in over 40 minutes of availability, gave only a very quick peek into what he wants to accomplish this summer.

The debate rages on, in a town where every NHL hockey-starved Manitoban has the answer to what their new favourite team should do to get them into the playoffs. More offence. Tighter defence. High-priced free agent help. Blue chip prospect development and draft picks.

Cheveldayoff is keeping his cards close to his chest.

“There was a period of time where we struggled to score goals, and it became ‘these guys can’t score, we need to get a goal scorer.’ Then there was a period of time where we were scoring goals but pucks were going in and it’s like, ‘man oh man, they need to shore up the defence.’ You know, over an 82 game season I think you see lots of different areas.”

The Jets finished a respectable 12th in goals scored per game with 2.70, but were the NHL’s 5th-worst defensively at 2.95 goals allowed. With a 24-year-old budding superstar in Ondrej Pavelec handling the majority of the workload between the pipes this past season, the team will have to address team defence from a five skater standpoint.

“For us it’s about improvement in a lot of different areas,” added Cheveldayoff. “I’d love to get bigger. From a size perspective, there are areas we would like to address, be it short term or in the long term. That is an area I think we could certainly improve upon. To pinpoint one single place, it might not be the true evaluation and analysis of our team.”

With the NHL Draft Lottery going Tuesday night, the Jets have a chance at three different spots in the first round; their current pick at ninth, fifth overall if they win the lottery, or tenth if one of the five non-playoff teams behind them wins the lottery and moves ahead the maximum four spots.

When asked to delve deeper into comments made Monday night regarding his willingness to possibly trade Winnipeg’s first-rounder, Cheveldayoff said, “As far as what the asking price would be, it would be extremely high. We’re talking about the future of this franchise. My commitment to not mortgage the future, that will be unwavered. It’ll be a process. At times people may say, you need to accelerate. But at some point in time, if the right pieces are there to accelerate the process, then we will.”

“I have to make sure that I don’t ever let my heart get ahead of my head, and that anything that we’re going to do has to have meaning.”

When asked specifically what he is looking for beyond just signing the bevy of Winnipeg’s own free agents, Cheveldayoff offered this.

“If we had the opportunity to get more experience or get some young talent at forward that would fit into our core, that would be something. That would be very helpful in pushing the process along. But again, there’s tremendous opportunity on defence as well to improve. I want to keep myself, obviously, very open and flexible because if there’s a need or a move that needs to be made I’m not going to sit back and (wait).”

Truth be told, the Jets’ most valuable assets reside in their youth, organizational depth, and in the potential of prospects waiting for their chance to shine. Fans should hold faith in the names Kane, Wheeler, Burmistrov and Pavelec, but also in those of Paul Postma, Zach Redmond, Ivan Telegin, Mark Scheifele and Spencer Machacek.

As Cheveldayoff concluded his press conference, “I just can’t emphasize enough that it’s just the beginning.”

Jets Season Finalé a Celebration

Apr. 07, 2012 at 10:00 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec throws his stick to fans after playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in their final NHL game of the season at MTS Centre on Saturday, April 7, 2012. (FRED GREENSLADE / REUTERS)

WINNIPEG – It was a evening for celebration at MTS Centre Saturday as the Winnipeg Jets suited up for their season finalé against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In the NHL’s first season back in Winnipeg, the Jets went 37-35-10, and despite their 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning, finished with an impressive home record of 23-13-5.

The crowd was extremely upbeat, sending out powerful chants of “Go Jets Go” and “Thank You True North” throughout the game.

Prior to puck drop, the team handed out three season awards. The most significant, the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy established in 2004 to honour the former Atlanta Thrasher who passed away tragically in a car accident in 2003, is awarded each year to the franchise’s player who embodies perseverance, dedication and hard work without reward or recognition so that his team and teammates might succeed. Snyder’s father and brother presented the award to defenceman Mark Stuart. Past Snyder Memorial recipients are Jets forwards Bryan Little and Jim Slater.

