Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets took the ice in Florida Thursday night to take on a Panthers team that dropped five straight. The Jets were coming off a tough loss to Montreal on Tuesday night.

It's safe to say the Jets picked up right where they left off in Montreal.

In the first period, the Jets spent much of the time in their own end. Virtually all of the first two periods were spent in the Jets zone. The Jets got down on the scoreboard early in the second period, but found their way back into the game on a couple of occasions.

The game was tied 1-1 going into the third period. The Jets got a goal from Olli Jokinen to take their first lead of the game, but the Panthers struck back quickly. The Jets got a goal from Toby Enstrom to take the lead yet again, but it went all downhill from there.

The Panthers scored four straight goals, two of which came on the power play, and won the game by the final score of 6-3. Jets netminder Ondrej Pavelec could only do so much in this game.

Some of the same problems that hurt the Jets against the Canadiens resurfaced again here tonight. The most obvious of the problems was the penalty kill. The struggles on the penalty kill took away any chance the Jets had at winning this game.

The Jets put the Panthers on the power play at crucial times late in the game with their lack of discipline, and the Panthers converted on three of their six power plays, including a 5-on-3 and a four-minute double minor.

It's not just the penalty kill, it's the power play as well.

Special teams in general has been woeful at times. And now, fans are wondering if the same road woes of last season will remain intact this season.

Coach Claude Noel will have to make a few assessments going forward, and it starts with special teams.

The Jets have dropped two straight games and now have a record of 3-3-1. Tonight's game was the first of back-to-back games, both on the road. The Jets will be in Tampa Bay Friday night to take on the Lightning.

The Winnipeg Jets couldn't have hoped for a better start after their first five games of this condensed NHL season.

The Jets have won three straight games and have recorded points in their previous four. After the opening day loss against the Ottawa Senators, the Jets struck fire. A shootout loss in Boston, a win in Washington, a win against Pittsburgh and a win over the New York Islanders leaves the Jets with a lot of confidence early on.

It's early, still too early for comfort, but this year's Jets team is doing things that the Jets of last year and Thrashers of old would have failed to do. They're beginning to develop new habits and new traits that will lift them out of the shadows of mediocre. They're creating a new image.

Take last night's win over the Islanders for example.

After leading and quite frankly dominating the Islanders for the entire first 40 minutes of play, the Jets started to stumble in the early parts of the third period. It seemed to be the typical third period collapse that has always haunted this franchise dating back to the Atlanta days.

At least that's what it seemed to be.

The Islanders scored three quick goals in about a 10-minute span and took a 4-2 lead over the Jets. There was no quit in the Jets, however. Two quick goals in less than a minute and the game was tied up again. And in overtime, the Jets didn't just want one point, they wanted the win—and they got it.

For the second straight game, the Jets were able to overcome a two goal deficit. What made last night’s comeback more significant was the fact that it occurred during the third period. The Jets were resilient and fought hard until the end.

The Jets of old would have happily took the loser point. Actually, it wouldn't have even gone that far. The Jets of old would have given up as soon as the Islanders took the lead. These were the old woes that consistently surrounded this franchise.

The team that responded last night wasn't the Jets and Thrashers of old and those woes didn't resurface. They're the Jets of now and the future, and they're creating a new image for this franchise.

The ability to play a full 60 minutes was key in last night's victory. Just like the game against the Penguins on Friday night, the Jets made a statement over the Islanders last night in come-from-behind fashion. They didn't give up or fold even when everything went wrong in the third period.

Playing a full 60 minutes is one thing, but consistency goes a long way with completeness.

A consistent effort on the ice each night is the brand and style of hockey this team wants to play. We've already seen it through five games, and even though it's a small sample size, it shows us the direction the Jets are headed in. The Jets are learning good habits.

Through the first five games, the Jets have played with a fire lit under them—strong, physical, hardworking hockey. A never give up attitude and a team work mentality. Playing for an entire 60 minutes and doing so consistently—all traits of a winning team.

