How Far Away Are The Jets?

One year in the NHL could be all the difference for the Jets.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Ask yourself: How far away are the Winnipeg Jets to being a contender?

Or even a playoff team?

The Hockey News recently ranked the Jets to finish second last in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of another young, talented hockey team from Long Island.

But is that really the standard we should look forward to this season?

With the re-signing of Ondrej Pavelec and Toby Enstrom long term, Jets management has made that committment to making sure players who want to stay do stay and for a long term.

For both Pavelec and Enstrom, they cited the fans, organization, and present situation as something positive that made it attractive to re-sign in Winnipeg.

Not only can that be a positive for the Jets with their own players, but what about other players looking in from the outside?

Would this feeling of wanting to stay because something great may be building up at MTS Centre draw other big name free agents in summers to come?

Players talk, and likely with Winnipeg having a year under their belt back in the NHL, players will be talking to those involved - i.e. Enstrom and Pavelec.

Signing Olli Jokinen and Alexei Ponikarovsky is the tip of the ice berg when it comes to talent that may don the polar blue jerseys at ice level.

Back to the question of how far away are the Jets?

They may be just a few text messages, phone calls, or face-to-face conversations that could likely make Winnipeg even closer to being a contender.

What Jets Management Doesn't Know Does Hurt

Ondrej Pavelec was charged with a DUI in the Czech Republic before signing a five year contract with Winnipeg.
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The signing of their undisputed number one netminder Ondrej Pavelec this off-season to a multi-year deal was the climax and biggest accomplishment of the first few weeks of the aptly named "Free Agent Frenzy" for the Winnipeg Jets and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

But what they didn't know occurred in Pavelec's personal life was what hurts the most.

Is Ondrej Pavelec the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde type?

Or did he have a serious lapse in judgement?

Having been written off as a lack of character for such a young man, Pavelec's reported DUI charge in his native Czech Republic has set off fires all over Winnipeg and the NHL.

But what matters most is - he was not entirely honest with his team, teammates, and fans.

For Jets owner and governor Mark Chipman, this does not sit well whatsoever.

Chipman's mandate throughout the duration of True North Sports & Entertainment's reign in Winnipeg has been accountability, respect, and honesty.

For Pavelec, he broke all three of Mr. Chipman's golden rules.

A. He did not hold himself accountable for his actions until much too late (after he signed a five year contract)

B. He lacked the respect of himself by driving while heavily intoxicated and therefore lacked respect for others that could be in harms way because of his actions.

C. And he did not fully disclose his actions until weeks after he signed his contract of which Mr. Chipman pays 100% of.

So - long story short - there is no reasonable assumption that can be made to say that Mark Chipman is not very happy with his start goalie.

The scene of a fatherly talk to Pavelec by Chipman may be stretching it a little too thin in this case.

Of course, Chipman's brand of hockey through True North has had a bit of a stain being cast upon it.

Last summer, it was incoming star Dustin Byfuglien with a DUI while boating, but that was a different situation entirely - the Jets players were not fully cemented into the community and Byfuglien had not freshly signed a new long-term contract.

The hockey world should not look any differently on the Jets franchise or True North whatsoever, since it was Pavelec and agent Allan Walsh who were so tight lipped about anything that my have happened until weeks later.

Assuming Walsh knew about Pavelec's behaviour, it would have indeed slowed negotiations, but it would have been for the better for both sides to have everything out front.

Once again - True North = accountability, respect, and honesty.

Ondrej Pavelec has apologized for his actions, but now he needs to put those words into actions.

And with True North, it's not the normal three strikes and you're out rule.

I'm thinking one more strike and things could look much different in the Jets net.

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.

The Case For Toby Enstrom

Toby Enstrom was a big part of Jets success, posting a +6 rating, one of only two dmen with a plus rating.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

It's been a relatively quiet off-season for the Winnipeg Jets and their players.

However, as the playoffs stretched along and the last regular season game lingered farther and farther behind in the minds of Jets fans, rumours started to swirl.

And, as any fan of any of the fourteen teams that could only watch other teams compete for the Stanley Cup, Winnipeg Jets fans have predicted what their team could bring come next season.

Including who should stay and who should go.

One of the main targets of this off-seaosn aside from the furor over the Ondrej Pavelec/KHL situation and the Evander Kane who-doesn't-want-to-play-in-Winnipeg rumour situation, Toby Enstrom has become the third and most interesting target for Jets fans and other teams.

As late as June 20th, Twitter has been abuzz with Enstrom rumours with various NHL team beat writers commenting on how Toby would fit into their lineup if he were dealt from the Jets for offensive help.

Edmonton Journal's Bruce McCurdy commented on Twitter that "size is a big knock against Enstrom" and that "to [him] Enstrom is a Lubo Visnovsky type.  Lots of room on [his] team for one of these." (@BruceMcCurdy, June 20)

Oilers Nation's Jonathan Willis cited Enstrom as the link between the Oilers and Jets getting a trade done to bring a puck moving defenseman to Edmonton and some scoring help to Winnipeg (Edmonton Journal, 06/19/2012).