Watch post-season comments from Jets’ head coach Claude Noel:

The McDiarmid Lumber Three Stars Award was earned by goaltender Ondrej Pavelec for being named a star of 12 games at MTS Centre, including five in which he was named the game’s first star.

Jim Slater received the Staffmax Staffing & Recruiting Community Service Award for his involvement in several community endeavours. Slater’s popular “Take a Jet to Work Day” saw the seventh-year forward visit a fire hall, police station, local welding company, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Slater went on to score two goals, including the equalizer with 53-seconds remaining in the third period.

Another milestone achieved Saturday night was the 60^th goal of the season for Lightning forward Steven Stamkos who notched the marker early in the third period and received a brief yet sincere standing ovation from the Winnipeg fans.

“That was special,” said Stamkos when asked to comment on the crowd’s reaction to his goal. “As a Canadian kid coming in here, trying to score 60 the last three games in Canada, the magnitude of it was huge. These fans have been great all year. It’s tough to play in this arena. They booed me all season. I think that’s the only time they’re going to cheer for me… I have the utmost respect for them.”

The last Canadian-born player to top 60 regular-season goals was Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 when he tallied 69 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Jets failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2011-12, and the franchise has only made it to the post season once since its inception in 1999.

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Chipman Chats with Media, Reflects on Jets’ Season

Apr. 06, 2012 at 1:31 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

Mark Chipman addresses the media on Friday, April 6, 2012. (DARRIN BAUMING / CHRISD.CA)

WINNIPEG – On the eve of the Jets final game of their first season back in Winnipeg, True North Sports and Entertainment chairman and team owner Mark Chipman held an informal chat with media on a wide range of topics.

Chipman addressed several lines of questioning, ranging from the team’s financial situation to his favourite moments from the season to the long-term outlook of the franchise.

When asked if the 2011-12 season lived up to his expectations, Chipman was candid.

“No, it didn’t. It did in some respects, but, I was just visiting with Chevy (general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff) this morning and we have a long-term plan to be successful in this league. We also had a short-term plan, and that was to make the playoffs and we didn’t do that.”

With free agent signing season approaching and many unknowns regarding which restricted and unrestricted players will return, Chipman commented on the outlook of the roster.

“I don’t want to give the impression that I am managing our hockey team, because I’m not. That’s what our professionals do.

“We’re a young team, and we stayed young by design. We agreed that we needed to let our young players play, and that’s how they’re going to get better. I don’t think you’re going to see a dramatic shift in the way we go about things next year. We’re going to continue to be a young team and let young players develop. If there’s an opportunity for us to get better, obviously we will do that. The fact of the matter is, there is no easy simple way to do that.”

Chipman also addressed some of the more fan-related issues regarding the team, including potential availability of season tickets to those 8,000+ on the waiting list.

“It doesn’t look like there’s a lot. I say that based on the response to playoff tickets. It was… pretty much at 100 per cent.”

“There’s no indication that there are, or anyone is willing to give (tickets) up.”

Chipman also shared his deep gratitude toward the amazing fan support that lasted throughout the season.

“(Support) seemed to get progressively stronger from one game to the next. It never tapered off from opening night.

“Thank you wouldn’t be enough. I don’t know how to put it into words. I don’t even know how to express the depth of my gratitude, and I can tell you David (Thomson, co-owner) feels the same way. He’s just been absolutely overwhelmed by the support we’ve received wherever we go.”

Beasts of East Ground Jets 4-2

Mar. 28, 2012 at 10:23 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

New York Rangers' defenceman Michael Del Zotto (right) celebrates a goal that found its way past Winnipeg Jets' goaltender Ondrej Pavelec at MTS Centre on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. (MAURICE BRUNEAU / CHRISD.CA)

Winnipeg Jets' forward Alexander Burmistrov (8) checks New York Rangers' forward Derek Stepan at MTS Centre on Wednesday. (MAURICE BRUNEAU / CHRISD.CA)

WINNIPEG – For the first time this season the Winnipeg Jets dropped their third-straight on home ice, blowing a 2-0 second period lead, falling 4-2 to the Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers.

