Onrdrej Pavelec's Five-Year Deal Cements Jets Core Players Want To Stay

Pavelec signed a 5-year deal worth $3.9 annually.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

As TSN 1290's Hustler & Lawless interviewed Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff Monday afternoon mere hours after signing the Jets undisputed number one goalie in Ondrej Pavelec, there was a sense that maybe the Jets have something really good going on here in Winnipeg.

For the Jets, who were seemingly deep in a hole after Pavelec was offered a one-year contract to play in the Kontinental Hockey League at a price tag north of $5 million, they have seemed to rebounded in good timing and locked up their budding goalie.

But once the deal was reportedly off the table from the KHL, it was apparent that both Pavelec and agent Allen Walsh had lost a bargaining chip to help them get a contract with larger dolllar figures.

However, it is Pavelec's reaction to signing the five-year deal that is interesting and very hopeful for both Jets brass and fans.

"That's all I was looking for, to stay in a city you like."

"They have great fans there and I always said I like Winnipeg.  It's behind me now and I'm just looking forward to success in Winnipeg." (Winnipeg Free Press, 06/25/2012)

Coming off a career season, in which he posted a career high in wins with 29, the Jets not only got a slight pay raise at $3.9 million annually, but is looking to ramp up his play and improve his less than stellar 2.91 goals against average and .906 save percentage.

But Pavelec's decision to stick in Winnipeg as the number one goalie must prove a significant point that the Jets seem to be going about matters and dealings with their players in a professional and caring way.

During the days of True North's ownership of the Manitoba Moose, there were certain core players that seemed to stick around year to year, including Jason Jaffray, Mike Keane, Nolan Baumgartner, and now a member of the Jets player development squad Jimmy Roy.

It's no secret that True North, including Mark Chipman, Craig Heisinger, and Kevin Cheveldayoff, continue to breed a culture that makes their players, whether top or bottom of the barrel, welcome in Winnipeg infused with a want to play here.

Pavelec's signing cements the idea that he wants to play in Winnipeg.

Ondrej Pavelec posted a 29-28-9 record in 2011-12.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

He did not file for arbitration nor outright refuse the contract.

Pavelec wanted to play in Winnipeg and made sure it got done sooner rather than later.

As a core player, his signing is significant because of the other qualifying offers Cheveldayoff has handed out.

As was with Andrew Ladd last summer and now Jim Slater and Ondrej Pavelec this summer, Jets fans and pundits alike will not have to wait long for additional signings to come around, including another core player in Evander Kane.

One thing is for sure, if he signs, see that he will say he wants to stay in Winnipeg.

Slater Follows Ladd's Example; Signs Three-Year, $4.8 Million Deal

Jim Slater resigns for three years at $4.8 million.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

 As Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd did last summer by signing to a five-year, $22.5 million deal on July 5th of last summer, gritty centre and Jets faceoff specialist Jim Slater followed suit this off-season.

Slater signed a three-year, $4.8 million deal to remain a Winnipeg Jet as he becomes the first unrestricted free agent the Jets have locked up in the 2012 off-season.

Making an average of $1.6 million a year for the next three years, Slater endeared himself to Jets fans for his hard work ethic, his role as a pivotal faceoff man, and his community work, which included visiting various Winnipeg workplaces and having a try at other careers.

Not only is Slater always been with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, but he is the only remaining player who has played in all four playoff games for the franchise.

He also earned this contract with his play and his regular presence in the Jets lineup as he suited up for a career high 78 games in 2011-12 after having multiple injury problems that set him on the shelf for games at a time during his stint in Atlanta.

Slater was the centre to the Jets GST line.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

In those 78 games, Slater collected 13 goals and 21 points, both career highs to go along with 42 penalty minutes.

In addition (and somewhat unbeknownst to many Jets fans), Slater is the Jets nominee for the 2011-12 Bill Masterton Trophy.

He has been nominated for the 2011-12 King Clancy Memorial Award for the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice while making significant contributions humanitarian contributions in the community.

And to top it off, he is also nominated for the 2011-12 NHL Foundation Award for the player who applies the values of hockey - commitment, perseverance, and teamwork - to enrich the lives of people in his community.

As the longest serving player in the franchise, Slater has created a sense of identity for the new Jets club for being hard working and never giving up.

As was the situation last summer with Andrew Ladd signing in Winnipeg, Slater's signing bodes other teammates who are either unrestricted or restricted, to come back and make the team better and continue the development they made during their inaugural year in Winnipeg.

Jets Off Season Needs & Wants Part 1

As a former Canadiens fan of the late 1990s and early 200s, I know what early April usually brings - watching other teams play in the playoffs instead of my favourites playing themselves.

Now as a newly converted Jets fan this season, the whole rigamarole starts over again (although the Habs did finish worse than the Jets) but it's not exactly the same as with my former team.

The Jets - albeit young and needing depth - are on the up slope to becoming a better team and the organizational philosophies that Kevin Cheveldayoff has installed in the Jets organization can begin to take root more effectively with the good graces coming down from owners Mark Chipman and David Thomson.

This meaning the Jets will not over pursue any big name free agents in an attempt to find the quick fix solution to the Jets finishing eight points out of the playoff picture.

Let's assess the Jets needs and the possible wants they could also be looking for to shore up the roster for the 2012-13 regular season.


Need #1: First Line Centre
This is in no way directed as a hit against Bryan Little, the Jets default first line centre this season. Little's goal output rebounded above the 20 goal plateau this season after it dipped to a career low 13 in 2009-10 and only bettered itself to 18 last season in Atlanta.

With 24 goals as a first line centre, Little ranks tied for 13th in centres for goals along with the likes of Eric Staal, David Backes, and Mike Fisher. That's some good company when it comes to the goal scoring department, but Little's meager 22 assists was a drop from 30 a year before which kicked Little out of the top 30 in points by centres altogether.

What the Jets need is a centre who can score 20-30 goals a season and be responsible for being the setup man for his wingers as well. To be brutally honest, the combination of Little centring Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler is not a first line on any other NHL team. But that just points out the fact the Jets have some depth issues going forward.

If the first line is to be a force, Bryan Little cannot be that first line centre. Little should be counted on as a second line centre and play the role of secondary scoring in years to come, but as for now, he is making due with the situation he has been handed and shown improvement this past season.


