Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers

Note: Last night the Jets and New Jersey Devils played what I would call not a particularly riveting brand of hockey.  The final 10 minutes of the 3rd period felt like two teams playing for overtime.  Even when it went from 5 on 5 to 3 on 3 in OT it didn’t get any better.  Eventually the Devils would win it in a shootout which made it a 2-1 final.  The Jets are off today but will be back on the ice on Thursday to practice.  Update:  While the team is off they did  release a statement regarding Bryan Little who left in the 3rd period after getting a puck from a slap shot to the head.

Note II:  ESPN has a poll out of 50 anonymous NHL players and rather than see it as a negative I think it is providing Winnipeg with a prime opportunity for re-branding.

Note III:  Are you ready for some early morning hockey?  The Moose kick off a three-game road trip this morning in Milwaukee when they take on the Admirals at 10:30 AM in a school day game.  If you listen or watch the game you’ll notice 1000s of screaming kids pretty much from puck drop until the final horn sounds.  It makes for an entertaining atmosphere.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Little leaves game with head injury.  (Paywall).  It was a brutal injury that occurred right under my seat in the press box.  It was good to see Little get up under his own steam but considering he was just coming back from an injury that puck to the head was very disconcerting.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Blackwood backstops Devils to 2-1 shootout win over Jets.  (Paywall).  The Thunder Bay product had quite the performance last night in front of his family who made the trek 7.5 hours to Winnipeg from northwestern Ontario.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Veteran NHLer from Winnipeg skates ahead of Father Time.  (Paywall).  Winnipeg’s Travis Zajac hit quite the milestone according to Devils twitter as he “surpassed John MacLean to take sole possession of 5th place on the franchise’s all-time games played list (935)”.  

Winnipeg Sun:  Devils edge Jets in low-intensity affair.  Low-intensity seems kind.  I thought that once the game moved from 5 on 5 to 3 on 3 it would get more exciting but that simply wasn’t the case.  Scott Billeck recaps the action.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets, Byfuglien situation may be headed to arbitrator.  Scott wrote about the topic which seems to be hanging over the Jets this season like a guillotine.

Sportsnet:  31 Thoughts: What’s next in ‘complicated’ Byfuglien situation?  Entire preamble is about Dustin Byfuglien as is point 1.  

The Athletic Winnipeg:  Small details and big decisions will determine the Jets’ Dustin Byfuglien saga.  (Paywall). Murat goes into the weeds with this one on the various ways this could go from a cap perspective.  

Jets video:

TSN:  Little leaves game after taking Ehlers shot to the head.  Bryan Little was sent to the ice after taking a Nikolaj Ehlers shot right in the ear, but was able to leave the ice under his own power. Dennis Beyak and Kevin Sawyer have more on the Jets’ shootout loss to the Devils.

TSN:  Jets want Byfuglien back now; but let’s see how everyone feels at the end of this process.  TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joins Andi Petrillo and Dave Feschuk to discuss the latest on the Dustin Byfuglien saga and explain how a grievance from the NHLPA would work.