Following a pair of early second period goals coming just 56-seconds apart from Spencer Machacek and Bryan Little, the Rangers (49-21-7) turned the game on a dime and scored four unanswered.

“It was tough to get anything going and then they got a two goal lead on us,” said Rangers captain Ryan Callahan. “I think our penalty kill goal kind of lifted the team up and gave us momentum, and we began to take the game over.”

Michael Del Zotto’s shorthanded marker began a torrid pace for New York, as Winnipeg then went on to take a handful of penalties, surrendering two power play goals and another just 14 seconds after the end of a four-minute advantage stemming from an Andrew Ladd high stick that knocked a cap off of Brian Boyle’s tooth and drew blood.

Winnipeg Jets' defenceman Grant Clitsome (24) and New York Rangers' forward Carl Hagelin (62) scramble for the puck on Wednesday. (MAURICE BRUNEAU / CHRISD.CA)

“When you look at the energy level it has (taken a toll),” said a clearly frustrated Claude Noel in his shortest post-game presser of the season. “I thought tonight was difficult. When we scored the two goals, even though you can feel the pain of not scoring 5-on-3, we’re still in pretty good shape. A couple things really didn’t help. The shorthanded goal gave them life. (We) killed off the four-minute penalty… and then the next shift you go out and give up a goal (and) they lead. I think it’s taken its toll. It’s difficult, you know. It’s not easy — it’s tough.”

In their three meetings with the Rangers this year — all losses — the offensively challenged Jets had only scored once against the league’s third-ranked defensive team (2.17 goals-against per game). They also failed to connect on five power play opportunities on Wednesday night, including 1:44 of 5-on-3 in the first period.

“Sometimes it’s an indication of your skill level, not always,” added Noel of his team’s season long struggles with the two-man advantage. “The theories I have I don’t care to share.”

He doesn’t need to. The Jets severely lack any serious form of scoring punch, and when your most productive line over the last few games consists of a player making the league-minimum salary (Tim Stapleton), alongside two players who spent the majority of the year with AHL-affiliate St. John’s (Machacek, Ben Maxwell), the writing is on the wall.

The Jets are now all but mathematically eliminated from the post-season with the Capitals, Sabres, and Senators all pulling away in the conference standings over the last week. A Sabres win over Pittsburgh on Friday night would make it official.

Winnipeg wraps the regular season with a four-game road trip before returning home for their season finale on Saturday, April 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Playoff Hopes Slip Away in 6-4 Defeat

Mar. 27, 2012 at 12:16 am CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – If one game had to be indicative of the Winnipeg Jets’ entire season, Monday’s 6-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators was just that, as it proved to be curiously emblematic of the Jets’ ups and downs since the NHL officially returned to the Manitoba capital nearly six months ago.

A tough but hard-fought start (October through mid-November), followed by a high-flying and high-scoring second period (mid-November through the new year), concluding with some very sloppy play to start the third (January), fighting tooth-and-nail to the end — but inevitably coming up just short.

Watch post-game reaction:

The defeat all but mathematically eliminates the Jets from the Eastern Conference playoff race (0.6% via sportsclubstats.com) with six games remaining in their regular season.

Trailing 2-0 early in the second period on goals from Chris Neil and Kaspars Daugavins, the Jets came flying back to tie the game in a four-minute span on markers from Antti Miettinen and Kyle Wellwood. A nifty Jason Spezza dangle in the Winnipeg zone late in the frame resulted in Kyle Turris netting the go-ahead goal before Miettinen answered back with his second of the game just 20 seconds later, keeping things tied up.

The third saw an early Zach Bogosian turnover in the Jets zone that Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson picked up and fed to captain Daniel Alfredsson, making it 4-3 Ottawa. Winnipeg’s sloppy play continued aside from goaltender Ondrej Pavelec who remained sharp, stopping 29-of-34 before being pulled for the extra attacker inside the final two minutes.