Want #1: A 50 Goal Scorer
I've heard many Jets fans on either Twitter or my own friends who obsess over the team that we should make a bold move for possible pending free agent Zach Parise.

"Why not?" they ask, "He's a 50 goal scorer waiting to happen," after which they salivate over the possibility of Parise and Kane together on the Jets first line.

Let's stop that drooling for a minute and look at this with brutal honesty.

Firstly, Parise is currently in a playoff run with the Devils as they face off against the Florida Panthers. Who's to say he would want to come to a team that is trying to make the playoffs versus a team he is already on - and captaining - that is a legitimate playoff team every season?

Secondly, how much will Parise demand if he was to go to a non-playoff team to be a catalyst for building a winner? The Jets do have alot of cap room, but is it worth the risk? The Jersey captain made $6 million this past season on a one-year deal only to get himself into becoming an unrestricted free agent, so chances are he is looking north of $6 million as a payday.

And thirdly, Parise - though a very tantalizingly great thought of dawning a Jets jersey - is not a viable option for Jets management if they wish to continue the route they are on. Of course, if Parise does get to July 1st without signing back with the Devils, the Jets should undoubtedly go after him, but they will not be alone and possibly not one of the teams willing to go north of $6 million.


Need #2: Stronger Back End Defensemen
Lately, I've also heard alot of chatter on Twitter about the possibility and the need to trade top end defensemen Tobias Enstrom. As a big fan of Enstrom, I was not sure why fans would even consider it.

Enstrom was an All-Star defenseman last season - though he didn't play due to injury - and he was also hurt for significant stretches during the season and seemed to be caught up in the hype of the NHL's return to Winnipeg.

Though his points per game decreased from his last two season in Atlanta, Enstrom is only due for a rebound in 2012-13. Despite size issues, his first pass and deft stick handling make him a defenseman that any other team would jump at to get a puck moving defenseman.

That moves me to telling fans - let's not worry about our top defensemen, but our secondary defensmen. The likes of Ron Hainsey, Mark Stuart, Mark Flood, and others.

It wouldn't be an overly big surprise to see Randy Jones not re-signed and the Mark Flood situation is tentatively odd and perplexing at best.

Mark Stuart is a shot blocking expert and heart and soul guy, while Zach Bogosian continues to improve every game, and Grant Clitsome has found a niche in Winnipeg though his defensive play could use some work at times.

As for Hainsey, the Jets could do better. Much, much better.

Despite Hainsey's +9 being second on the team behind leading goal scorer Evander Kane, Hainsey's point production dropped immensely from 19 points a year ago to only 10 assists this season and his stock continues to drop the past three seasons after a career year in 2008-09 - his first in Atlanta.

Injuries did plague Hainsey, but his inconsistent play was the biggest weakness on the Jets back end. Granted, Hainsey was not the only Jets defender with problems in his own zone, but his veteran play did not equal up to his paycheck that he has been receiving - $5 million this season with $3 million on the way next season.

If the Jets could deal Hainsey out of the lineup, his $4.5 million cap hit would free up room to get a steadier, more reliable fifth or sixth defenseman that could cost in the range of $1-$2.5 million and be more responsible in the Jets end - a desperately needed thing for such a young club.


Want #2: Top 5 Pick
I'm not entirely sure what's going through my mind as I write this second and final want for now.

The Jets already have a top 10 pick, but what if they were able to trade up for a top 5 pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft?

Last season, taking Mark Scheifele seventh overall proved to be a decent pick, although eighth overall pick Sean Couturier is lighting it up with the Philadelphia Flyers this season.

But what if the Jets could have the likes of a Nail Yakupov or a Mikhail Grigorenko on their team? Or even an Alex Galchenyuk on the team?

It would cost the team dearly, but may be worth it. With the Jets depth on the back end, there could be a possibility to trade up in the draft, especially since the Oilers hold the first overall pick and are in desperate need for defensive help. Could a Ron Hainsey along with a few prospects and picks work? My first reaction is: No.

I've heard ideas tossed around about shipping Enstrom to Edmonton and getting the pick or others but not the likes of Byfuglien, Bogosian, or Stuart or even Paul Postma or Zach Redmond.

But with the two latter young, AHL All-Star talents upcoming from the playoff bound St. John's Ice Caps what would the Jets be losing if they were to trade an Enstrom or a Hainsey for a very NHL ready Yakupov?

Yet again, Yakupov has expressed his want and excitement to play in Edmonton should he be picked first overall by the Oilers. (Marcy Di Michele, The Hockey Writers, 04/17/2012)

Interesting idea, but still a want.

Jets All Out 2011-12 Point Prediction Recap: Forwards

As did back in early October, I made out a list of point projections for the 2011-12 campaign based on the players past experiences, point productions, and the change of scenery coming from not-so-crazy-about-hockey Atlanta to hockey mad Winnipeg.

First were the forwards, followed by the defensemen and goaltenders. In analysis of the projections are the initial predicitions (marked in italics) and the actual end of season stats (marked in bold) and then the difference in each category (if player has more than projected, it is marked as a +).

Let's see how I did..

#26 Blake Wheeler [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 80 GP, 23 G, 30 A, 55 PTS, 56 PIMs, +11
2011-12 Actual Stats: 80 GP, 17 G, 47 A, 64 PTS, 55 PIMs, +3
Difference: Goals (-6), Assists (+17), Points (+9), PIMs (-1), +/- (-8)


#9 Evander Kane [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 79 GP, 26 G, 33 A, 59 PTS, 70 PIMs, +7
2011-12 Actual Stats: 74 GP, 30 G, 27 A, 57 PTS, 53 PIMs, +11
Difference: Goals (+4), Assists (-6), Points (-2), PIMs (-17), +/- (+4)


#16 Andrew Ladd [Left Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 81 GP, 31 G, 29 A, 60 PTS, 44 PIMs, +4
2011-12 Actual Stats: 82 GP, 28 G, 22 A, 50 PTS, 64 PIMs, -8
Difference: Goals (-3), Assists (-7), Points (-10), PIMs (+20), +/- (-12)


#13 Kyle Wellwood [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 68 GP, 10 G, 20 A, 30 PTS, 10 PIMs, -2
2011-12 Actual Stats: 77 GP, 18 G, 29 A, 47 PTS, 4 PIMs, +3
Difference: Goals (+8), Assists (+9), Points (+17), PIMs (-6), +/- (+5)