This franchise is taking a step into the right direction and it's happening now.

The clock is winding down on the Winnipeg Jets. They had five games to decide whether or not they want to keep rookie Mark Scheifele on their roster. With three games already in the books, they'll have to make a decision soon.

The question is, will they keep Scheifele on their roster or send him back to Barrie to finish the year in the OHL?

While that is the question that has to be answered soon, it may not be the most important question the Jets organization has to ask themselves when they go about figuring this out. In other words, the decision whether to keep Scheifele on the roster or not has to stem from a lot of other necessary questions.

For instance, is now the time?

It's a difficult decision for the Jets staff, but an extremely important one, to say the least. Coach Claude Noel has to look at a lot of variables, including Scheifele's ice time expectancy and his role as a forward as the season goes on. Moreover, you have to question whether Scheifele will get the best experience now or if his time with the club will just be a rugged grind.

Let's take a closer look at the situation.

Through three games, Scheifele has seen very minimal ice time. Scheifele saw 11:49 of ice time in Game 1 against Ottawa, 8:40 in Game 2 against Boston, and 8:50 in Game 3 against Washington—an average of 9:46 in those three games. Clearly, it’s not a lot of consistent ice time each game.

With the ice time goes his role on the team and where he fits on the depth chart. Scheifele hasn't been in a role particularly suited for him. He's spent most of the time as a bottom six forward with the "unskilled" crop of forwards. His strong points aren't on the checking line; it's in the top six with the skilled players.

Scheifele is very young and may not be ready to take on such a role yet. A good philosophy would be playing him on the bottom six where he would learn defense first. Maybe that's what the Jets want in his first year. Or maybe it's because the Jets just don't have the room to slot him in the top six.

I'll go with the latter.

As it stands, the Jets' top six forwards consist of Evander Kane, Olli Jokinen, Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Nik Antropov—no room for Scheifele. However, playing Scheifele on the third line isn't that bad of an idea. It's not your conventional checking line.

For one, he'll be playing with Alex Burmistrov—another young player the Jets are relying on to break out. Scheifele is a natural center, but with the Jets' depth at center, he is spending his time on the wing. With the way the line combinations stand now, Scheifele could see time at center on line three—the position where he would ultimately end up in time.

Another consideration has to be whether or not the Jets want to use a year on his entry-level deal. Would it be worth it to use the year in a season where Scheifele isn't much of a factor? The Jets could save the year and use it when Scheifele is more ready and more immersed in the offense.

It's only a matter of when, but Scheifele will factor into the offense much more than he is expected to now. A low amount of minutes every night and a role that doesn't suit him probably isn't what's best for Scheifele. Until that time comes, it's probably a good idea to let him play 20-plus minutes a night in Barrie.

However, there's still plenty of time for Noel to make up his mind now as we go forward. If Scheifele is given third line minutes or at least 10-plus minutes a game consistently, I wouldn't be opposed to keeping him on the roster. If the minutes are going to remain low and he's going to spend most of the time on the fourth line, I don't see why the Jets would keep him on the roster.

The clock is ticking on the Scheifele decision. Will he stay or will he go?

The Winnipeg Jets came up just short against the Boston Bruins on Monday afternoon, losing 2-1 in a shootout. 

Netminders Tuukka Rask and Ondrej Pavelec were brilliant throughout the game, making 26 saves each. However, it was Rask who made the difference in the shootout. 

The Jets opened the scoring early in the first, just as they did against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Chris Thorburn scored on a rebound, with Paul Postma and Jim Slater collecting the assists.

Evander Kane had an opportunity to put the Jets up by two on an odd-man rush soon after, but he missed the net. Kyle Wellwood had an even better scoring chance later in the period on a breakaway, but his shot was gloved by Rask. 

The Bruins tied the game late in period when Brad Marchand scored off a pretty pass from Tyler Seguin.

There was no scoring in the second. However, the Bruins applied significant pressure toward the end of the period. Marchand saw his backhanded shot hit the side of the post, and just moments later, Aaron Johnson struck iron as well. 