The Jets began pressing with roughly six minutes to play, racking up a season-high 48 shots on Ottawa’s Craig Anderson. Evander Kane’s equalizer — after a booth review — with 2:57 remaining provided hope, but Alfredsson responded just 24-seconds later to dash Winnipeg’s chances of staying in the hunt.

“We were trying to win the game,” said Jets head coach Claude Noel. “Sometimes you’ve got to take risks. (The players) have given their heart and soul to this team… We needed to be better as a group, and we weren’t good enough.”

“When you’re a little older like (Ottawa), you can settle things down and not get caught up in the emotion,” added Noel when discussing the momentum-swinging third period. “Sometimes you can get caught up in the emotion if you have a little bit of youth on your side. The other thing is the fans and the exuberance of things (at MTS Centre) really gets you going too, and you lose sight of things.”

The NHL’s sixth-youngest team still has a handful of games to play before their inaugural season in Winnipeg comes to a close. The Jets host the New York Rangers on Wednesday night before heading out on a four-game road trip. They conclude the season at MTS Centre against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, April 7.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming

Hurricanes Damage Jets’ Playoff Push

Mar. 19, 2012 at 12:00 am CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – Things became pretty messy in the Eastern Conference playoff race Sunday, as the Carolina Hurricanes climbed to within three points of the ninth place Winnipeg Jets, escaping with a 4-3 win inside the unfriendly confines of MTS Centre.

With eighth place Washington (36-30-6, 78 points) losing earlier in the evening, Winnipeg (34-30-8, 76 points) had a chance be in a virtual tie with their division foes by night’s end, and things looked relatively positive leading 3-2 after 40 minutes.

Watch post-game reaction:

“Things didn’t go well. We were still up, and it doesn’t matter if we deserve it or not,” said Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, who stopped 31 Carolina shots including 17 in the final frame. “A couple turnovers in the third and it costs you the game.”

“You couldn’t stop the bleeding, that was the problem,” said Winnipeg bench boss Claude Noel. “That’s sad. It’s sad because we came so far. And to do this to each other and disrespect each other like this was silly. We only had to play 20 minutes in the third and yet we couldn’t do that.”

“We were definitely off,” said Jets veteran defenceman Ron Hainsey. “We had a lead going into the third without playing all that great. We obviously couldn’t close out the deal with at least a point.”

“This one will stick in there for a long time,” added Noel. “The bottom line with this game is that if we don’t make the playoffs, we don’t deserve to make the playoffs. That’s the bottom line.”

Hurricanes captain Eric Staal — enduring 60 minutes of thunderous boos and inventive chants from the sold-out crowd — put together a three point outing, scoring early in the second, again in the third to tie the game, and then setting up Chad LaRose’s deal-breaking game winner with 1:22 remaining.

“It was an atmosphere that you love to play in — this is our playoffs for us right now. Our guys responded with a great effort and a great third period,” said Staal, who added to his team-leading 64 points. “Our guys showed a lot of resilience and a lot of fight and we stayed with our game plan, and we were rewarded… Stranger things have happened and we’re going to keep playing hard.”

Staal had this to say about the crowd’s “Jordan’s better” chant that attempted to razz the big brother of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal.

“That was fun. I mean, Jordan’s good, but I don’t know if he’s better. It was fun to hear that, and it was fun to score a few and get the apple on the game winner. I think they probably regret the chants they were making as the game went on (and) started to hesitate. We stuck with it and were rewarded with a big win.”

Sunday’s chant, along with Friday’s similar “Crosby’s better” directed at Washington’s Alex Ovechkin will likely cease while Winnipeg fans watch from home, as the Jets begin a three-game road trip on Tuesday in Pittsburgh against the Pens’ Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming

Jets Edge Caps in Critical Tilt

Mar. 17, 2012 at 12:21 am CDT in Sports Comments (1)

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – The atmosphere inside MTS Centre Friday night was electric. The raucous capacity crowd chanted and cheered all night as the Winnipeg Jets captured a critical two points with a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.