The Hockey Writer's Jeff Mazur questioned whether the Jets should build with Enstrom or sell him and get more assets with his trade. (The Hockey Writers, 06/04/2012)

TSN 1290's Illegal Curve Hockey Show made an interesting point that "if you're not going to re-sign Enstrom after next season, then the draft is the place to deal him, at the latest.  The longer you hold on to him, the less you get back for him." (Illegal Curve Hockey, 04/03/2012)

Even the Winnipeg Sun's own Ken Wiebe asked the question if the Jets were willing to part ways with the Swedish defenseman (Winnipeg Sun, 05/31/2012)

Rumours swirled at the draft that the New York Islanders had even asked what they would need to give in terms of bringing Enstrom to Long Island.

While most of the earlier rumours swirling around Enstrom was, for the most part, fan-based and roused, I would like to state the case for the Jets keeping the seemingly undersized defenseman on their team.

Enstrom was picked to be an NHL All-Star in 2011 before injury.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Two years off an NHL All-Star invite while playing his fourth and final season in Atlanta, Enstrom was playing very consistent defense and was, again for the most part, a plus player on a very sub-par team.

Even though injury caused him to miss the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, Enstrom finished the season with 51 points (10 goals, 41 assists) in 72 games with a minus ten rating.

To add to his consistency factor, he appeared in all 82 games in his first three season with Atlanta, including his rookie year where he collected 38 points and was only a minus five.

In 318 games as a Thrasher, Enstrom was a combined -6, missing only ten games in his four seasons wearing a Thrasher jersey, while also contributing more than 32 points every season.

His play in Atlanta could be said to have crossed over into a Jets uniform last season, despite missing 20 games with various injuries, including a collarbone injury that forced him to miss much of the first half of the season after Halloween.

Here's the most important stat that can state the case for Enstrom, he had 33 points in 62 games, while being a plus six in 62 games.

His point per game clip fell from .607 in 2009-10 and .708 in 2010-11 to .532 in 2011-12, but he was one of only six regular Jet players who posted a plus rating.

Add to that he was only one of two Jets defenseman to post a plus rating (surprisingly Ron Hainsey was the other at plus nine), and the Jets should not even think of trading away Toby Enstrom - at least not yet.

Remember when the Tomas Kaberle trade speculations were racing around as every team supposedly needed a really good puck moving defenseman such as Kaberle?

In 380 games, Enstrom has 98 power play points.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

The Jets have Enstrom and Zach Bogosian, and to a lesser extent Dustin Byfuglien, as puck moving defenseman, but the skill and deftness that Enstrom possesses at his first pass and power play smarts.

Due to injury, Enstrom's power play numbers did drop off in 2011-12, where he had only 11 power play points (two goals, nine assists), but his power play numbers in Atlanta show he has the adept ability to be a power play quarterback.

Even in his rookie year, Enstrom collected four goals and 22 assists via the power play, while his best season came in 2010-11 where he netted six goals and added 22 assists with the man advantage.

In his 380 career games, of his 204 career points, Enstrom has 98 power play points, which accounts for almost half.

And for a Jets power play that fizzled out at times (mostly on the road, mind you), trading Enstrom away as a quarterback defenseman on the power play could hurt their power play and the entire team than help it.

As of right now, Enstrom is one year way from becoming an unrestricted free agent, so the Jets have time to make a deal or deal him away if they think they can make up the gap with him out of the lineup.

But if the Jets want to have continued success, the soon-to-be 28 year old Swede should stay in a Jets uniform unless the trade value is very, very high.

Sorting Out Jets 2012 Restricted Free Agents

The Jets major concern this off-season is resigning two top RFAs: Ondrej Pavelec and Evander Kane.
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 It's not a question of whether the Winnipeg Jets can sign their restricted free agents this off-season, but rather a question of if the negotiations are ongoing and productive.

Not nearly two weeks removed from the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup crowning and the Jets and their general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff find themselves in mucky waters when it comes to some of the restricted free agents.

Most notably two RFAs - Evander Kane and Ondrej Pavelec - are the two whom rumours and myths abound to which jersey they are going to wear next winter.

However, Cheveldayoff and the Jets brass have a deadline to meet as July 1st is coming quickly.

Let's sort out the restricted free agent market for the hometown Jets.

Available RFAs: Ondrej Pavelec (G), Paul Postma (D), Arturs Kulda (D), John Negrin (D), Brett Festerling (D), Eric Fehr (F), Michael Forney (F), Evander Kane (F), Spencer Machacek (F), Maxime Macinauer (F), Ben Maxwell (F), Fredrik Pettersson (F)

The Jets only 30 goal scorer was Kane in 2011-12.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

First and most important, let's sort out the Evander Kane RFA story.

Kane, coming off his first 30 goal season in the NHL, finally showed some of the potential that made him the fourth overall pick in 2009.

He reached career highs in goals (30), assists (27), and points (57), along with a +11 rating and 53 penalty minutes.

The fact that Kane only produced 69 points in his first 139 games in Atlanta, then posting 57 points in his 74 games this season in Winnipeg shows he has finally reached a spot where he can be a big game player.

