Note: The Jets will kick off the four-game road trip today in St. Paul with an afternoon contest against the Wild. That could prove to be a good thing for a Winnipeg squad that has gone 6-1-0 this season when playing midday. No morning skate so we will have to wait and see if Sami Niku gets into the lineup. Puck drop is at 1 pm and we will have our post-game recap on site following the action.
Note II: Andrew Copp and Dmitry Kulikov are on the Jets current road trip while Bryan Little is not. Coach Maurice provided a health update on the trio yesterday.
Note III: The Moose and Eagles played a tight game last night that saw the visitors win it 1-0. Eric Comrie was excellent in his return and Colorado goalie Adam Werner may move here considering how well he plays at Bell MTS Place. Manitoba will close out this six-game homestand tonight with a re-match against the Eagles. Puck drop is at 6 pm.
Note IV: With it being an early Jets game we move the show up a few hours so today’s Illegal Curve Hockey Show gets underway at 7 am. Tune in for three hours of Jets, Moose and hockey talk on TSN 1290 Winnipeg.
Jets news:
Winnipeg Sun: Five Keys to the Game. Scott’s big matchup is Winnipeg’s struggling defence vs. Minnesota’s struggling offence. His five keys to the game include: 1) Top-line might. 2) Jekyll & Hyde special teams. 3) On the road again. 4) Afternoon delight. 5) Bounce Buyck.
Winnipeg Sun: Jets Niku could be ‘freed’ this weekend. In addition to talking about the #FreeNiku movement Paul also wrote about Patrik Laine in this Finnish column (which was not written in Finnish).
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Winnipeg Sun: Jets need second wind for second half. The Jets reached the midway point of their scheduled which had Paul reflecting on the first half and what they will need to do to reach the playoffs in the second half.
Winnipeg Free Press: It will soon be Sami time. (Paywall). The #FreeNiku movement may end as soon as today considering he could find himself back in the lineup. And any deficiencies in his game are outweighed (in my opinion) by what he brings to the ice.
Winnipeg Free Press: Time for management to improve the game-day experience. (Paywall). While some folks don’t like seeing rival fans in the building both the Leafs and Canadiens fans ratcheted up the emotional level inside the building. While I will never malign celebrity look-a-like there are some changes needed to refresh the fan experience.
Winnipeg Free Press: Faceoffs, failed dump-outs killing Jets penalty-killing. (Paywall). The Jets woeful PK has been the subject of conversation for some time. A look at some of the problems plaguing the not-so special special team of the Jets.
Jets video:
TSN: Are the Jets exceeding expectations at halfway point? As the halfway point of the season looms, the Winnipeg Jets have powered through a rash of injuries to sit in the first wild card spot. Are the Jets playing better, worse, or as expected when the season began? Does GM Kevin Cheveldayoff need to make a deal in order to make a deep playoff run? That’s Hockey discusses.