More important than just a notch in the W column, the Jets’ win in regulation keeps their Southeast Division rivals from capturing a point as they chase the eighth place Capitals by two points for the conference’s final post-season spot.

Watch post-game reaction:

It also ended Washington’s four-game winning streak. Winnipeg appeared to be up for the challenge, with only three weeks between them and the playoffs — or the golf course.

“Our guys were ready for it,” said head coach Claude Noel. “What I like is, our team is really emotionally involved in the games. They want to get in. Their will is real good. Even if we hadn’t have won it, we were in check with the game.”

Winnipeg (76 points) hasn’t played much lately — Friday being their second game in seven days — and the past week has allowed Washington (78 points) and the Buffalo Sabres (75 points) to gain ground in the Eastern Conference.

“We watched teams win the games that they needed to win, and now we got to play again and we’re winning the games we need to win,” said Jets leading scorer Blake Wheeler, who’s assist on Andrew Ladd‘s game opening marker added to his career high season total of 59 points.

“This ones stings a little bit more than a playoff loss, because a playoff loss, you forget about it and move on,” said Capitals alternate captain Troy Brouwer. “This one, we really needed the points in the standings to try to get some separation between us and Winnipeg.”

Tied 2-2 midway through the third, Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien crept deep into Tomas Vokoun’s crease and jammed home the game winner via a quick Evander Kane feed from along the goal line.

“Evander Kane made a heck of a play,” said Noel. “Buff wants that impact in games and he does… It was really good.”

Byfuglien’s game-winner and 11^th of the season made it a two-point night for the hefty defender. He extends his point-scoring streak to three games and sits in third among Jets point-getters with 46 on the year.

Winnipeg can’t look too far beyond Washington just yet, as they travel to D.C. in exactly one week for another Friday night tilt with major playoff implications. It will be the final matchup of the season between the rivals.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming

Streaking Stars Fall in Winnipeg

Mar. 14, 2012 at 11:57 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – Streak killers. It’s what they call the playoff-bubble Winnipeg Jets these days.

The blazing Dallas Stars came into town touting consecutive shutouts and a 9-0-1 record in their last 10 games, but that didn’t stop the Jets from handing them a 5-2 defeat on Wednesday night.

Winnipeg put on one of their best offensive performances of the season with goals from Nik Antropov, Evander Kane, Eric Fehr, and a pair from captain Andrew Ladd, exploiting Dallas’ young No. 2 netminder Richard Bachman as he struggled to control rebounds.

Watch post-game reaction:

“It was a (long) break for us, four or five days. It was a good start to the game getting an early goal,” said Antropov of his 11^th of the season that came just over two minutes into the first.

Winkler, Manitoba-native Eric Fehr notched his second goal of the season with a partial breakaway slapper — which turned out to be the game-winner — breaking a two-month scoring drought for the oft-healthy-scratch.

“It’s been a tough couple months for me, definitely,” said the former 20-goal-scorer and first-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals. “I feel like I can be back. It’s a good opportunity here for me to get some ice time and just try to contribute in the playoff push.”

Fehr was inserted into the lineup after GST-winger Chris Thorburn suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury in Calgary on March 9. He is expected to miss three weeks.

Dallas, meanwhile, looked exhausted in their second game of a back-to-back having played in Minnesota on Tuesday.

“We knew they played last night and we know how that feels. Sometimes you don’t have the legs,” said Ladd. “We feel like if we can get on top of teams early and get momentum and get the crowd in it… it’s led to some good things.”

Playing with the advantage of a home crowd is definitely not Winnipeg’s weakness — now 22-10-4 — but the road is a completely different story. Winnipeg’s two losses in Vancouver and Calgary late last week secures a conference-worst 11-19-4 road record, and dropped them to 10^th overall.

