Note: No rest for the wicked as the Jets left Winnipeg following a 4-1 win over Dallas last night. They made their way to Colorado where they will take on the Avalanche tonight at the Pepsi Center with a 8 pm puck drop. No game day skate but we know to expect a similar lineup with the exception that we will see Michael Hutchinson start in net. Keep it locked to illegalcurve.com and on social media including Twitter|Facebook |Instagram for all the pre and post game news.
Note II: Just because the Jets are out of town doesn’t mean you won’t be seeing some live hockey in Winnipeg this weekend. The Moose will face off against the San Diego Gulls tonight at the MTS Centre with puck drop at 7 pm. I will be back there and will be covering the game.
Jets news:
TSN: Dreger Report – Lots of love for Laine. No surprise with the way he’s been firing the puck that the love is free flowing. He has the same goal pace as Teemu Selanne has in his rookie season (six goals in seven games).
Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie – I don’t believe Jets are ‘proactively trying to move’ Trouba. Chris transcribed a chat with the TSN Hockey Insider from this morning on TSN 690 Montreal.
Winnipeg Sun: Jets young stars shine in win over Dallas. The rookies (young players) across the board were excellent. Even guys like Brandon Tanev were able to draw penalties in addition to all the offensive positives the guys like Laine, Connor, Ehlers generated.
National Post: Rookie phenom Patrik Laine continues to show off his power play prowess. Lots of Selanne comparables including his celebration and the fact that through seven games both Laine and Selanne had six goals.
Sportsnet: Was Byfuglien taken down by a slew foot? (Video). Fans sure seemed to think so and let me know it when I suggested on the @illegalcurve twitter account that “Roussel’s skate got caught with Byfuglien and pulled his leg one way while his body was going another”. What do you think?
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets’ victory over Stars eliminates bitter taste from earlier loss. (Paywall). It can be both feast and famine with a young team and yesterday guys like Hellebuyck, Laine, Connor, Ehlers and Armia led the way to victory.
Winnipeg Free Press: Connor shows he doesn’t like view from press box. (Paywall). It was pretty clear that the rookie from Michigan showed fans what he can do on the ice. Using his speed to compliment his line he was able to achieve his first NHL goal.
Winnipeg Free Press: Buff becomes NHL’s marathon man. (Paywall). The Jets bench boss made his first move to reduce the big man’s minutes only using #33 for 24 minutes last night (although Byfuglien did leave the game for a few minutes after an injury early in the 3rd).
TSN: That’s Hockey 2 Nite. (Video). He’s only been in the league for two-weeks and Patrik Laine is tied for the league lead in goals with six, Craig Button explains why he’s quickly proving that he can be an elite goal-scorer.
TSN: The tangled path ahead for Trouba, Jets. Gary brings us more insight to this unusual situation.
Illegal Curve: Last RFA standing – The Jacob Trouba story. Just before the puck dropped at the MTS Centre we learned the news that Jacob Trouba may not want to play in Canada (not just not in Winnipeg) as well as what type of contract the Jets may be prepared to offer the defenceman.
TSN: Insider Trading (video). This doozy quote “The belief is Trouba doesn’t see a fit in Canada” from TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger about Jacob Trouba’s thoughts on playing for Winnipeg (or any other Canadian team I gather) via NHL GMs who said that there has been interest from other Canadian teams. This won’t make folks around these parts very happy. (Starts at 2 minute mark).
Winnipeg Sun: ‘Status quo’ for Trouba. Ken was in Colorado in advance of tonight’s game and got the convo started with Trouba’s agent yesterday.
Winnipeg Sun: Winnipegger McIlrath on waivers. Ken speculates as to whether the local may be a good fit for the Jets.
The Hockey News: More Jets losses might fast-track a Jacob Trouba deal. Our readers seem to think that a trade is least likely of the possible scenarios (vote in the poll now) facing the Jets with their young RFA defenceman.
Illegal Curve: Bryan Little injury update. It wasn’t all good news in the ‘Peg yesterday as we learned that Bryan Little is expected out of the Jets lineup until the end of November.
Jets 4 Stars 1:
Illegal Curve: Coach Maurice post-game. Head inside the MTS Centre to hear from the Jets bench boss as he breaks down the 4-1 victory over Dallas. Plenty of praise for his rookies in this one.
Illegal Curve: Jets players post-game scrums. It was a rookie trifecta for the three stars and we heard from Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor & Connor Hellebuyck post-game.
Illegal Curve: Mark Scheifele beats Tyler Seguin in pre-game Paper Rock Scissors contest. I went to a hockey game and a game of Paper Rock Scissors broke out. Seems unusual but it actually happened yesterday between the two centres.
Moose news:
Illegal Curve: Moose Practice Report. Head to the IcePlex to see the lines that Coach Vincent used yesterday in a very long practice. You can also watch Brendan Lemieux tipping home pucks in front of the net.