#18 Bryan Little [Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 80 GP, 27 G, 35 A, 62 PTS, 40 PIMs, +15
2011-12 Actual Stats: 74 GP, 24 G, 22 A, 46 PTS, 26 PIMs, -11
Difference: Goals (-3), Assists (-13), Points (-16), PIMs (-14), +/- (-26)


#80 Nik Antropov [Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 74 GP, 19 G, 31 A, 50 PTS, 50 PIMs, +2
2011-12 Actual Stats: 69 GP, 15 G, 20 A, 35 PTS, 42 PIMs, 0
Difference: Goals (-4), Assists (-11), Points (-15), PIMs (-8), +/- (-2)


#8 Alex Burmistrov [Centre/Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 77 GP, 20 G, 21 A, 41 PTS, 28 PIMs, +3
2011-12 Actual Stats: 76 GP, 13 G, 15 A, 28 PTS, 42 PIMs, +4
Difference: Goals (-7), Assists (-6), Points (-13), PIMs (+14), +/- (+1)


#14 Tim Stapleton [Right Wing/Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 60 GP, 9 G, 12 A, 21 PTS, 16 PIMs, -4
2011-12 Actual Stats: 63 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 27 PTS, 10 PIMs, -2
Difference: Goals (+2), Assists (+4), Points (+6), PIMs (-6), +/- (+2)


#19 Jim Slater [Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 78 GP, 11 G, 12 A, 23 PTS, 22 PIMs, +1
2011-12 Actual Stats: 78 GP, 13 G, 8 A, 21 PTS, 42 PIMs, -9
Difference: Goals (+2), Assists (-4), Points (-2), PIMs (+20), +/- (-10)


#15 Tanner Glass [Left Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 78 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 PTS, 92 PIMs, -3
2011-12 Actual Stats: 78 GP, 5 G, 11 A, 16 PTS, 73 PIMs, -12
Difference: Goals (0), Assists (+3), Points (+3), PIMs (-19), +/- (-9)


#22 Chris Thorburn [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 82 GP, 10 G, 11 A, 21 PTS, 85 PIMs, -1
2011-12 Actual Stats: 72 GP, 4 G, 7 A, 11 PTS, 83 PIMs, -6
Difference: Goals (-6), Assists (-4), Points (-10), PIMs (-2), +/- (-5)


#17 Eric Fehr [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 40 GP, 11 G, 14 A, 25 PTS, 14 PIMs, +10
2011-12 Actual Stats: 35 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS, 12 PIMs, -6
Difference: Goals (-9), Assists (-13), Points (-21), PIMs (-2), +/- (-16)


Throughout the season, I didn't manage to quip back to these projections much but I did see some shortcomings that would eventually make the predictions come up short.

First of all, Eric Fehr's injury plagued season did more than keep him out of the lineup - it kept his point production at a career low - even when he was playing junior hockey. To say that 2011-12 was Fehr's worst season ever would be a good approximation of his play. But to his disadvantage, he was injured when traded from Washington. It is unclear whether the Jets will risk taking him on again if he can begin a season completely healthy and ready to go from day one. However, it may be unlikely as he did have a stretch of healthy games where he did not produce either.

Other shortcomings were overestimating Alex Burmistrov's year, as he progressed into his sophomore season. Believing he would find the goal scorers touch, the young Russian found scoring early in the year (enough for me to pick him up in my fantasy pool for a stretch), but the reverted into playing a more two-way game as the year progressed - possibly because of the emergence of Kyle Wellwood's play - another shortcoming.

Wellwood exceeded expectations of all Jets fans and if the Jets are to resign him it will come at a price. The speedy and versatile forward set career highs in points (47) and tied his career high in goals (18) while pitching in 10 power play points on the secondary unit. It was Wellwood's versatility and hockey sense that gave way to a big boost from predictions in Evander Kane.

Kane's third season proved to be a breakout one - but the best is still yet to come I believe. Kane surpassed career highs in goals (30), assists (27), points (57), power play goals (6), power play points (10), and game winning goals (4). He was also a team high +11 rating at season's end. Despite a rough start and possible off ice happenings that led to a concussion in the early part of 2012, Kane is one of the key cogs in the Jets this season as is Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler rejoined Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd on the Jets top line and had a career year as well playing the role of power forward as best as anyone else in the league. The Minnesotan's career highs came in assists (47), points (64), power play goals (6), power play points (15), shots on goal (208), and hits (113). Add to that Bryan Little resurfaced as a 20 goal scorer and Ladd followed his 29 goal season a year ago in Atlanta with 28 goals and the top line produced the majority of the Jets offense between them.

To complete the evaluation of my 2011-12 point projections for the forwards, the Jets have alot of room to make up for offensive production as their top point producer finished tied for 41st in the league in points - and every other NHL team except Columbus, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, and Colorado had a leading scorer with more points - including non-playoff teams such as Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Carolina, and Montreal.

Confidence & Consistency Reforming Jets Lineup

With his 15th goal on the season last night, Blake Wheeler extended his career point total to 54 - good enough to tie him for 33rd in league scoring.

Maybe it's not that significant that Wheeler is 33rd in the league, but the fact that he is tied with the likes of Corey Perry (33 goals, 21 assists) and Henrik Zetterberg (15 goals, 39 assists) puts him into some very highly esteemed company (not to mention Wheeler's 39 assists is good enough for 12th place tie with Martin St. Louis, Ray Whitney, Eric Staal, and Zetterberg)

Even if he stumbles in an interview with TSN's Sara Orlesky after the game, Wheeler has shown on-ice maturity that has started to take hold in the Jets room.

"I like the fact we didn’t get demoralized when we gave up a goal with thirty-five (35) seconds left in the second period." Claude Noel said in his post-game press conference last night.

"That was good. We were very resilient coming back into the third period and just playing." (Winnipeg Free Press, 03/05/2012)

Ask any Jet earlier in the season what the room and mood was like after a late period goal or any late deflating goal and the answer would probably be more negative than positive.

Not to be outdone, the maturity reforming the Jets lineup has let to consistency.

Now to take the consistency out onto the road.

"We did a great job of taking advantage of this homestand." stated Bryan Little, who collected three assists Monday night.

"We did a great job of getting points we needed. We didn’t play easy teams. Tonight was an especially hard game and we found a way to get the two points. Hopefully we can take that on the road with us." (Winnipeg Free Press, 03/05/2012)

Handfuls of Jets are having career seasons - showing the maturing process first hand.