The Jets trail the 8^th place Washington Capitals by four points for the East’s final playoff spot with 12 games remaining.

The Capitals visit Winnipeg for a critical ‘four-point game’ on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming

Winnipeg Jets Release Official Smartphone App

Mar. 13, 2012 at 7:03 pm CDT in Sports Comments (2)

A screen shot from the Winnipeg Jets smartphone app. (CHRISD.CA)

Winnipeg Jets fans will have another way to keep tabs on their favourite NHL team now that an official smartphone app has hit the market.

The Winnipeg Jets App was pushed through to Apple’s App Store on Tuesday and is available for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android devices.

The MTS-powered app will be officially unveiled during a news conference slated for Wednesday, but that hasn’t stopped some eager fans from downloading it early.

Content includes game scores and statistics, news, photos, videos, the team’s season schedule, the ability to purchase game tickets, player bios and even a Fan Noise function to measure the decibels of the noise around you during games.

The app is free for download by searching “Winnipeg Jets” in your device’s app store and works with all carriers.

Jets Halt Hot Sabres 3-1

Mar. 05, 2012 at 11:34 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets continue to play the role of streak-killers in the NHL, and they did it again Monday night in front of a nationally televised American audience.

Winnipeg’s 3-1 victory over Buffalo not only ended the Sabres’ 6-0-1 record in their last seven, it halted their meteoric rise back into the playoff race where they had gone 9-3-3 since the All-Star break following a rocky December and January.

Watch post-game reaction:

“At the start of the season, something we struggled with was closing teams out especially playing with a lead,” said Jets forward Bryan Little, who was responsible for setting up all three of Winnipeg’s goals. “Usually tie games were a struggle for us too. Seems like the last month or so we’ve really learned how to play with that lead, and learned how to play good third periods and finish teams off.”

The win keeps Winnipeg (32-27-8, 72 points) in the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot with 15 games remaining in their schedule, three points up on the Washington Capitals, and four on Tampa Bay and Buffalo.

The Jets held a one goal lead for the majority of the first two periods on Andrew Ladd’s 21^st of the season midway through the first, until Buffalo’s Corey Tropp slid one under Ondrej Pavelec in a mad scramble in the crease with 35 seconds remaining in the second.

Eight minutes into the third, Little sprung Blake Wheeler with a stretch breakaway pass that Wheeler buried with a snap shot off the post and in on Ryan Miller’s glove side for his 15^th of the year, and team-leading 54^th point.

Third-line grinder Chris Thorburn added the insurance marker less than three minutes later with a nifty toe-drag move, beating Buffalo defenceman Robyn Regehr one-on-one before sliding it past Miller.

“That was awesome,” said Wheeler of being outdone by Thorburn’s fourth goal of the season. “That’s going to go down as maybe the goal of the year for the Jets, and it couldn’t happen to a better guy.

“He drove the net hard and he kind of bailed on the play, put it in my pads,” said Miller, who was named the NHL’s first star of the week on Sunday. “He got a nice bounce and it came right back to him.”

Monday capped Winnipeg’s eight-game homestand where they went 5-1-2. They now head out on a two-game road trip through Vancouver and Calgary on Thursday and Friday before returning home to host the Dallas Stars on March 14.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming

Jets Dismantle Panthers 7-0

Mar. 01, 2012 at 11:46 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

Winnipeg Jets' forward Evander Kane scores one of two goals against the Florida Panthers at MTS Centre on Thursday, March 1, 2012. (MAURICE BRUNEAU / CHRISD.CA)

Florida Panthers' forward Tomas Fleischmann is denied by Jets' goaltender Ondrej Pavelec at MTS Centre on Thursday. (MAURICE BRUNEAU / CHRISD.CA)

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets may not have made a huge leap in the standings Thursday night, but their 7-0 dismantling of the division leading Florida Panthers may just prove to be the fuel they need to lock down a top-eight spot come the quickly approaching post season.