However, his first season in Winnipeg was not all rainbows and unicorns.

Kane was rumoured to be a continual pest at some night club scenes across the city and was rumoured to have sustained a concussion by getting into a bar fight that had him out for a string of games in early January.

Despite the rumours or truths that abounded about Kane's social life in Winnipeg, the Jets are still keen and committed to locking up their only 30 goal scorer last season to a deal this summer.

Once again the rumours started swirling and were put immediately to rest by Kevin Cheveldayoff after TSN's Darren Dreger announced this week that preliminary talks have started between Kane's agent Craig Oster and the Jets brass. (TSN.ca, 6/20/2012)

Kane's size and speed are deadly for the Jets offense.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

For a team that had problems scoring at times and a lack of depth up front, Kane's resigning is the most important to the team's offense moving forward.

On the back end, the RFA story of Ondrej Pavelec is even more complicated.

In the Winnipeg Free Press yesterday, Gary Lawless reported that the set price for resigning the Jets young goalie, who will turn 25 in August.

According to Lawless, the KHL offer is slated for one year at a rate above the $5 million mark.

For Pavelec, the range was for a four-year deal in the $4 million range.

For Lawless, the Jets must have had a lower number in mind or the deal would have been signed already. (Russian Offer Puts Space Between Pavs, Jets, Winnipeg Free Press, 6/20/2012)

Pavelec assumed the starters role in 2011-12.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

The rumours of Pavelec's apparent departure to the Kontinental Hockey League has raged all month long and continues to be the hottest topic for Jets fans and reporters as Pavelec's future with the Jets may be muddier than at first suspected.

His 2011-12 season was a career season in many regards, including games played (68), wins (29), saves (1845), and minutes played (3932).

His 29-28-9 record is - at best - a mediocre record.

Compared statswise to other goalies in the NHL from the past season and Pavelec - the Jets MVP - does not stacked up well at all.

Pavelec ranked 66th in goals against average with his extremely high 2.91 goals against - which put him rankwise behind many backup goalies including Mathieu Garon (2.85), Ray Emery (2.81), Josh Harding (2.62), Jason LaBarbera (2.54), and Martin Biron (2.46) just to name a few.

Is Pavelec then the goalie the Jets want in their net?

Granted, it is Pavelec's first full season as the unrivalled number one goalie in an NHL crease.

Despite mediocre numbers, Pav is a fan favourite in Winnipeg
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

But for the Jets to sign him and make it worth it, Pavelec has to show he can improve his technique - which at times was sporadic and unorthodox - and his numbers consequently.

After the big two free agents slip off the market, the RFA pool is downplayed a bit more.

Eric Fehr, who was acquired in a trade from the Washington Capitals last summer, was projected to be the hometown hero, who would be the 20 goal scorer on a second or third line.

Fehr's season, however, was tumultuous and sporadic and he never stuck in the lineup for any long period of time.

In 35 games this season, Fehr notched only two goals and one assist a far cry from his 39 points (21 goals, 18 assists) two seasons ago in Washington.

Injuries hampered his season and the poor performance he did put in this season has put a definite hamper on his return to the Jets lineup.

If Fehr is re-signed (which is highly unlikely) it will be to battle for a spot and for an NHL veteran of 265 NHL games, he would rather test the market.

Two other players who made their way in and out of the lineup this season included Ben Maxwell and Spencer Machacek.

Maxwell was traded halfway through the season before being picked back up by the Jets via waivers late in the season.

Originally traded to the Thrashers as part of the Brent Sopel deal in 2011, Maxwell dressed in nine games for the Jets, collecting one goal and adding four assists with a plus three rating.

His prowess for being a playmaker in part of seasons in the the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs and more recently St. John's Ice Caps have earned him a right to compete for a job in Winnipeg.

Maxwell will likely be given at least a qualifying offer as the Jets will see if he can continue his gradual development after being a second round pick in 2006.

Spencer Machacek showed promise in limited time.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

As for Machacek, a third round pick in 2007, he found himself adorned to Jets fans late in the season with his high intensity play and his nose for the net.

In only 13 games with the Jets - primarily in a checking role - Machacek netted two goals and aided on seven along with seven penalty minutes and a plus eight rating.

Machacek's development has been gradual, which is a surprise in the former Atlanta system.  He has played in over 60 games in the AHL the past four seasons and has always collected 48 points or more.

He is a no-brainer to lock up for the Jets.

Two more no-brainers to lock up are defensemen Paul Postma and Arturs Kulda.

Kulda, who brilliantly filled in on defense in the early part of the season, has nine games in a Jets jersey under him, which included a plus three rating.

A seventh round pick in 2006, his style is more to the liking of a defensive defenseman with a good first pass and a smooth skating style.  His 20 points in 63 games in St. John's this season show he is well capable of mixing in some offense time and again.

Paul Postma continues to develop well in the AHL.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

As for offensive defensemen, Postma may have been a steal in the 2007 draft as he was the 205th pick in the seventh round as well.

His consistent progress to becoming an regular NHL defenseman took greater strides this season as he put up 44 points in 56 games in St. John's and dressed in three games (albeit much time spent on the bench) for the Jets.