Evander Kane has posted a career high in goals so far with 26, Wheeler keeps on adding to his career year point total, while Dustin Byfuglien is operating around a .80 point per game clip this season.

Not to be outdone, Andrew Ladd is showing that last year's 29 goals was not a mistake, Ondrej Pavelec has been solid with a career year in wins, and Little is finally showing signs of the player who scored 31 goals three seasons ago.

"They did a really good job of pouring everything into the game and to me it's evident, the passion that they are playing with and we're getting rewarded for that." commented Noel about the Jets resurgence in the third period and throughout the latter half of the season. (WinnipegJets.com, 03/05/2012)

As for the recent young teams to capture Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh and Chicago, the growing years were the most painful - as evidenced in Atlanta.

Now, in Winnipeg, in their first year in the MTS Centre, that youth and raw skill is slowly turning into confidence and consistency that shows great signs and paths for the future.

Jets Trade Deadline Wishlist: Goal Scorers

Friday night's 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers was the prime exhibit of the problem that plagues the Winnipeg Jets this season: scoring goals.

It's been obvious for a while that the Jets have troubles finding the back of the net.

This same team last year did only have two 20 goal scorers in Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd (and only Ladd may get back to that 20 goal mark) and didn't really have any impressive showings of offensive production in years to come.

Last season, as the Thrashers, the team scored 223 goals while allowing 269, a difference of -46, which ranked fourth worst in goals for/goals against ratios behind Edmonton, Colorado, and Ottawa.

This season, the ratio is much improved, but still lacking.

The Jets are -18 when it comes to their goals for/goals against ratio with 129 goals for and 147 against. They rank sixth worst in their ratio and rank 22nd in the league for goals for.

While they have scored more goals than playoff teams such as St. Louis (125) and Los Angeles (114), the Jets find themselves still needing a perennial 30+ goal scorer to make them a real contender and push the ratio into the positive numbers.

At season's start, Evander Kane was looked upon as that man. But now on the shelf, the Jets have to rely on a semi-consistent Andrew Ladd (16 goals), Bryan Little (12 goals) who went on a 14 game goalless drought until last night, team leader in points Blake Wheeler (10 goals), and an inconsistent Kyle Wellwood (10 goals).

Compared to teams in their division, the Jets do not stack up well.

Washington has seven 10+ goal scorers as of February 4 - including Alex Ovechkin at 20, Troy Brouwer at 15, and Jason Chimera at 14.

Tampa Bay has five 10+ goal scorers, one of whom is Steven Stamkos with 33 along with Vincent Lecavalier at 19, while Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell both have 13.

Florida has four 10+ goal scorers, with Kris Versteeg leading the way with 20, Tomas Fleischmann has 16, while Stephen Weiss and Jason Garrison has 13.

Even Carolina has six 10+ goal scorers in Tuomo Rutuu (16), Jeff Skinner (14), Eric Staal (12), and Brandon Sutter (12) to name a few.

The fact that the Jets had only three players with more than 10 goals before their win in Tampa Bay speaks to the dire and immediate need for offense.

Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Mason have been the reasons the Jets are still over .500 and hunting for a playoff spot.

For the trade deadline, of course, all Jets fans want the team to make a move for a goal scorer, but at what cost?

Patience is a necessity for the young Jets and though the wishlist is short, it may take an even longer time before Winnipeg gets another Teemu Selanne, who can put the puck in the net night in and night out.

Lightning Doesn't Strike MTS Centre

Call it what you will, but the Winnipeg Jets brought their "A" game to the hangar on Monday night against a very difficult and stingy opponent.

At the end of the night, they had their sixth win of the season and two points in the bag.

The best part of the game was not the fact that the Jets had goals from five different players, but that it was a complete 60 minute effort from start to finish.

As a sort of reward, the Jets Skills Competition added to a seemingly relaxed and calmed team - a team that has finally shown what it is capable of on it's best days.

To that point is the emergence and necessity of a good game via defenseman Dustin Byfuglien.

Without his "A" game, the Jets are not a good team.

With it, they are almost unstoppable.

Every team has that lightning rod that sparks the offense and drives a team to win and the Jets lighting rod is #33 on the blueline.

The upstart of Evander Kane, who leads the team with six goals this season - the sixth one coming Monday night - is another positive step.

Watching the Skills Competition gave fans and possibly coaches and players a possibility to take a step back and really see what we have here in Winnipeg.

The Jets have a young core that needs to stay intact for the long haul if they are to be competitive.

This is a team of the future, not the present (as of yet), and the fans and organization is and must continue to treat the team as such.

From Kane, Bryan Little, and Byfuglien to Alexander Burmistrov, Andrew Ladd, Zach Bogosian, and Ondrej Pavelec, this team has the essentials to create a winning franchise that is capable of winning in the season and the playoffs once there.

Experience and leadership comes from the likes of Ladd and Byfulgien (two Stanley Cup rings), while the speed, skill, and size comes from the crew supporting the rest - Bogosian, Burmistrov, Little, etc.

If the Skills Competition showed Jets fans and brass anything it's this: We have one good hockey team.


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Fall To Lowly Jackets

The Winnipeg Jets' struggles continue as they fell to the lowliest team in the NHL as Ryan Johansen, a healthy scratch for their last game, scored twice as the Jets lost 2-1.

Mark Stuart responded with the only tally for the Jets shorthanded for his second with under five minutes left.

Despite the 36 shots on goal by the Jets, none could make it past Steve Mason.

Evander Kane led the team in shots with five, while Alexander Burmistrov had four.

Dustin Byfuglien led the team in ice time with 26:19, Zach Bogosian had 25:41 of ice time, Bryan Little had 20:45, Andrew Ladd had 20:36, and Nik Antropov had 20:16.

The Jets power play went 0-for-5 on the night while losing the faceoff battle and the hitting game.

Ondrej Pavelec stopped 25 of 27 shots on the night.

Jets play next on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning at home.


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Fall Flat Back At Home To Panthers 5-2

It was another former Chicago Blackhawk that had the big night on the scoresheet Thursday night at MTS Centre as the Florida Panthers came into Winnipeg and took two points away from the hometown Jets.

Kris Versteeg scored the game's opening two goals and added an empty netter for his first hat trick of his NHL career as the Panthers came away with a 5-2 victory when it was all said and done.

