Note: The Jets picked up a huge 4-2 win in St. Louis on their one-game road trip last night. They will now kick off six straight games at Bell MTS Place. Today they are scheduled in downtown Winnipeg at 1 PM. Check back for the Practice Report to get the latest news and audio.
Note II: Jets captain Blake Wheeler spoke yesterday about Dustin Byfuglien. You can listen to it here.
Note III: Similar to the parent club the Moose were desperate for a win and that’s just what they delivered in front of a pretty decent crowd (considering the Jets game was at the same time) as they held on for a 3-2 win over the Wolves. These two teams will meet up again tonight at Bell MTS Place as the team retires Jimmy Roy’s jersey and wear specialty 20th anniversary jerseys. Puck drop is at 7 pm.
Jets news:
Sportsnet: 5 reasons to believe the Jets have turned their season around. Sean’s five things include: 1) Jets scoring first. 2) Defence. 3) Effort. 4) Depth scoring. 5) Clarity on Byfuglien.
The Athletic Winnipeg: 1-on-1 with Patrik Laine, on confidence, contracts and rock-paper-scissors. (Paywall). Kenny chats one on one with the Jets sniper and passer on a variety of topics.
Winnipeg Sun: Third line lifts Jets back on the winning track in St. Louis. It was just what the doctor ordered for this Jets team. Paul recaps the action from his spot inside Enterprise Center.
Winnipeg Free Press: Copp, Harkins power Jets past Blues 4-2. (Paywall). Andrew Copp seemed like a man possessed last night in Missouri.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Blues suffer a rare home hiccup vs. Jets. This isn’t a team that loses many games in regulation at Enterprise Center. Read about the game from the perspective of a writer who covers St. Louis.
The Athletic Winnipeg: What the beleaguered Jets defence thinks of media narratives, injury troubles and its own play. (Paywall). Us against them is good and all but it isn’t media narratives these guys have to defend against. It is some pretty, pretty, pretty good hockey players.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Blake Wheeler on why it’s unfair to make Dustin Byfuglien the villain in pending split with Jets. (Paywall). Ken adds this piece about the topic du jour.
Winnipeg Free Press: ‘Shoot, we miss that guy’: Jets captain Wheeler on Byfuglien’s absence. (Paywall). That is an understatement to say the least considering how this season has played out. Mike spoke with the Jets captain today at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Winnipeg Sun: Wheeler says Big Buff ‘not a villain’. While it may not have been the end envisioned by many he will still go down (as far as I am concerned) as the most popular player from the Jets 2.0 era to date. Paul was in also St. Louis asking Byfuglien’s fellow Minnesota product and Jets captain Blake Wheeler about the news that has come out about number 33 and his thoughts surrounding same.
Jets video:
TSN: Hellebuyck shines again in Jets’ big road win over Blues. Dave Poulin explains why he thinks Connor Hellebuyck has been better this year than he was two years ago when he was a runner-up for the Vezina, and why Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could be one of the most active people at the trade deadline.
TSN: Byfuglien’s departure is an ‘enormous loss’ to Jets’ locker room. That’s Hockey weighs in on Blake Wheeler’s comments after the Jets captain shared his admiration for Dustin Byfuglien.
Jets audio:
Sportsnet: 31 Thoughts Podcast. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman chat about the Jets and Byfuglien starting at the 33:25 mark and runs to 42:34.