“It was a huge win,” said Evander Kane following his four-point performance where he notched his team-leading 25^th and 26^th goals of the campaign. “Obviously it was a much anticipated game playing the division leaders, and being able to get a little bit closer to them in the standings.”

Winnipeg Jets' forward Tim Stapleton and Florida Panthers' defenceman Erik Gudbranson race for the puck. (MAURICE BRUNEAU / CHRISD.CA)

With 16 games remaining, the Jets (31-27-8, 70 points) climb onto the heels of the Panthers (30-21-12, 72 points) in the race for the Southeast. The one obstacle the team can’t overcome on their own is the three games in hand the Panthers currently hold.

The win does put Winnipeg into a playoff spot for the time being as they leapfrogged another divisional foe in the Washington Capitals (32-26-5, 69 points) for eighth in the Eastern Conference and second in the division.

Leading 2-0 through 40 minutes on first period goals from Kane and Jim Slater, the Jets came out flying in the third, scoring four times in the frame’s opening 8:18.

Florida’s wheels really fell off at the 4:35 mark when Winnipeg’s top point producer helped create one of the most notable plays of the year.

Blake Wheeler intercepted a Panthers pass deep in the Jets zone that would have been a setup to Florida’s first goal into a gaping cage behind Ondrej Pavelec. Wheeler then turned up ice and found himself among five Jets skating against just one Panther.

“I’ve never seen that before ever, “ said Wheeler of the 5-on-1 rush. “I was really nervous actually because I looked up and heard the crowd going crazy so I figured 2-on-1, 3-on-1, whatever. There was all five guys so I didn’t know where to go with the puck. (Randy Jones) seemed like a good option so I gave it to him. Hopefully he wasn’t going to give it back. (He) gave it right back to me, and thank god I was able to find (Bryan Little) because I’ve never seen that before. Ever.”

Wheeler capped his two-point night with the game’s seventh goal, lifting his season point total to 53.

Ondrej Pavelec captured his 24^th victory and fourth shutout of the season Thursday, turning away 33 Panther shots, including 17 in the second period to keep it a 2-0 game.

“Just to stay disciplined and play smart and play the… way we did,” said the 24-year-old backstop of the advice he was given entering the third period. “Last game we gave up four (third period goals), so I think we learned from that.”

After battling through 15 games in the last 29 days, the Jets will enjoy three days rest before hosting the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Next week Winnipeg heads out on a quick two-game roadie through Vancouver and Calgary.

Old Times, as Oilers Dump Jets 5-3

Feb. 27, 2012 at 11:54 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – Monday night’s National Hockey League game was a throwback to so many nights so many moons ago at the old Winnipeg Arena. The Edmonton Oilers come to town, work an up-tempo game, explode for four third period goals and spoil a Winnipeg Jets lead to win 5-3.

“It was a bit of a track meet at times,” said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. “Being able to come out and really go to work in the third period to put it away was important to us.”

Watch post-game reaction from the Oilers:

Through 40 minutes, the Jets were clinging to a 2-1 lead on goals from Kyle Wellwood and Alexander Burmistrov, but the pace of the game finally caught up with them in the third.

“We look like a tired team. We look like an emotionally drained team. And we looked like it from start to end.”

An apt analysis from Winnipeg bench boss Claude Noel, as his team played its eighth game in 14 days, going 4-1-2 in that span.

Edmonton took advantage of an early third period high-sticking penalty charged to Blake Wheeler as Ryan Jones scored his 14^th of the season on the power play to tie the game. A Lennart Petrell goal on a 2-on-1 rush gave the Oilers the lead 35-seconds later before Petrell set up Taylor Hall’s eventual game winner midway through the third.

A late Jordan Eberle breakaway goal made it 5-2 Edmonton, before Winnipeg’s Nik Antropov notched a ‘too little, too late’ power-play marker for his 9^th of the season with just over a minute left.