The game featured a number of players from the now dismantled 2010 Stanley Cup champions, including Jets captain Andrew Ladd, Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, Panthers forwards Tomas Kopecky and Versteeg, as well as Panther defenseman Brian Campbell.

Also scoring for the road team was Jason Garrison and Mike Santorelli.

On the board for the hometown Jets were Tim Stapleton with his first as a Jet on the power play and Andrew Ladd with his fourth of the campaign.

The Panthers had leads of 2-0 after one and 4-0 after two before the Jets forced their way back into the game in the third with two quick goals by Stapleton and Ladd in the first six minutes of the final frame.

Ondrej Pavelec made eleven saves on 15 shots and was sat for the final frame as Peter Mannino made his Jets debut, stopping all four shots he faced in the third period.

The Jets outshot the Panthers in the final period by a 17-4 margin, but Jose Theodore ended up stopping 25 of 27 on the night for the win.

The Panthers went two-for-five on the powerplay while the Jets went one-for-three on the man advantage.

Mark Stuart was the only Jet who finished with a plus rating (plus one) over 18:16 of ice time.

Dustin Byfuglien logged 24:44 of ice time to lead the Jets. Zach Bogosian logged 24:22, Johnny Oduya logged 22:29, Alexander Burmistrov logged 19:46, and Evander Kane logged 18:55.

Bryan Little was excellent in the faceoff circle, winning 15 of 20 draws on the night, while Jim Slater won seven of fourteen and Burmistrov won eight of fifteen.

Slater had a game high six shots on net, while Byfuglien had four.

The Jets now go back on the road for a meeting with the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets and former Jet and Jacket head coach Scott Arniel Saturday night.


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Return Home After Confidence Building Road Trip

Not only did Bryan Little finally bulge the twine or Ondrej Pavelec collect his first shutout, but the Winnipeg Jets were able to have a winning record on the road trip (3-2-2) and collect eight out of a possible 14 points.

Another positive from the Jets two week road trip are the emergence of Mark Flood as he fills in for the indefinitely injured Tobias Enstrom.

It seems that once Ron Hainsey, Derek Meech, and Randy Jones are back and healthy, Flood may become the seventh defensemen, if the Jets decide to continue with seven with Enstrom on the shelf.

Flood has far outshone the other two defensive call ups - Brett Festerling and Paul Postma - collecting three points (two goals, one assist) and registering a plus two rating in the latter four games of the road trip.

In Buffalo, the Charlottetown, PEI native logged 17:00 minutes of ice time and was up to 19:44 in New Jersey two games prior.

Festerling, on the other hand, has been held pointless in four games, with an even rating and has seen his ice time drop since he logged 19:05 on Long Island to around the 10:00 mark of ice time in the previous two games.

The Jets finally saw some production from their "supposed" top line of Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, and Andrew Ladd - albeit on the final game of the trip.

But nonetheless, Little finally marked himself onto the scoresheets, now it's Wheeler's turn. Once all three are firing into the net, goals may come easier for the team as they have scored 40 goals to the 51 they have allowed.

Despite the minus eleven differential between goals for and goals against, the Jets have massively improved since the start, which saw them outscored in their first three games by a combined score of 13-5, which accounts for eight of the minus eleven against the Jets.

Improvement in net has been huge to on the road trip as Pavelec recorded very solid numbers as the road trip progressed. And some can say that they saw the huge 6-5 overtime loss on Tuesday coming because of Pavelec's seventh consecutive start.

Throughout the road trip, Pavelec managed to have a 3-2-2 record with a 3.22 goals against average and a 0.916 save percentage.

Take away the blowout win in Philadelphia at the start of the trip, Pavelec is 2-2-2 with a 2.40 goals against average and a 0.929 save percentage.

Looking at the numbers, their number one netminder has been coming into his own, especially during the road swing, and has put the inconsistent play of October behind him.

Now if the Jets defense is healthy and playing well in front of him and the offense is firing on all cylinders heading into the latter part of November, the Jets could be a dark horse team in the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference.

Now the Jets look to improve possibly their worst stat - their home record.

So far this season, the Jets have played an NHL low four games at home.

Time to shake the dust and rust off the MTS Centre as the Jets prepare for a Thursday night meeting with the Florida Panthers - game time is 7:30 PM in downtown Winnipeg.

Good news for the team is, they play 17 of their next 23 games at home, including two stretches - one of five games from October 29th (vs. Ottawa) until December 9th (vs. Carolina) and one of six games from December 13th (vs. Minnesota) until December 23rd (vs. Pittsburgh).

The Jets longest homestand of the season won't be around until late February/early March, when they are at home for eight consecutive games, starting on February 17th against the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

With their next few games coming at home, there are a number of very important inter-divisional matchups that could shape the second half of the Jets season.

First up is the Thursday game against Florida, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning coming to town on November 14th and the Washington Capitals on November 17th.

Two inter-dividional road games follow in Washington (November 23rd) and Carolina (November 25th) followed by two home games against Carolina (December 9th) and Washington (December 15th).

In their next 16 games, the Jets play a Southeast Division opponent seven times.


Photos Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Shoot Down Panthers in Shootout 4-3

The Winnipeg Jets squeaked out a thriller of a win Monday night in Florida on Halloween night no less.

Andrew Ladd and Kyle Wellwood would both score in the shootout en route to a 4-3 win for the Jets, their fourth of the season and first in a shootout this year.

With the shootout win, they better their shootout record to 1-1.

Despite the win, the Jets lost defenseman Tobias Enstrom due to a vicious check by Jack Skille on a play in the boards. Dustin Byfuglien tried to settle the score.

Later on in the game, captain Andrew Ladd dropped the flippers with Skille looking to send a message to both Skille and the Panther teams.

Evander Kane came out with his first two goal performance of the season, scoring his third and fourth goals of the season.

The Jets would have a 2-0 lead slip away from them and were able to tie the game late on Kane's second goal with 50 seconds left in the third period.

Wellwood also had a big night, scoring his team leading fifth of the season and added his third assist.

Zach Bogosian also was in on the scoring, collecting two assists while leading the team with 26:42 of ice time, and a +2 rating.

The top line of Ladd-Wellwood-Bryan Little was a combined +2 on the night. Little won eleven of 20 faceoffs on the night.

Ondrej Pavelec was a monster, stopping 39 of 42 shots during the regulation and overtime periods. He stopped both Kris Versteeg and Mike Santorelli in the shootout to help the Jets win in the shootout.


Sources & Photos:
Yahoo! Sports

Game #11: Jets @ Panthers

Winnipeg Jets fans hope that Halloween won't scare away a win as the Jets (3-6-1) take on the upstart Florida Panthers (6-4-0) in another Southeast Divisional matchup at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

The Jets still only have one win on the road - a 9-8 shootout with the Philadelphia Flyers last week - and they are also at a 1-1 record versus divisional opponents.

Last year's Atlanta version of the Jets went 6-6-8 versus Southeast Division teams last year, including a 4-1-1 record against the Panthers last season.

The Panthers are coached by rookie head coach and former NHLer of 1188 games Kevin Dineen. Dineen stepped into the role of head coach after spending five season as head coach of the AHL's Portland Pirates - a team that never missed the playoffs with Dineen behind the bench.

Claude Noel is likely to start with Ondrej Pavelec in goal for the Jets again after a 26 save performance in the Jets 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Pavelec redeemed himself after allowing those seven goals on 43 shots against the Flyers last Thursday.

For the season, Pavelec's stats are not stellar - a 3.75 goals against average combined with a .876 save percentage.

However, during his career, the young goalie is 4-1-0 with a 2.04 goals against average against Florida, including a 3-0-0 mark in Sunrise. With October finally ending tonight, the Jets starter may finally be getting back on track after a slow October start.

Though Alexander Burmistrov had his six game point streak snapped Saturday night, the young Russian still co-leads the Jets in points with nine in ten games.

He and Nik Antropov are still showing great chemistry early in the season. Along with Evander Kane, they have unofficially become the Jets second line and have been much more effective and successful thus far this season than the Jets top line of Blake Wheeler-Bryan Little-Andrew Ladd.

Jets are still without the services of defenseman Ron Hainsey and forward Eric Fehr, who is slowly on his way to recovery.

Fehr's timetable for return is starting to open up as he was originally speculated to be back in late November/early December at the very earliest.

The 6'4 winger's return would be a welcome addition to the offense, as Fehr is a former 20 goal scorer in Washington, but struggled mightily with injuries the past two seasons.

Game time is 6:30 PM CT and available on TSN Jets and Fox Sports Florida.


Sources & Pictures

Yahoo! Sports

Jets A Model of Inconsistency

One night the Winnipeg Jets were able to outscore the highly talented Philadelphia Flyers 9-8 in an old school, gun-slinggin' shootout in the city of brotherly love.

Last night, that same Jets team managed 28 shots against Dwayne Roloson and the Tampa Bay Lightning and could not find the net behind him.

Did the southern Florida sun get to the Jets?

One big positive is the Jets let in only one goal.

One big negative is that the Jets managed to score enough goals to win Saturday night's game 4 times over the game before and thus were out of offensive muscle.

However, 28 shots isn't anything to spit at.

Evander Kane had a glorious chance on a partial breakaway, only to see Roloson rob Kane with his right pad - on the goal line no less.

And give Ondrej Pavelec his due. After letting in seven goals on 43 shots against the Flyers, only one goal on 27 shots is a good bounce back game.

Saturday night's game was not Pavelec's fault - this time.

But with a season 3.75 goals against average, Pavelec has been the leader in the model of inconsistency.

In four games out of the eight games he has played in, his goals against average has been above 4.00. In only three has his goals against average been under 3.00.

Inconsistency follows us up front to the likes of Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler, and Andrew Ladd - and through Kane in the mix for good measure.

Nothing against their known offensive prowess and skills, but these four players are the core of the Jets offensive machine and they have, for the most part, being firing blanks.

Thank goodness for Nik Antropov and Alexander Burmistrov - both just under point per game players this season.

Pointing out the inconsistent players may show cause for concern that they will get going eventually - but when that eventually finally occurs is anyone's guess.

A model of inconsistency has finally finished its first month back in the NHL in Winnipeg.

Let's hope for the opposite of that in November.


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

When Football & Hockey Collide

Last night in Philadelphia, the much maligned in the scoring department Winnipeg Jets had no problem scoring goals.

Their problem was they had more troubles keeping it out of their own net.

When everything was said and done, all four goalies were used and one of them was used twice and eventually got the win.

Ondrej Pavelec got to finish what he started in the Jets 9-8 win Thursday night and perhaps it was for the better of his ego.

If his ego could be shot anymore that it was after he allowed

Once again, the Jets found that their defense is young and still has some major flaws - as in blatant giveaways in the high slot and lazy defensive zone coverage around their own net.

And another four goal lead was squandered, however, luckily this time the offense was on board and provided some timely and quick goals to regain leads.

The Jets had leads of 5-1, 6-2, 8-7, and finally 9-8.

Biggest disappointment of the night was letting the Flyers back into the game with a 6-2 lead mid way through the second period.

Both teams answered the other team with five unanswered goals in the game - the Jets did it from 10:01 of the first to 4:39 of the second, while the Flyers did it from 14:11 of the second to 3:02 of the third.

Not only that, both teams combined for five goals in the first 4:31 of the third - the Flyers scoring three, the Jets two.

And wouldn't you know it, the winner comes with 1:06 left as captain Andrew Ladd wins it and ironically scores it against the goalie who said that Winnipeg was a terrible place to play, raise a family, and do anything at all in.

Pretty good night if you like scoring.

Terrible night if you're a goalie coach like Wade Flaherty.

Actually, I thought Pavelec looked alot like Flaherty. And not the Manitoba Moose Flaherty, but the NHL Flaherty who didn't have that much success.

And that is what happens when a hockey game starts and a football game breaks out.

The Blue Bombers got a touchdown, missed the convert but made up with a field goal, while the Eagles had to settle for a field goal and a rogue.

Let's hope that for the last six games of this road trip, the offense is still there and the goaltending can catch up.


Photo Couresty of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets 9, Flyers 8

A combined 17 goals on Thursday night led to not only a franchise record in goals combined in a game, but the Jets got the last laugh in their first road win of the season.

After Scott Hartnell put the Flyers on top finishing off a pretty passing play by Jaromir Jagr at 4:10 of the first, Blake Wheeler's shot from the high slot bounced off defenseman Randy Jones and fooled Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Three minutes later, the Jets worked the cycle down low and Jim Slater worked himself free in the high slot and he received a pass from the corner and one-timed the puck by Bobrovsky for a 2-1 Jets lead. It would be Slater's fourth goal of the season.

