Note: The Jets hit the ice for practice on Monday and they had one healthy player back as Paul Stastny was a full participant but Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp remained in their non-contact uniforms while Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t even on the ice. We also learned on Monday that the team had eliminated the taxi squad and recalled seven players. Last bit of news in the evening was the start times were released for the Jets and Oilers games 3 and 4. Today the Jets are slated to practice at 11 AM with all eyes on the aforementioned players so be sure to stay tuned for our Practice Report.
Note II: The Moose held their end of season media availability and after spending the morning talking to players we had a long chat with head coach Pascal Vincent. While normally this would mark the end of our Moose coverage for the season please note that we are hosting an end of season Manitoba Moose roundtable tonight at 5 PM on our IC YouTube channel. Confirmed guests include Manitoba GM Craig Heisinger and head coach Pascal Vincent as well as Dylan Samberg (Jets 2017 2nd rounder), Johnny Kovacevic (Jets 2017 3rd rounder) and Jeff Malott (led Moose in goals and tied for AHL rookie goal scoring lead). Be sure to join us here.
Jets news:
Winnipeg Sun: A lot on the line for Jets organization as playoff series with Oilers looms. It will be interesting to see how injuries impact things.
Sportsnet: For Jets to overcome McDavid, Scheifele must shine in playoff spotlight. Jets are certainly going to need the Mark Scheifele from that Predators series a few years back.
Sportsnet: Paul Maurice’s guide to riding long shot to Stanley Cup Final. A look back at what the current Jets bench boss did with his old team in Carolina. Lessons include: 1) Unlikely heroes on the bottom half of the roster. 2) A masked marvel, even two. 3) The value of the roll. 4) The freedom of low expectations. 5) A level playing field.
Winnipeg Sun: Goat-owner Scheifele hoping to measure up to a potential G.O.A.T. in Oilers’ McDavid. Knew this goat talk was gonna get some mileage out of it.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Winnipeg Sun: Jets coach Maurice loving intensity of NHL playoffs so far, longing for fans in stands in Canada. Hard not to watch the games being played in the United States and not be envious of the environment it creates.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets centre eager to see how he stacks up against Oilers superstar McDavid. (Paywall). He may be eager but so far it reads like something out of the horror section.
Winnipeg Free Press: Scheifele develops baaad habit – tending goats. (Paywall). It certainly made a rather standard zoom call a little more entertaining including when Scheifele tried to mimic the goat bleating out “baaa” as “dad”. Jeff also wrote an injury update as well as about Connor Hellebuyck’s routine.
Edmonton Sun: Oilers-Jets playoff series featuring Smith vs. Hellebuyck in net. For all the firepower in this series it does seem likely that it will ultimately be decided by which goalie can gain the upper hand for their team. A look at the series from a writer that covers the Oilers although with a last name that is familiar to many Winnipeggers.
Edmonton Sun: 7-2 against the Jets? Edmonton Oilers know it just doesn’t matter. Which is why some of the modeling predicting a close series is probably good reason for the team out west to take this series seriously.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Five ways the Winnipeg Jets could beat the Edmonton Oilers. (Paywall). Murat lays out his five principals including: 1) Jets forwards reload like their lives depend on it. 2) Connor Hellebuyck outplays Connor McDavid. 3) Mark Scheifele walks the walk. 4) The Jets expose the Oilers “soft underbelly”. 5) Ehlers/Stastny/Copp/Dubois play their best.
Global News: Do Jets have what it takes to upset the Oilers? Ken attempts to answer the question on the minds of most folks who follow thos the local NHL club.
Jets video:
TSN: Mike Johnson shares how the Jets should handle McDavid in the playoffs. It goes without saying that Connor McDavid is an elite player, and he elevated his game against the Jets this season picking up 22 points in nine regular season games. Mike Johnson joins That’s Hockey to weigh in on how Winnipeg should handle the league’s leading scorer in the playoffs.
TSN: McLennan breaks down the battle between the pipes in Jets-Oilers series. Mike Smith starred in goal against the Jets this season, while reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck struggled against Edmonton. TSN Hockey analyst Jamie McLennan joins James Duthie to preview the battle between the pipes in the series between the two Western Canadian clubs.
TSN: Will the Jets finally find a way to slow down McDavid and the Oilers? After both teams were sent packing from the bubble early last year, Edmonton and Winnipeg will be looking to ride their high-powered offences to a deep playoff run this time around. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug and Sara Orlesky preview the clash between the Jets and Oilers, and the TSN Hockey panel examines how the two Western Canadian clubs compare.
Sportsnet: Jets, Oilers have chance to ignite new Stanley Cup playoff rivalry. There isn’t much history between the current Winnipeg Jets franchise and Edmonton Oilers, but the Oilers dominated the old Jets franchise during the Wayne Gretzky era, and the two teams now have a chance to ignite a new Stanley Cup playoff rivalry.
Winnipeg Sun: Previewing the Jets and Oilers playoff series. Sun sports editor Ted Wyman and Derek van Diest, sports reporter for the Edmonton Sun/Journal discuss the first-round matchup between the Jets and Oilers in the North Division.
Jets audio:
TSN Edmonton 1260: The Jason Gregor Show. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug joined the show to discuss the Oilers ahead of their series with the Jets.
Sportsnet: 31 Thoughts Podcast. Veteran Jets centre Paul Stastny spoke to the guys starting at 37:30 discussing his 1000th game milestone, his Hall of Fame father, the evolution of Nikolaj Ehlers, being coached by Paul Maurice, and how to slow down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Moose video:
Illegal Curve: End of season media availability with head coach Pascal Vincent. There was plenty of good tidbits in yesterday’s end of season media availability with the bench boss of Manitoba ranging from individual player assessments, to team, to the folks behind the scenes and more in this chat which lasted almost 40 minutes.