Despite the loss, the Jets (30-27-8) remain in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 17 games remaining, one point ahead of Southeast Division rival Washington Capitals (20 games remaining) and two points back of the division-leading Florida Panthers (21 games remaining).

Winnipeg wraps their eight-game home stand with games on Thursday against the Panthers and Monday against the Buffalo Sabres before a quick road trip through Vancouver and Calgary on March 8 and 9.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming

Jets Trade Oduya to Chicago Blackhawks

Feb. 27, 2012 at 1:35 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

Johnny Oduya (BLEACHERREPORT.COM)

WINNIPEG — Monday afternoon, roughly one hour before the NHL trade deadline of 2 p.m. CST, the Winnipeg Jets made their first major trade since summer, sending 30-year-old defenceman Johnny Oduya to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2nd and a 3rd round draft pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The departure of Oduya comes on the heels of Winnipeg’s waiver wire pickup of defenceman Grant Clitsome from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday morning.

Clitsome, a 5’11” 215lb 26-year-old native of Gloucester, Ontario, has logged 93 career games over parts of three NHL seasons. In 51 games with the Blue Jackets this year, Clitsome amassed four goals, 10 assists, 24 penalty minutes, and a minus-6 plus-minus rating. He is under contract through the 2012-13 season, and is slated to make $1.4 million with a salary cap hit of $1.25 million.

The 6’0” 190lb Swedish-born Oduya, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, tallied two goals, 11 assists, 33 penalty minutes, and a minus-9 plus-minus rating in 63 games with the Jets this season. He was originally drafted in the 7th round (221st) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, and spent parts of four seasons with the New Jersey Devils before joining the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2009-10 season.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who pulled the trigger on the deal, served as the Blackhawks’ assistant GM for two seasons.

Halak Helps Blues Clip Jets 3-2

Feb. 25, 2012 at 5:41 pm CDT in Sports Leave a Comment

Posted by Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)

WINNIPEG – Head coach Claude Noel described Saturday’s matinée at MTS Centre as one of the best games his team has played this season, and despite peppering St. Louis with 41 shots, the Winnipeg Jets were pushed through overtime, eventually falling 3-2 to the Blues in the shootout.

The single point gained puts Winnipeg (68) two up on the Florida Panthers for top spot in the Southeast Division, and third in the Eastern Conference with 18 games remaining in the regular season.

Watch post-game reaction:

Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes, Winnipeg’s leading scorer Blake Wheeler exploded for a pair of second period goals to tie the game. His 12^th and 13^th of the season — and 50^th and 51^st points — extends his point scoring streak to six games (3G, 10A). His continued offensive generation has helped the Jets capture nine of a possible 12 points over that span.

“I thought Blake Wheeler was the best player on the ice for both teams by far,” said coach Noel of his 25-year-old budding superstar. When he got on the ice he was dangerous. He’s a hard man to control when he skates like that. He dings one off the post. Scores two. Pretty much the best game I’ve seen him play.”

“Our line is playing extremely well,” said Wheeler of fellow forwards Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little. “You’re only as good as the guys you’re playing with. At least in the games that we’ve played, I haven’t seen many guys go better than those two guys in this league. We’re having some success right now, and we need to keep doing that the rest of the way to hopefully make our way into the playoffs.”

The Jets offence has fired on all cylinders lately where they’ve scored 22 times over their last six games, but Saturday they ran into the NHL’s top-ranked defensive team (1.92 goals allowed per game) and a red-hot goaltender in Jaroslav Halak.

“Our goalie was our best player,” said Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. “He needed to be.”

“They dominated us pretty much in every aspect of the game,” added St. Louis forward David Perron, who notched a first period goal and the clinching marker in the shootout. “Obviously Jaroslav kept us in the game all night. He was hot pretty much all night.”

Winnipeg (30-26-8) wraps their extended home stand with games against the Oilers, Panthers, and Sabres over the next week before heading out on a quick road trip through Vancouver and Calgary.

ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming