Habs Spoil Jets Return With 5-1 Win

It was the biggest night in recent Winnipeg sports history as well as for Canadian hockey in a long time.

But the most storied franchise in hockey history came out with the win.

Mike Cammalleri opened the scoring for Montreal with his first of the season at 3:05 of the first frame.

Tomas Plekanec made it 2-0 with the lone tally in the second period.

Nikolai Antropov would score the first goal in new Winnipeg Jets history when he knocked home a loose puck in a goal-mouth scramble in front of Carey Price 2:27 into the third period to narrow the score to 2-1.

However, Yannick Weber restored Montreal's two goal lead on a 5-on-3 powerplay goal at 4:51 and Travis Moen and Max Pacioretty added the insurance as the Jets fell 5-1 to the Canadiens to set their record at 0-1 to start the season.

Despite the loss, the 15,004 at the MTS Centre Sunday afternoon gave the home team a standing ovation during the final minute of the game and as they made their way off the ice without a salute.

The Jets outshot the Canadiens by a 31-22 margin; if it were not for Carey Price the game may have been different for the Jets as they were not able to get enough traffic in front of the Habs netminder.

Tobias Enstrom led in ice time for the Jets, playing 25:23, while Zach Bogosian played 22:58, and Dustin Byfuglien 21:26.

Rookie Mark Scheifele logged 13:44 of ice time while centering Kyle Wellwood and Evander Kane on the Jets second line.

The line of Antropov-Alexander Burmistrov-Brett MacLean ended the game with an even rating despite scoring the Jets lone goal.

Byfuglien and Kane led the Jets with four shots a piece.

Johnny Oduya finished the night as a -3, while Bryan Little, Jim Slater, Blake Wheeler, and Byfuglien finished the night with -2 ratings.

Despite outshooting the Canadiens 14-6 in the third period, the Jets were outscored 3-1.

The Jets now go on the road to face the 2010 Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday and then travel to Phoenix to meet the former Jets on Saturday.

Next home game is Monday, October 17th when the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins invade the MTS Centre.

Jets Remain True To Past; Recall Former AHLer Mick E. Moose To Be Jets Mascot

It would be crazy to think the Winnipeg Jets would veer in any other direction other than to support their past.

Once again, the Jets honoured the past that got them back into the NHL by naming former AHL Manitoba Moose mascot Mick E. Moose as their mascot.

Mick E. Moose is a fan favourite in Winnipeg since he appeared as the Moose mascot beginning in the 1996-97 IHL season for the Moose.

Now revamped out in Jets blue and grey, Mick E. Moose will continue to be a fan favourite in Winnipeg, a true tip of the Jets cap to their Winnipeg hockey past.

Jets brass also got their first look at newly acquired forward Brett MacLean Friday as they prepare for Sunday night's home opener.

MacLean didn't disappoint, scoring a goal in an inter-squad game.

Jets Add Scoring Touch With MacLean, Send Cormier Down For Seasoning

For a team that had trouble scoring goals last season, the addition of Brett MacLean via the waiver wire is what Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is hoping will solve that problem.

MacLean, a former 30 goal scorer in the AHL and a two-time 100+ point producer in junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals, MacLean has been described as a pure offensive threat.

Selected 32nd overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the now 22 year-old MacLean has had only 13 games of NHL experience with his former team, the Phoenix Coyotes, scoring two goals and adding an assist in those games.

In three seasons in the AHL, one of them cut short because of a call-up, MacLean posted over 21 goals, including 30 goals in 2009-10, to go along with 35 assists.

MacLean will likely be in Jets blue come Sunday afternoon.

As for Patrice Cormier, the former 54th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he will be starting the season with the St. John's Ice Caps of the AHL to season his game.

As Cormier has only played 63 games in the past two seasons between his junior suspension, injury and his time between the Chicago Wolves and the Atlanta Thrashers, Jets management want the young centreman to have some time playing.

With the Ice Caps, Cormier will have a leading role offensively. And he can contribute offensively, having scored 51 points (23 goals, 28 assists) in his second last junior season, and he was scoring at a point per game until his suspension in his final junior season in 2009-19.

If injuries persist in the Jets lineup, Cormier may be the first to get the call to come back to Winnipeg.

As for now, the Jets are hoping MacLean will be the answer and he can form into a full-time NHLer.