His 2011-12 pre-season was also a good sign of things to come as he acquainted himself with Jets fans early alongside 2011 pick Mark Scheifele.

The Jets are extremely deep on defense, and Kulda and Postma are a big part of the Jets future on the blueline.

Others who had a strong showing in St. John's this past season include Maxime Macinauer, who was acquired in the trade for Maxwell, and defenseman Brett Festerling.

Macinauer played in 29 games for the Anaheim Ducks before the trade to the Jets and spent much of his time in St. John's as a checking centre not figuring in on the scoring much.

As for Festerling, he was a rock on the Ice Caps blueline.  In 50 games, he netted 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) and was a plus eight.

He also suited up for five games as a Jet early in the season, posting a minus one rating.

As for Festerling and Macinauer's resigning, it goes along the same paths as the other remaining restricted free agents - it all depends on the Jets need for development.

If there are spots that need to be opened for the likes of a Zach Yuen, Mark Scheifele, or an Ivan Telegin this coming season in St. John's, then the Jets may opt to not resign them.

Here are a brief look at the remaining RFAs:

John Negrin was acquired from the Calgary Flames organization later in the season and played in 14 games for the Ice Caps collecting three assists, but did not suit up in the playoffs.

A former third round pick in 2007, Negrin has only three games of NHL experience.

Michael Forney bounced between the Ice Caps, the ECHL's Colorado Eagles and was eventually loaned to the Texas Stars of the AHL for the remainder of the season.

In 53 games with the Eagles, Forney had 51 points (20 goals 31 assists) but with the Stars only two points in 11 games and no points in three games in St. John's.

Fredrik Pettersson returned to Swededn in 2011-12 after spending the 2010-11 season with the Chicago Wolves scoring 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 67 games.

A fifth round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2005, Pettersson just finished his season in Sweden with Vastra Frolunda HC of the Swedish Elite League posting 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 54 games along with an incredible plus 26 rating.

Sorting Out Jets 2012 Unrestricted Free Agents

Jets UFA's such as Tim Stapleton are up for debate on whether to return or not.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Who should stay and who should go?

NHL free agency is a trying to time for any club that can give an NHL General Manager enough stress to see a few more grey hairs appear year after year.

Hopefully, in the case of Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, his mane of brown hair still stays relatively the same, but he does have some rather large contracts to fill out before any Jets step onto the ice at the MTS Iceplex for training camp next September - and even if there is hockey next September.

But, as a relative optimist, let's just continue as if the hockey world intends to keep on spinning through to the 2012-13 season without anything as much as a hiccup.

Let's review the list of upcoming UFA's (unrestricted free agents) and RFA's (restricted free agents) that are on the Jets list this summer.

Available UFAs: Chris Mason (G), Peter Mannino (G), Mark Flood (D), Randy Jones (D), Derek Meech (D), Andrei Zubarev (D), Tanner Glass (F), Jason Jaffray (F), Kenndal McArdle (F), Jim Slater (F), Tim Stapleton (F), Kyle Wellwood (F)

First and foremost in this list has to be two of the three cogs in the very popular GST line - namely Tanner Glass and Jim Slater.

Both players made a huge name for themselves for their hard working attitude and both were rewarded for their hard play each by having career seasons.

Slater was the Jets #1 faceoff man in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Slater had career highs in points (21) and goals (13) while playing a career high 78 games centering the Jets fourth line (albeit used as a third line most nights).

He was also the Jets top faceoff man, finishing 20th in the NHL in faceoff winning percentage (55.0%), while also taking the majority of the Jets faceoffs while on the penalty kill (231) and being the only Jets centre to win more faceoffs than he lost.

Going forward, Slater's faceoff prowess is something the Jets desperately need.

For Glass, he finished with career highs in points (16) and goals (5) while also playing a career high 78 games after he came over via free agency fresh off a Game 7 loss with the Vancouver Canucks.

Gritty and hard working, Glass adds bite to the Jets lineup.
(Photo courtesy winnipegjets.com)

Glass' experience is invaluable and his lunch pail, hard work attitude did not go unnoticed as he far and away led the Jets in hits with 246 (48 more than Mark Stuart), finishing 10th in the league in that category.

For the 6'1, 210 lb forward form Regina, the rugged winger's style complemented the GST line so well that they were rarely ever separated throughout the season.

Jets fans can little forget when he played through a variety of small and big bumps and bruises during the season.  Glass became a fan favourite in Winnipeg very quickly - epitomizing what it is to be a Jet.

Scrolling down the list, certain support players raise interesting debates about the status of the team currently and whether all these players will return.

First off, Kyle Wellwood, who set a career high in points (47) and tied his career high in goals (18) while playing in 77 games and ending the season as a +3.

Wellwood had a career high 47 points in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Wellwood was a late addition to the Jets roster, but as the season wore on, he became a valuable member of the Jets second line, frequently playing alongside 30 goal scorer Evander Kane.

Not exactly a savvy veteran yet, his patience with the puck was a blessing and a curse at times, but his 47 points were good enough to place him in the top five in Jets scoring.