The Bruins continued to generate scoring chances in the third and Pavelec continued to shut the door. Pavelec looked particularly brilliant during a Boston power play in the middle of the period.

The two teams exchanged a number of scoring chances late before Johnny Boychuk clipped Bryan Little with a high-stick to give the Jets the man advantage. Claude Noel took a timeout, but the Jets failed to score before the end of regulation. 

Winnipeg would get another chance on the power play in overtime. Zdeno Chara was called for holding with just 1:28 remaining, as Blake Wheeler tried to pass the defenseman on the outside. Once again, the Jets wasted a great opportunity to end the game. 

In the shootout, Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron scored for the Bruins, while Blake Wheeler notched the lone goal for the Jets. 

Bryan Little had a chance to force a fourth round of shooters, but he hit the right post. 

After a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Senators in their home opener, the Jets did look better against the Bruins, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

Winnipeg's special teams, specifically the power play, has to be better. The Jets were 0-for-4 on the day, including two key man advantages late in the game. The Jets also struggled at times in their own zone and on the breakout, which led to Boston’s only goal in regulation. 

The Jets kept pace in the shot department, but didn’t have the same quality scoring chances as the Bruins did. Winnipeg was also outhit 48 to 32 and beaten in the faceoff circle to 37 to 30. 

The Jets are on the road again for their third game of the season on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET against the Washington Capitals. 

After the long and dreadful lockout, the Winnipeg Jets were set to begin their season Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators.

The fans packed the MTS Center after much anticipation to kick off the season. They were loud, excited, and ready to see their team take the ice for the first time this season. However, the result probably wasn't what they were expecting.

The Jets started off fast with high energy and a loud crowd backing them. Dustin Byfuglien scored the Jets first goal of the season early in the first period, but shortly after, everything went downhill. The Senators scored four unanswered goals and took the victory by the final score of 4-1.

Hockey is a game of luck and the Jets were on the opposite side of it early on in this game. If it weren't for two posts, the outcome would have been entirely different. The Jets did have some chances in this game but failed to capitalize on them, especially on the power play.

As the game went on, the Jets became more sluggish. All signs pointed towards the rust factor. The Jets were rusty.

The Jets were suffering from the rust that was brought from the lockout. With little practice, scrimmage, and the fact that there were no exhibition games, the Jets were unable to find chemistry and mesh together on the ice. The players weren't in sync with one another.

There were some glaring and obvious holes that have to be fixed. Some that the Jets are hoping don't carry over from last season.

The Jets power play was woeful. They were put on it six times but only managed to score once. Aside from their first power play, which led to the Byfuglien goal, they were disastrous on the man advantage. Special teams is going to be a key factor this season and something they'll have to work on.

Defensive zone play wasn't at its best in this game. The Jets struggled to get the puck up and out of the zone multiple times throughout the game, some of which led to goals. There were too many turnovers and foolish plays coming from the defensive zone.

To be fair, play was poor in all three zones. There isn't much to do except get back in a groove and learn to fix the problems. Coach Claude Noel will certainly be up to the task as the Jets prepare to take flight to Boston for a matinee start on Monday.

The negatives outweigh the positives in a game like this, but the fact that Jets hockey is back is the most important positive of all. Sure the Jets played poorly, but it was fun seeing the players back on the ice again.

The good news is it's only one game. Yes, even in the 48-game format, it's still just one game. Rust is expected for every team.

If you haven't been paying attention for the past 21 games, now might be a good time to start taking notice.

For those of you that don't know of him yet, Adam Lowry is a Winnipeg Jets' prospect currently playing in the WHL for the Swift Current Broncos. He was a third-round selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and is highly regarded as being one of the steals of the entire draft.

The part about him being a steal looks like it's coming true.

The 19-year-old Lowry is in his fourth season with Swift Current, but this is the first time we've ever seen this type of offensive production out of him. After tonight's two goal performance, Lowry extended his massive point streak to 21 games. He's been on fire and has become a force in the WHL through the entire streak.

