Winnipeg Jets Afternoon News (Monday, Feb 20th)

Winnipeg Free Press:  Wheeler named an NHL star of the week.  While the individual honour might not mean much to Wheeler, it is recognition of the fact that his individual contribution has helped get the Jets back into the playoff picture.

Winnipeg Sun:  Wheeler named NHL 2nd star and Bogosian not a player Tuesday. Despite all the good news for Wheeler, we learned today that Zach Bogosian is still not a player.  Coach Noel said he could play Thursday.

Hockey’s Future:  Home cooking fuels recipe for Winnipeg Jets playoff run.  The Jets appears to be feasting in the friendly confines of the MTS Centre when the opportunity presents itself.  The team recognizes the importance of these games and are taking advantage of the MTS Centre crowd.

USA Today:  10 most intriguing names in NHL trade market.  The Jets land #4 on this list with one of their players but with the playoff push, GM Cheveldayoff has to decide if this run is the real thing or not.  If it isn’t, then perhaps acquiring some assets might be the more important move.

NBC Sports:  Could the Jets actually make the playoffs?  Gotta love how Winnipeg is described as having ” the most raucous crowd in the league”.

Illegal Curve:  Coach Noel press conference.    Play of Blake Wheeler.  Status of Bogosian.   Managing time (practice vs. down time).   Maturing line (steeper than previously thought?  Importance of Winnipeg on development).   Tight checking games vs. scoring a lot of goals.  Fear of overconfidence.  Talking about the Flyers team.  Managing small picture (winning next game) vs. big picture (playoff hunt).  Bouncing back.  Leadership on this team.  Play of Eric Fehr. 

Illegal Curve:  Jets players post-practice audio.  We spoke with Kyle Wellwood, Chris Thorburn, Mark Stuart and Alexander Burmistrov.