Note: The Jets were off on Thursday but they will be back on the ice later today for practice as they get ready to play the Flames tomorrow night in Game 1 of their play-in series. There will be a media availability this morning with Josh Morrissey and Patrik Laine as well as coach Paul Maurice at 11:30 CT. The team will skate at 5:45 PM CT. Stay tuned for all the latest.
Note II: The AHL announced a revised start date for the 2020-21 season on Thursday as the developmental league looks to get back on track for next season.
Jets news:
Sportsnet: Five bold predictions for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jets fans will love the second bold prediction in this article.
Winnipeg Sun: The five most important players in the series. There are plenty of players on both teams who could have cracked this top 5 but Ted gives you his in his latest column from Edmonton.
CBC: The Flames are favoured by oddsmakers and analytics nerds alike. Feel like this headline needs Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds yelling “neerds“. But enough about those classic 1980s movies. I was actually contacted by a sports betting liaison who indicated that the betting had picked up on the Jets but not according to this article.
NHL.com: Flames-Jets series debated by Fleury, Boschman. The alumni of Calgary and Winnipeg give their thoughts/insight into how they see this play-in series going.
Winnipeg Free Press: ‘We’re the better team’. (Paywall). Usually you don’t want to incentivize the team you are playing against but I guess it also makes sense to have self-confidence.
Winnipeg Free Press: Hellebuyck determines Jets destiny. (Paywall). We’ve seen it before where a hot goalie can take his club farther than it was thought they might go.
Winnipeg Sun: Hellebuyck has Jets believing they can do some serious damage in the NHL playoffs. When you have a Vezina calibre goalie you have a good reason to believe.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Winnipeg Sun: One-off exhibition game provides plenty to glean for victorious Jets. Scott assesses the only exhibition game the Jets will play before the play-in series.
Winnipeg Sun: For those just outside the Edmonton NHL bubble, games may as well be going on in another country. There is a value to watching the game in person as you pick up things missed on the camera but the usual other benefits are gonzo.
Calgary Sun: Flames and Jets set to collide in playoff matchup. Pair of reporters from Calgary and Winnipeg break down the best-of-five play-in series between the Flames and Jets.
NHL.com: Flames say ‘we’re the better team’ entering Qualifiers against Jets. Little bit of bulletin board material for the Jets.
The Athletic: The 6 things Winnipeg’s exhibition win taught us about the Jets’ playoff hopes. (Paywall). If the piece below outlining five things you may have learned from last night’s game wasn’t enough for you, Murat hits you with his six things including: 1) Connor Hellebuyck is still spectacular. 2) Up-ice pressure is a double-edged sword. 3) A clue about matchups. 4) The penalty kill is still powerful. 5) The power play is rusty. 6) Nik Ehlers is going to be alright.
Sportsnet: Four things the Flames learned from the Jets’ tune-up win over Canucks. Taking a Calgary look at things the four things they learned are: 1) Hellebuyck vs. Tkachuk. 2) Pressure on Jets imperative. 3) Top-line battle. 4) Jumbo Jets no more.
Sportsnet: Five things we learned about Jets in exhibition win over Canucks. Ken provides his thoughts from the exhibition game including: 1) Hellebuyck in Vezina form. 2) Ehlers gets going. 3) Jack is jumping. 4) Don’t worry about the D. 5) Fourth-line ferocity.
The Athletic: 2020 NHL qualifying round preview: Flames vs. Jets. (Paywall). The models do not favour the Jets in this preview.
Jets video:
TSN: Maurice believes Hellebuyck will continue strong play despite long layoff. A Vezina trophy candidate this season, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck was a bastion in net during the regular season for the Jets. Some have questioned whether the netminder can pick up where he left off, now that the NHL is back in action. TSN’s Sara Orlesky caught up with Jets coach Paul Maurice, who explained why he’s not worried about his goaltender.
Sportsnet: Breaking down Jets’ win over Canucks in exhibition action. Sean Reynolds is joined by Ken Wiebe to break down the Jets 4-1 win over the Canucks in exhibition action including Connor Hellebuyck’s dominant performance and the status of Nikolaj Ehlers injury.