With 31 goals on the season, Lowry sits atop the leaderboards. He leads the WHL in goals and is fourth in points with 63. His previous career highs came two seasons ago when he finished with 18 goals and 45 points. He's already shattered those marks and still has plenty of time to keep it going.

The unsuspecting production comes as a surprise. Lowry's game has improved tenfold since the time he was drafted. He was already a talented young player with upside at the time, but now his game has developed much beyond that.

Lowry's learned how to become consistent. Not just night in and out with hustle and hard work, but consistent on the scoresheet. He has the ability to make plays and score goals and does so consistently. Lowry's big, strong, and can fend off defenders to create space–tools of a dominant power-forward.

With each game, Lowry proves that he can become at the very least, a true second line power-forward in the NHL some day. He's also proving that his third round selection could be one of the biggest steals in a long time. To put it in perspective, Lowry looks like he's going to be a real player. Start taking notice.

Mark Scheifele may be on the verge of playing his last game as a Barrie Colt.

Scheifele returned to Barrie last night for the first time since the World Juniors saw him leave in December. In his return, Scheifele scored his 22nd of the season and led the Colts to a 5-4 shootout victory over Mississauga.

Scheifele stood on the ice as the game ended and received a standing ovation from Colts fans, as if it would be the last time they'd ever get to see him play in a Colts uniform.

The vibe was that Scheifele may have just played his final game in front of the Barrie fans.

After the game according to Barrie Colts writer Taylor Pope, Scheifele thanked the fans, his teammates and his coaching staff for all the great support. He especially thanked his coach and mentor Dale Hawerchuk. The only certainty from all of this is that his time in Barrie has come to an end. If not forever, then at the very least for now, as he has his sights set on something bigger.

Scheifele will make the jump to Winnipeg Jets' training camp on Sunday and his play has him poised to make the roster full-time. After a dominant season in the OHL, Scheifele feels he is ready for NHL now. But do the Jets feel the same way?

The Jets have holes and Scheifele will fill a big one at some point, but is he ready to do so at the moment? Some will argue it's too soon to let Scheifele grind out games on the third line in a shortened season. Others argue that his time is now and the more playing time, the better.

Regardless, Scheifele will have to prove a lot in training camp to sway the opinion of the Jets' coaching staff. Scheifele would likely sit third on the depth chart at center, his natural position. It is unknown if the Jets would move Scheifele to the wing in order to bump him up higher on the depth chart.

As for the Colts, they're in Guelph tonight to take on the Storm. The word is that Scheifele is with the team tonight and will play in one last game before going to Winnipeg in time for training camp. Tonight could very well be the final game in Mark Scheifele's OHL career.

Next stop, Winnipeg.

UPDATE: Scheifele will NOT be in the lineup tonight in Guelph.

Evander Kane has all the skills needed to become one of the top stars in the NHL.

Kane, 21, is coming off his first season as a 30-goal scorer with the Winnipeg Jets. He has the size and strength at 6'2" and 195 pounds to establish himself as a presence down low while also having the skating skills and agility to blow by defenders and unleash his hard shot.

Since Kane has improved each of his three seasons, he would appear to be a cornerstone member of the Jets franchise.

Kane will be one of the team's leaders as it tries to establish itself as a playoff contender, right?

Not so fast.

Kane is starting to turn off a lot of would-be supporters in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Free Press columnist Gary Lawless is among those irritated by Kane's attitude and activities.

Among Kane's transgressions was going to the KHL during the lockout, reporting to Dinamo Minsk out of shape and basically going through the motions while he was playing. His stay in the KHL lasted 12 games before he left, per Yahoo!.

Then, he took a trip to Las Vegas during the middle of the lockout and tweeted out a picture of himself holding stacks of cash from the balcony of his hotel room.

There's a certain immaturity to Kane's personality that may not make him the ideal go-to guy on the Jets.