With under two minutes left in the opening frame, with the Jets power play winding down, Tobias Enstrom's point shot was deflected in front by Kyle Wellwood as the puck again fooled Bobrovsky for a 3-1 Jets lead after one period of play.

The goal was Wellwood's fourth of the season.

With the top line being split up for most of the game, the Jets would find more offense from their fourth line as Tanner Glass would deflect another Enstrom point shot to make it a 4-1 Jets lead at 3:39.

Exactly one minute later, Nik Antropov would find himself all alone off a power play faceoff to put home his third of the season.

The Flyers would get back a bit in the second on a 5-on-3 power play advantage as Claude Giroux would score his sixth of the season at 6:25.

On their third power play of the night, the Jets would capitalize as Evander Kane was the recipient on a beautiful play by Nik Antropov in tight for his second of the season. Alexander Burmistrov would pick up the other assist.

As the period went along, the Flyers would find some life as they inched their way back into the game as Danny Briere would score his third of the season at 14:11 on a deflection in front to make it 6-3.

Max Talbot would make it 6-4 at 16:41 on an odd bounce that made it's way off his equipment and behind Pavelec.

Briere would make it 6-5 quickly into the third period as he put home his second over a sprawling Pavelec.

Matt Reid would tie the game 6-6 which would spell the end of the night for Pavelec as he allowed six goals on 36 shots.

James Van Riemsdyk would put the Flyers back on top for the first time since they were up 1-0 to make it 7-6.

Alexander Burmistrov would keep the high scoring game going as he would beat Bryzgalov in tight off another great feed by Antropov to tie the game 7-7 with his third of the season. The Flyers would enjoy the lead for 28 seconds.

Mark Stuart would score his first in a Jets uniform squeaking the puck past Bryzgalov at 4:31 to regain the Jets lead 8-7.

The first five goals of the third period were scored in the first 4:31 of the period.

The Jets would score eight goals on their first 22 shots. Despite replacing Pavelec mid way through the game, Mason would be replaced again by Pavelec due to groin issues.

With under five minute left, James Van Riemsdyk would score his second of the game to tie the game 8-8.

The Jets would take the pressure to the Flyers in their zone late and Blake Wheleer would set up Andrew Ladd in the slot to make it 9-8 Jets with 1:06 left in the third.

The clock would run out as the Jets win their first game on the road in a wild one 9-8.


Photos Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Game #8: Jets vs. Rangers

Winnipeg Jets (2-4-1) vs. New York Rangers (2-2-2)
Monday, October 24, 2011
MTS Centre 7:30 PM CT
TV: TSN-Jets, MSG
Radio: TSN 1290 (Winnipeg)

So far in 2011-12, the Jets have had the upper hand on home ice.

After a 5-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night, the Jets improved their record at the MTS Centre to 2-1-0. In those three games, the Jets have been outscored 8-9, but have seen increases in their offensive output last week.

After scoring only five goals in the first three games, the Jets had 11 goals in their last four games. While giving up 12 at the same time, the Jets have found their go-to offensive players throughout the first two weeks of the season.

Sophomore Alexander Burmistrov leads the team with six points (two goals, four assists) through the first seven games, while Kyle Wellwood (five points), Nik Antropov (five points), and Tobias Enstrom (four points) have all been great surprises chipping in on offense.

Saturday night saw Evander Kane notch his first goal as a Jet as he has had a rough start, with a -3 rating through six games. Also figuring into the scoring was captain Andrew Ladd with his second of the season and Jim Slater, who has also been a surprise offensively, with three goals in six games.

The Jets will need more out of their top line of Blake Wheeler-Bryan Little-Ladd however tonight if they are to beat the Rangers and their quick transition game.

Wheeler has only two assists in seven games, while Little has only one assist in seven games. Both are minus players as well.

According to Jets head coach Claude Noel, he may be giving Chris Mason the benefit of the doubt when it comes to starts coming up after he held the fort as the Jets came back Saturday night.

However, according to Yahoo! Sports, Ondrej Pavelec has an impressive 2-0-1 record against the Rangers with a 1.30 goals against average while Mason is 3-0-0 with a 2.46 goals against average.

May the best goalie win, but as for now, look for Mason to get the nod after his eighteen save performance against Carolina in his first win as a Jet on the weekend.

Monday night will be the first game we will not see Mark Scheifele in the lineup as the Jets sent him back to the Barrie Colts of the OHL. Scheifele had one goal through seven games.

Game is available on TSN-Jets and the MSG Network in New York.


Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Down 'Canes 5-3

It was another slow start for the Jets, but this time, they followed it up with a more than strong finish.

Propelled by five unanswered goals between the second half of the first period and the entire second period, the Jets won their second game in a row on home ice 5-3 over their divisional rivals the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night.

The Jets and starter Ondrej Pavelec found themselves down 2-0 very quickly on a weak first goal by Jussi Jokinen and then another goal by Jeff Skinner prompting head coach Claude Noel to shake things up.

Chris Mason would relieve Pavelec not even seven minutes into the game, as Pavelec allowed two goals on the first five Carolina shots.

Alexander Burmistrov would get the Jets on the board with a highlight reel power play goal that found the roof of the net on Carolina starter Brian Boucher's glove side.

With time running out in the first period, Kyle Wellwood found the puck at the side of the net with under a second remaining to tie the game after one period 2-2.

In the second, the Jets would continue to pressure Carolina. After outshooting them 13-6 in the first period, the Jets would only get six shots at Boucher in the second but half of their shots made their way to the back of the Hurricanes net.

Jim Slater would net his third of the season from Tanner Glass, as Slater would wrist a shot past Boucher's shoulder for a 3-2 Jets lead.

Nearly two minutes later, captain Andrew Ladd would score his second on a weird bounce off the board that he took a swipe at near the blueline. The puck fooled Boucher and found the back of the net to give the Jets a 4-2 lead.

Evander Kane would make it 5-2 at 7:30 of the third when he finally potted his first of the season from in tight, being the recipient of the great work by Nik Antropov behind the net.

The 'Canes would respond with a goal midway through the third period, but the damage was done as the Jets came away with a 5-3 victory giving them a 2-4-1 record, good enough for five points on the season.