His output from the last year cannot be ignored and the Jets will need to reward Wellwood for a good season.

Tim Stapleton is in a similar situation.

Another former Toronto Maple Leaf system product at one time, he set career highs in goals (11), assists (16), and points (27), while playing a career high 63 games.

To add further to his repertoire this season, Stapleton, at times, quarterbacked the second power play unit, despite his 5'9, 180 lb stature.

For many hockey fans unknown to Stapleton, there is the argument that he was never given a chance and that he would not fit into any other lineup in the NHL because of a) his size and b) his skill set.

For the Jets, however, his size and skill set were nothing to be worried about.  Up front, the Jets are one of the bigger teams in the league and are able to adapt to his size, which is the least of anyone's worries.

As for his skill set, Jets fans should be happy that Stapleton is a Jet, for he possesses a similar skill set to Wellwood - a sometimes deceiving playmaker, but one who will shoot more and has a very quick shot.

If the Jets can overlook his size and focus on his skill set, he should be a Jet again.

For Jason Jaffray, the road to the NHL got easier when the Jets returned and fans in Winnipeg were more than happy to see him skate on MTS Centre ice with an NHL jersey on rather than an AHL jersey on.

About to turn 31 on June 30, Jaffray enjoyed a great bounceback season after only playing six regular season games and 14 playoff games with the Moose last season due to injury

Jaffray, who began the season as captain of the newly minted St. John's Ice Caps (his old team renamed), Jaffray was called up due to injuries and appeared in 13 games for the Jets, netting one assist and seven penalty minutes in the process.

In 47 regular season AHL games, Jaffray collected 17 goals and 21 assists but his season was cut short as he as sidelined with a neck injury and missed the Ice Caps run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

How he recovers from injury will likely tell if the Jets want to sign him or not.

Mason became Pavelec's mentor full-time in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

On the other hand, Chris Mason is a no brainer to resign.

Mason, the elder statesman on the Jets at 36, was 8-7-1 with a 2.59 goals against average and a .898 save percentage in 25 games this season as the Jets backup to now the undisputed number on Ondrej Pavelec.

His experience as starter with two other franchises will help him to mentor Pavelec further.

As for Randy Jones and Mark Flood, both were used sparingly this season, mostly whenever the Jets needed them with the absence of the top four defensemen.

Jones, who came to the Jets after spending his last three seasons with three different teams, played in 39 games, notching one goal and an assist with a +4 rating.

Relied more on for his defensive ability, Jones could be on his way out with the defensive depth the Jets have both on the big club and down in the AHL with youngsters Paul Postma and Zach Redmond on the rise.

Flood played a career high 33 games in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

The stock of Mark Flood's season will determine which of the two they keep, if they are willing to keep both Jones and Flood.

Flood, another ex-Moose the Jets signed, played in a career high 33 NHL games, collecting three goals and four assists along with a -1 rating and was a pleasant surprise, to say the least, in the Jets defensive corps.

Not expected to be much more than the top defenseman with the AHL Ice Caps, the Jets opted to use him alot during the season when they needed to and he delivered more than expected.

During the season, the Jets chose to keep Flood up with the parent club despite already having seven defensemen up and having picked up Grant Clitsome via trade.

For the Jets, having Flood as an UFA is a puzzling question to answer.  Will the Jets re-sign the 27 year old defensemen?  Or have another team give him a full time opportunity?

Flood may be the most interesting UFA of the group.

Rounding out the list of UFAs are a group of four players who are fringe players, at best, but have had their time with the Jets, save one.

First off, Peter Mannino played at all three professional levels this season - NHL, AHL, and ECHL.  The rise of rookie goalie Edward Pasquale as well as the arrival of ex-Avalanche/Canadiens goalie David Aebischer saw Mannino's prominence as number one goalie drop significantly.

Despite this, Mannino was called up to the big club during the season and played a scoreless third period of hockey, making four saves.

Mannino was not getting enough playing time in the AHL that he had a brief 22 game stint with the Chicago Express of the ECHL (going 10-8-4, 3.15 goals against, .899 save percentage) before being loaned to the Portland Pirates of the AHL for 15 games (going 8-6-1, 3.44 goals against, .895 save percentage).

With the rise of Pasquale - who went 23-12-1, 2.41 goals against, .911 save percentage - and the stability of Aebischer - who went 15-12-2, 2.86 goals against, .895 save percentage - the writing may be on the wall for Mannino if the Jets decide to re-up Aebischer as a farm goalie again.

Second off, Kenndal McArdle - who was also loaned to the Portland Pirates near season's end - had his time with the Jets, albeit short and sweet and not overly productive.

McArdle appeared in nine games for the Jets, registering no points, four penalty minutes, and a minus three rating.

In 35 games with the Ice Caps, McArdle registered only 12 points (seven goals, five assists) and was promptly loaned to Portland where he finished his season with six points in 19 games.

In retrospect, the deal last summer sending Angelo Esposito for McArdle was a bust.  McArdle was thrown around from situation to situation and sat out much of his time in Winnipeg, but his production was not what the Jets perhaps had in mind.

Third off, Derek Meech is an interesting prospect.

