Note: It was a night to remember at Bell MTS Place as Jets captain Blake Wheeler put on a show with his first ever five point night (which included him hitting the 400 assist milestone) as he led his team to a big 5-2 victory over division rival Colorado. The win improved the Jets to 9-5-1 on the season and kept them in 3rd spot in the central. The team is scheduled to practice today at 12 noon. Check out the Jets Practice Report for updates including potential news on the status of Dmitry Kulikov who left the game in the 1st period.
Note II: The Moose are looking to go a game above five hundred tonight when they have a re-match with the Griffins who handed them a 4-1 defeat on Thursday night. Tonight’s game will close out the four-game home stand for Manitoba who will leave on a Texas road trip on Sunday.
Note III: Tune in to the Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN 1290 Winnipeg this morning for three hours of Winnipeg Jets and NHL hockey talk. Listen here.
Jets news:
Winnipeg Sun: Jets ride Wheeler’s five points to win over Colorado. Ken recaps the eventful game we all witnessed last night.
Winnipeg Free Press: Wheeler nets five points as Jets bury Avalanche in impressive 5-2 win. (Paywall). The captain certainly led by example and was a man possessed last night as he set all sorts of persona records and set a career milestone although as you might expect the only thing he wanted to discuss post-game was the team win.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets can’t keep giving players like Dano away. (Paywall). Dano is an interesting player. While he wasn’t likely gonna factor in the Jets long term plans he did allow the team to leave the prospects on the farm to continue to develop. Players like Appleton, Suess and Vesalainen need big minutes in the AHL not a pressbox seat in the NHL while veterans like Griffith or Lipon would have to clear waivers. So in that regard Dano was a useful tool in the Jets toolbox.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets failing off the rush or defending against it. (Paywall). This story came out ahead of last night’s big win over the Avalanche but it highlights an area of concern with the local club.
NHL website: Wheeler has hand in all five Jets goals against Avalanche. Scott recaps the contest last night at Bell MTS Place and the role the captain had in the contest.
Denver Post: Avs losing streak now at five games after falling to Jets. Read about last night’s game from the perspective of someone covering it with a Denver focus.
Jets video:
TSN: Wheeler doesn’t get enough love. TSN Hockey analyst Jamie McLennan explains why he believes that Jets captain Blake Wheeler doesn’t always receive the credit he deserves for the type of player that he is.
Sportsnet: Scheifele on Wheeler: I’m lucky to have him on my wing. The Jets top centre talks about what it means to have a winger like Wheeler on his line.