Chris Mason stopped 18 of 19 shots after replacing Pavelec and was honoured with the first star selection.

Antropov, Zach Bogosian, and Wellwood would finish the night with two points apiece.

Antropov was seven of 13 in the faceoff circle, while Bryan Little was 12 of 18, Slater was three of six, and Maxwell was seven of eight.

Mark Scheifele played only nine shifts for 7:21 of ice time. It seems he may only be playing nine games this season for sure now.

Tobias Enstrom led the Jets in shots with five and ice time playing 27:12. Dustin Byfuglien played 23:39, Bogosian 20:56, Oduya 20:17, Little 20:05, and Ladd 20:03.

Despite being banged up from the Senators game Thursday, Ladd's goal would stand up as the winner. In addition to his goal and 20:03 of ice time, Ladd had three shots, three hits, and won all three faceoffs he took during his 23 shifts.

Jets now prepare for the New York Rangers Monday night.

Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Game #4: Jets vs. Pens

Winnipeg Jets (0-3-0) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (3-1-2)
Monday, October 17, 2011
MTS Centre 7:30 PM CT
TV: TSN Jets, ROOT(HD)
Radio: TSN 1290
After a road trip that saw the Winnipeg Jets fall 4-3 and 4-1 in Chicago and Phoenix respectively, the team now returns home for a rare home game in the first two months of the season when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at MTS Centre.

The Jets are coming off that loss in Glendale where Andrew Ladd scored the lone tally - his first of the season - and the team, once again, was hemmed in their own zone for the majority of the game.

To make matters worse, consistency has been an issue for the young Jets, who were setback 34 seconds into Saturday night's game only to have three power plays on which they did not cash in on after the Coyotes opening goal.

Head coach Claude Noel took apart the Jets top line of Andrew Ladd-Bryan Little-Blake Wheeler last game and inserted rookie Mark Scheifele between Ladd and Wheeler.

The newly created line had the Jets only goal.

Little still remains pointless this season, with a -4 rating so far.

"We had a lot of build-up before the season, being excited about being back in Winnipeg and all that, and I think maybe the hockey got overshadowed a little bit and we’re kind of finding out the hard way right now." Claude Noel told the Winnipeg Free Press' Tim Campbell.

"Obviously there are all the turnovers and then there's big shifts in every game -- after goals, first shift of the game, first shift of the period -- that we need to be stronger at and better at." Jets captain Andrew Ladd told Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Now the Jets prepare to face the Pittsburgh Penguins, who started the season with a string of Western Canadian home openers, winning the ones in Vancouver and Calgary before losing to Edmonton in a shootout.

So far, the Sidney Crosby-less Penguins have been led by winger James Neal, who has five goals and one assist in six games, and Kris Letang who has one goal and five assists in six games.

The Penguins lost their Saturday night tilt to the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 and will head to Minnesota to play the Wild on Tuesday night following the game at MTS Centre.

You can watch the game on TSN-Jets with Dennis Beyak in Canada and on ROOT in the US.

The game is also available on TSN 1290 in Winnipeg with Brian Munz and Shane Hnidy.

Coyotes Score Early, Often; Down Jets 4-1

Once again, the Winnipeg Jets came up on the wrong end of a home opener.

This time, it was the home opener of the team that was formerly the Winnipeg Jets.

It didn't take long for the Phoenix Coyotes to get on the board, as former Calgary Flame Daymond Langkow found the back of the net only 34 seconds into the game.

To make matters worse, Oliver Ekman-Larsson found the back of the net nine minutes later to put the 'Yotes up 2-0 after one.

Larsson would add his second of the game and third of the season with under five to play in the second before captain Andrew Ladd would respond with his first of the season with 19 seconds left to play in the period from Tobias Enstrom and Blake Wheeler.

But Ray Whitney would dash the Jets hope of a comeback with a power play goal at 6:43 of the third period as the 'Yotes cruised to a 4-1 win in their home opener.

Not only are the Jets now 0-3 to start the season, but two of those losses have been at home openers, in Winnipeg and now Phoenix.

Chris Mason started the game, allowing four goals on 34 shots.

Mark Scheifele saw his ice time increase from Thursday night in Chicago, playing 16:22 and ending the game as a +1, having been paired with Ladd and Wheeler.

Randy Jones, who was in the lineup for Johnny Oduya was an awful -3 on the night, not making anything better as the Jets sixth defenseman.

Dustin Byfuglien, who was Jones' partner, was also a -3, which has him now at an even rating so far this season. He was +2 Thursday in Chicago.

Bryan Little was taken away from Ladd and Wheeler and found himself ending the night as a -2.

Byfuglien led the team in ice time with 23:24, Enstrom had 23:08, and Ron Hainsey had 22:17.

Zach Bogosian had a alright night, with 19:25 of ice time, five hits, four blocked shots during 22 shifts.

The Jets now come back home for a Monday night tilt against the still Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins

Game #2: Jets @ Hawks

Winnipeg Jets (0-1-0) @ Chicago Blackhawks (1-1-0)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
United Centre 7:30 PM CT
TV: TSN, TSN-Jets, CSN-Chicago
Radio: TSN 1290
After a four day layoff, the Jets are back in action against the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks at the Madhouse on Madison Thursday night.

The Blackhawks have started their season splitting their first two games with the Dallas Stars, losing 2-1 on October 7th and then winning their home opener 5-2 the following day.

Both teams are coming off a long layover between games as the 'Hawks last game was Saturday's win and the Jets last game was their 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in their home opener.

For Jets captain Andrew Ladd and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, it's a homecoming of sorts as they return to the United Center for the first time since they helped Chicago win the 2010 Stanley Cup.

Due to salary cap issues, both were dealt soon after the 'Hawks won the Cup to the Jets franchise and are now two of the big cornerstones of the Jets.

This will also be the first time Winnipegger Jonathan Toews will play against his hometown team in his career. Also born or raised in Winnipeg are 'Hawks forward Patrick Sharp and defenseman Duncan Keith, who will also be in the lineup for Chicago.

No lineup changes are expected for the Jets from their home opener on Sunday, but look for both teams to have some jump as they have both had long layoffs between games.

Game time is 7:30 PM CT and is available on TV in Canada on TSN and TSN-Jets and on CSN-Chicago in the US. The game is also available on radio on TSN 1290 (Winnipeg) in Canada and WGN 720 (Chicago) in the US.