So far, Kane has been insensitive and immature. Those are not major transgressions. But Kane is stubborn and doesn't always necessarily go about his business the way a professional is supposed to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xml29FI8smw

For example, teammates have had to get on his case for not taking road trips seriously enough. A road trip is a business trip in the NHL. However, Kane took his girlfriend on the road, and that didn't sit well because it indicated that winning and playing hard may not be his priorities.

Kane's reaction to criticism is to shrug it off or issue a pressure-induced apology (source: nbcsports.com). He doesn't take it to heart or make changes.

None of these issues are criminal. If the Jets organization is annoyed, they are keeping it to themselves. The Jets signed Kane to a six-year, $31.5 million contract during the offseason. They obviously believe in Kane's talent.

Trading Kane is really not an alternative at this point for the Jets, despite Lawless's annoyance. Kane has not attacked a cab driver or photographed in an inebriated state like Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks (h/t Deadspin). He has merely engaged in some selfish and insensitive behavior.

Despite Lawless's harsh tone, Kane is capable of learning from his mistakes. He is young and he is not destined to repeat his mistakes for years and years.

Trading him would be counterproductive to winning hockey games.

However, if his antisocial behavior accelerates, then the Jets would seriously have to consider seeing what they could get from a player who has a chance to be an All-Star for years to come.

One final detail to trickle out of the NHL's 300-page Friday collective-bargaining proposal may just send a 7.0 earthquake of sudden surprise rippling through two major hockey cities.

Hours after many of the proposal's key points hit the airwaves, news broke that the CBA, if accepted, would switch the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2013-14 season.

Talk within NHL of flipping Winnipeg and Columbus for this year only pending future realignment...

— Larry Brooks(@NYP_Brooksie) December 28, 2012

For Clarification: There's No thought of Realignment for shortened 2013season. Plan is to be in full effect for October 2013. #Jetsineast

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) December 29, 2012

The Jets would move from the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division to occupy the former Blue Jackets' spot in the Western Conference's Central Division, joining Chicago, Detroit, Nashville and St. Louis.

Meanwhile, Columbus would take the Jets' Southeast Division place alongside Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Washington.

Winnipeg was stuck in the Southeast for the 2011-12 season after the team relocated from Atlanta the previous summer.

If the realignment goes through, the Jets are in store for a fantastic travel reduction in 2013-14.

Given the NHL schedule format of three road games per season against division opponents and two road games against conference opponents, the Jets traveled approximately 106,000 miles (including there-and-back distances) within the conference.

With a switch to the West, Winnipeg would travel only 81,000 miles to visit conference opponents—25,000 fewer miles than before.

Flip would allow Jets to play road games in own time zone @motherofason

— Larry Brooks(@NYP_Brooksie) December 29, 2012

Interestingly enough, however, Columbus' travel would actually be reduced even more by the change.

To face conference opponents, the Blue Jackets had to travel 82,000 miles round-trip while in the West, but they would need to traverse only 39,000 if in the East—a 43,000-mile drop.

On the other hand, competitive balance could be a minor concern.

Columbus posted a league-worst record of 29-46-7 in 2011-12 and would be joining a Southeast Division that scored the fewest points, as a whole, of any division last season.

Conversely, Winnipeg would be joining a Central Division that, had the Jets been a member in 2011-12, would have been only one point below the best division in the NHL (the Atlantic).

A Winnipeg for Columbus swap would be interesting, in that both teams would very likely finish last in either division either way.

— The Hockey Hitman(@TheHockeyHitman) December 29, 2012

As the next few days sizzle with anticipation and anxiety over the NHL's latest proposal, Winnipeg and Columbus' swap will certainly garner its fair share of attention. Expect Detroit, Dallas and Nashville to all raise a fuss over the Blue Jackets' selection to shift conferences.

Regardless of the sure-to-be-fiery debate, though, it's important to remember:

Of course, if the NHL and NHLPA don't settle on a CBA, Winnipeg and Columbus will be playing on the golf course with the other 28 teams.