Having not played a full season with injury limiting any time he could have had cementing himself in a Jets uniform, Meech played only two games in Winnipeg and six games in St. John's before injuring his knee again.

Meech, however, did return for the Calder Cup Playoffs, as he was a large piece of the Ice Caps long run, collecting nine points (four goals, five assists) in 15 games.

The Jets will want to give Meech another fair chance to show why the Red Wings had him play 41 and 49 games respectively with them from 2008-2010.

Lastly, Andrei Zubarev played one game two years ago for the Thrashers (the last game of the season) after a semi-par season in the AHL (13 points in 51 games).

He jumped back to the KHL and should not expected to be part of the Jets plans moving forward.

If Nashville is the Benchmark For Jets, Fans Need Not Wait Too Long

As the Nashville Predators have made their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs second round for the second time in as many years, many of Jets reporters (Winnipeg Free Press' own Gary Lawless), pundits, and fans are looking to them to see what they will acheive.

Will they be able to do more than simply win one round and bow out?  Or will they rise to the occassion of a team that showed they were worthy of being a part of the last eight teams to play hockey in May?

Peering at the Predators roster, there are many players who are workhorses - players who are the backbone of the team. Players including All-Star captain and Norris Trophy candidate Shea Weber and defensive partner Ryan Suter along with others such as Mike Fisher, Martin Erat, and others. And not to forget the Predators MVP - their goalie - Pekka Rinne.

Organizational philosophy aside, the Predators makeup over the past 13 seasons has been one that has been ever evolving and ever growing. Names that have been through the Nashville lineup through the draft include the likes of Scott Hartnell, Dan Hamhuis, Cody Franson, and Scott Upshall as well as current Predators Weber, Suter, Rinne, Kevin Klein, David Legwand, Colin Wilson, and up-and-coming offensive defenseman Ryan Ellis.

Point in case: the Predators have built their team through the draft, not through free agency - a similar approach that Jets General Manger Kevin Cheveldayoff seems to be employing quite strictly.

As the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs were the first true post-season success for the Nashville franchise (13 seasons into existence), the team had thirteen full-time players who were Predator draft picks.

It is slow, successful progressions towards success that has made the Predators a model franchise as they are also a very low budget team.

According to nhlnumbers.com, Nashville has the fifth lowest payroll in the NHL through the 2011-12 season (Winnipeg is the sixth lowest) and were one of four teams in the bottom ten of league payroll to make the playoffs (Florida, Phoenix, and Ottawa the others).

What Nashville has different from Florida is the makeup of their team is mainly draft picks while Phoenix and Ottawa could be seen as similar situations to Nashville, but without the slow progress into success as both franchises have seen ebbs and flows of success having been around much longer. 

Another thing that stands out from the Nashville model is Winnipeg bred Barry Trotz - the only head coach in Predators history.

Trotz, an unassuming and humble coach who demands the most out of his players, has seen his success not only climb in his 13 season behind the bench, but has seen how to build a winner from the ground up.

His input into the team's success over his tenure has been essential to the maturation of those draft picks that the organization has given him to help along.

In his 13 season as head coach, he has only had five losing seasons (the first five from 1998-99 to 2002-03) and has not seen his winning percentage in a season dip below .537 (in 2008-09 the only season the Preds did not make the playoffs since 2002-03).

Translating into the Winnipeg situation - there are the similarities from Nashville to take into Winnipeg's current lineup.

Seven full time players in the Jets lineup this season are Atlanta/Winnipeg draft picks including Evander Kane, Ondrej Pavelec, Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian, and Bryan Little.

Despite the quick transition over the summer from Atlanta to Winnipeg, the Jets have not made any big moves to bring in any big names to bolster any part of their lineups - but have made trades that addressed needs they may need down the road.

All in all, both franchises have not gone for the classic "band-aid solution" when it comes to equipping their core group of players for a long Stanley Cup run.

You will never see either franchise going after a Marian Hossa type deadline deal to bolster their lineup.

If winning is going to happen in Nashville or Winnipeg, it will start and ultimately end with the players that have been drafted, matured, and successful within the system.

And thanks to poor finishes in their 11 seasons in Atlanta, the Jets have a solid foundation of young talent highlighted by names above and by pieces frugally added to the lineup that are still early in their careers and luckily already with Stanley Cup experience - namely Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.

Unlike Trotz, the Jets ownership had a prior history with the head coach before the season started. But not unlike Trotz, Claude Noel is being looked to to be the coach that helps to mature the Bryan Little's and Evander Kane's of the Jets young core.

Noel's longevity will depend on his ability to have a Trotzesque type of coaching style - calm, quiet, and patient. If the 2011-12 season was any indication, Noel is well on his way as of now.

If Nashville is the benchmark for the Jets, then Jets fans need not worry.

And if they're lucky, it won't take 13 years.

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.

Division Lead In Sight, But Not So Fast

Winnipeg Jets fans are in the midst of something that has happened to the majority of Canadian NHL teams in the past 20 years - they're in the middle of a playoff run that has as much possibility of the team making the playoffs as it does them not making the post season.