— Ted Starkey (@TedStarkey) December 28, 2012

Mark Jones has been a Bleacher Report featured columnist since 2009. He has written more than 440 articles and received over 775,000 reads. 

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Leave Evander Kane alone. And the rest of the locked out players, too, while you are at it.

I read just about any blog on hockey that I can and typically even force myself to read the first 25 or 30 comments on each story to try and get a pulse on what other fans are thinking. Just like everyone else, I generally just roll my eyes, laugh, shrug, click a few thumbs ups and thumbs down and then go on my merry little way.

But the vitriol that has been flung at Kane since posting a photo of himself with fat stacks of cash on Twitter while in Las Vegas is madness.

To me, this isn't about what the NHLPA and NHL are currently fighting over. In most accounts, we see that the PA is fighting for a few measly percentage points of the pie and wonder why the players just can't suck it up. Fair enough, despite the fact that each percentage point represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in player salaries.

In refusing to buckle on those numbers, though, some seem to view the players as the greedy ones here. Again, fair enough, I guess. At this point, both sides look like crooks to me.

Yet somehow, through all of this mess, not only have players lost money—both to the lockout itself and the concessions it has made to the NHL during negotiations—but they have lost the right to do what they want with the money that they do have.

I read a story earlier in the week about a particular player buying a new car, and the comments sections were again flooded with the "if you can buy a new car, why can't you end the lockout" logic. But these people—most people, it seems—are totally missing a big point here.

This isn't a player strike. This is a league lockout.

The players didn't walk out on their teams, and they are not the ones holding owners hostage. The players are ready to play. They Are ready to come back and help revive the downtown areas that are currently suffering because there is no NHL hockey.

At the negotiation table, it seems to be the blind leading the blind, sure. But why all the outrage toward players who are spending the money that they have earned?

Kane's contract was extended on the eve of the lockout, and as far as I could tell, Winnipeg Jets fans were relieved that they were retaining their rising, young star. We all saw the numbers. We all have access to these things via capgeek or other sources.

Kane signed on the dotted line for $31.5 million over six years.

So I'll ask a frank question: What the hell else do you think a guy with this much money does with it? These people don't train their lives away and give up what they give up to not make that kind of cash.

Professional athletes make a lot of money. Why people continue to be surprised by this is beyond me. Perhaps it is just a general reflection of our aggravated middle-class culture responding to money in general. "He plays a game!" we say. "I deliver the mail! The country would shut down without me!"

If you think about it, however, guys like E. Kane and Patrick Kane are just extensions of their idiotic owners and GMs who, for the life of themselves, can't keep themselves out of hot water when it comes to over-spending on contracts.

What, you would turn down the huge kinds of deals that the players sign every year? You're not fooling anyone if you say you would, except maybe for yourself. So why fault the players for having the money that they were offered?

And more importantly, why fault them for trying to keep it?

Let's say your boss walks in and says he needs to cut 10 percent of your salary for the good of the company, to save the company roughly 10 days after giving you a performance-based raise. You're telling me you'd lay it down, no questions asked? No fight whatsoever? That you wouldn't immediately pull up Monster.com and start looking for a new place of employment?

A lot of people in the United States are unemployed right now and don't have two pennies to rub together. I understand that. But these players and their contracts have absolutely nothing to do with that. It's a logical fallacy to aim the disappointments and disillusions of your own lives toward guys that have made it to the level that Kane has.

People tend to flaunt what they have. Log onto your Facebook right now and tomorrow (Christmas Day here in the United States) you will see nothing but pictures of new Kindle Fires and iPods and computers—things that people were given for Christmas. I'm not saying that it's right. I'm just saying that your best friend from college or girlfriend do the exact same things.

This is just what people do.

So why the hate for Evander Kane?

Was the photo a bit on the tone-deaf side? Absolutely. Would I have advised against the post? Sure.

But the next time you find yourself seething at the players for having this money, despite the lockout being over money, remember the one key thing.

This is a lockout. It is not a strike.