Having covered and watched the Montreal Canadiens before the return of the Jets, I know very well how playoff runs that come down to the wire can go - sometimes great as when the Canadiens finished sixth last season and sometimes not so great as when the Canadiens were bounced out of the playoffs with a loss to rival Toronto in their last game of the season in 2006-07.

As any hockey fan of any team that lives on the periphery of the playoff picture year in and year out - excluding Detroit for the last 20 years, Vancouver the last 10 years, and Pittsburgh the last five years - it is nerve wracking to even watch a single game because so much hangs in the balance.

For the Jets this season, there have been the customary ups and downs of a young, yet talented NHL team.

Not since the Quebec Nordiques shuffle to Denver have NHL fans been able to see just how difficult it is to relocate and produce winning ways.

Though, the newly relocated Avalanche were stacked with some of the league's best talents - Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote - who went on to win the Stanley Cup in their first year of relocation, the Jets are not as favoured to win it as that talented group in Denver.

Making the playoffs in their first season in Manitoba would be more than enough for Jets fans. Already the ticket drive for the playoffs has opened up to season ticket holders and if the season ticket drive was any indication, there will be no hesitation from fans to fill the MTS Centre with 15,004 for a guaranteed two playoff games if the Jets were to get to the second season.

But hold on a second.

It's nice to talk all cheery and positive about how nice it would be if they did make the playoffs. Let's look at the facts.

As of February 21st, the Jets sit tied in the final playoff spot with Toronto. They sit one point in front of third place in the Southeast Division Washington Capitals and one point behind the Division leading Florida Panthers.

Both teams have two games in hand on the Jets.

Both teams will making a trip to MTS Centre before the end of the regular season (Florida - March 1st, Washington - March 16th).

Both teams will also host the Jets once each before the season is out (Washington - March 23rd, Florida - April 3rd).

For the tangibles, Blake Wheeler is on fire with nine points in his last three games, including a four assist effort against Colorado and a three point performance against his former squad the Boston Bruins.

Wheeler is finally living up to his fifth overall draft pick status in Winnipeg and has elevated everyone else's game around him.

Bryan Little has two consecutive two goal games and is inching closer to the 20 goal mark for the first time since he had 31 in 2008-09.

Evander Kane has 22 on the season, three more than his career high.

Ondrej Pavelec has surpassed his career high in wins with 22 this season already (previous career high was 21 last season).

Alexander Burmistrov has 12 goals, twice as many as his rookie season.

And believe it or not, Ron Hainsey is even doing well - with a team high +10 rating.

It's the right time for the Jets to have a home stand and for their top players to start getting hot.

The playoff push is always an indication of what a team is made of - are Jets playoff material?

I think they are even if they don't make the playoffs.

This year proves how far this team has come since tanking it last season in Atlanta.

And once this season is over, no one will remember Atlanta but for a distant memory.

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.

Urgency Fuels Jets In Second Half Start

Bryan Little's goal in the third round of the shootout Tuesday night capped off a hard earned two points on the road.

Not only was it a hard earned point in a building other than MTS Centre - which has been the achilles heel of the team thus far this season - but it was a moral victory to come out of the All-Star break with a win to start things off.

Chris Thorburn netted his first goal as a Jet and it couldn't come at a better time - when the Jets were down 1-0.

Urgency fuelled all four lines to play a tight checking game against the run-and-gun offense of the powerful Philadelphia Flyers.

Add to that the notable absence's of Evander Kane, Dustin Byfulgien, Tim Stapleton, and Alexander Burmistrov and the Jets not only won a hard road game but they won it with a very real and palpable determination.

Call-ups Spencer Machacek and Aaron Gagnon provided fourth line checking, hustle, and grit while the GST line provided what they always provide - a solid performance shift after shift of being matched against the other team's top lines.

Ondrej Pavelec redeemed himself in the final January contest after a dismal month record wise.

He finishes January with a 3-5-1 record along with a 2.75 goals against average and a .896 save percentage.

Limping out of January, urgency needs to fuel the 23-22-6 Jets, who after the win in Philly sit in 10th three points back of Florida - who is in action Wednesday night and four points back of division leaders the Washington Capitals.

It's a real predicament that the Jets are on the outside at this point, but also a blessing that they are only four points out of the division lead at the same time.

With a few healthy bodies back in the lineup - most notably Byfuglien - the Jets urgency can be jacked up a notch as the trade deadline is now only 26 days away.

Here's to forgetting any history in Atlanta and making new strides in Winnipeg.

Let's hope a 8-14-4 road record improves again Thursday in Tampa Bay.

Jets Better Off Without All-Star Representative

Many fans think the NHL has snubbed the city of Winnipeg and it's beloved new Jets for not having at least one player going to the All-Star game, but to be honest the team is better off without sending a player to Ottawa.

Looking down the roster, there are other teams who will not have any veterans in the lineup - including the New Jersey Devils, despite sending two rookies Adam Larsson and Adam Henrique.

Jets fans can look at the lineup and claim that the Ottawa Senators are over-respresented with Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, and Erik Karlsson all playing in the game.

But remember that Spezza (50 points), Alfredsson (38 points), and Karlsson (47 points) all have more points than Jets leading scorer Blake Wheeler (33 points), while Michalek has 23 goals.

In short, they may have been voted in by fans not by their play, but they still deserve to be there.

Does any Jet really deserve to be there based on their play this season?

Blake Wheeler, Toby Enstrom, and Ondrej Pavelec may be the leading candidates in that regard.

Wheeler leads the team with 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) and was a +10 before the Jets started their nose dive going into the All-Star break.

Despite being injured and only having played 30 games this season, Enstrom has tried to fill the gap left by Dustin Byfuglien - the Jets only named All-Star - and for a time Zach Bogosian with 19 points (four goals and 15 assists), including a three game goal scoring streak.

And for Pavelec - the runaway so far for team MVP - his numbers are not comparable to the best goalies that are going to All-Star Game as he sports a 2.84 goals against average (the next closest goals against average from any All-Star goalie is Carey Price at 2.41) and a .909 save percentage to go with a 16-17-6 record.

To be honest, the Jets don't have the All-Star calibre lineup they need to send a player that deserves to be there.

And for a team that had promise going into 2012 and out of a great December of wins, the team deserves to not send an All-Star to the game because they need to focus on bigger and better things for the back half of the schedule.

Right now, the farthest thing the Jets need to ponder is the All-Star Game in Ottawa.

They need to fight for their playoff lives.

New Year Brings New Tidings For Jets

At 19-14-5, the Winnipeg Jets are almost at the midway point of the NHL's regular season and are amidst the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Not only are they in the thick of it, they are thriving under the pressures and the demands that come with it.

Mind you, not simply the demands of the fans of Winnipeg but the demands to play consistent hockey on a nightly basis with a schedule that can, at times, be more daunting than many NHLers would prefer to play.

The Jets 3-2 New Year's Eve win over the Toronto Maple Leafs was a game of utmost importance and the Jets came through, with some luck of course.

Two power play goals in a game are not a gift any NHL team will get on a regular basis. Albeit, two power play goals against the Maple Leafs dire 30th ranked 73.2% penalty kill.

Try to ply their trade with two power play goals a game and you would be quite the consistent playoff contender.

However, the Jets have become a team of consistency regardless of power plays and penalty kills.

Ranked 14th in both power play (18.2%) and penalty kill (82.7%), the team has found a balance in Claude Noel's system as the new year approaches.

The long December home stretch didn't hinder their play either, having won nine out of ten December games at the MTS Centre.

And the crowd, once again, showed how much of a factor they are, they have been, and they can be.

The Jets 14-6-1 home record is the best in the Eastern Conference through January 1st (most home wins by an Eastern Conference team) and is only bettered by the Chicago Blackhawks (14-3-3), the Detroit Red Wings (15-2-1), and the St. Louis Blues (14-3-2).

That is elite company and the Jets know that.

Now comes the tidings for the new year - improve a 5-8-4 road record.

Winnipeg is the only team in the top eight in the East to have a losing record away from home. That emphasizes how important their home games have been and gives a glimpse on where they might be had their home stand gone awry.

Still, the Jets are scoring - Evander Kane's 18 goals is tied for eighth best with Thomas Vanek and Radim Vrbata through January 1st - and their goalies are stopping the pucks - Ondrej Pavelec is 4-2-1 with a 1.56 goals against average in his last seven games and went 11-3-1 with a 1.91 goals against average and a sparkling .938 save percentage in December, with two shutouts.

A new year, but hopefully the same old tidings for the red hot Jets.

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

Game #16: Jets vs. Panthers

Welcome home Jets. It's been a while has it not?

The Winnipeg Jets return to shake the dust off the MTS Centre tonight as they host the Florida Panthers in only their fifth game on home ice this season.

So far, the Jets are sporting a 2-2-0 record at home, with wins over Pittsburgh (2-1) and Carolina (5-3), while dropping decisions to Montreal (5-1) and the New York Rangers (2-1).

Two days after a crashing end to a mildly successful 3-2-2 two week road swing in Buffalo, the Jets are now 5-7-2 on the season and are looking to climb the standings now with some home cooking.

Of the nine games remaining in November, five of them are at the MTS Centre.

And of those nine, five are against divisional opponents.

The Jets most decidedly have the ball in their court, as it were, with the majority of games coming at home against their divisional opponents.

Let's hope the Jets make the most of things.

With the return of Mark Stuart, the Jets blueline was bolstered towards the end of the road trip.

But no one is in a hurry to rush back either Randy Jones or Ron Hainsey with the emergence of Mark Flood on the back end.

In four games after the call up from St. John's, Flood has two goals and one assist.

Not shabby for a defenseman who will play his first game on MTS Centre ice in an NHL uniform rather than an AHL uniform.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a 5-1 thrashing of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Florida has managed to grab points in its last five games, going 2-0-3 in those five games, including a 4-3 shootout loss to the Jets.

Three of the losses for the Panthers in the last five games have come courtesy the shootout.

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to start his eighth straight game after starting all seven on the road swing.

Game time is 7:30 PM CT and is available on TSN Jets.


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.


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