Note: The Jets practiced in Winnipeg before they took off for Buffalo where they will start a quick two-game road trip. Morning skate gets underway at 10:30 AM CT so stay tuned for the pre-game report (which includes the news the Jets have lost Kyle Connor and Nate Schmidt to covid protocol) to get the full 411 ahead of the game against the Sabres. Puck drop is at 6 PM CDT and following the final buzzer we want you to join the conversation on the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show.
Note II: The Moose kicked off four games at home last night with a 3rd period comeback for the local AHL club which put them in a position to take home two points last night. New Jets prospect Morgan Barron picked a good time to score his first goal for the Moose as he tied the game late in the 3rd. OT would solve nothing and then it was Mikey Eyssimont with the lone goal for either team and then when former Jets/Moose defenceman Sami Niku was stopped the local AHL club took home the two points. The win gave the Moose a 20-6-0-2 record in Winnipeg and improved them to 34-19-4-2 on the season as they come closer and closer to clinching a playoff spot. The re-match goes tonight at 7 PM in Winnipeg.
Jets news:
Winnipeg Sun: Jets’ coach says it’s Ville time again. He is a very talented defenceman who just needed an opportunity to not feel like a mistake was going to send him packing for the AHL. While he has a lot less room for error than others on the backend, he has to have faith that the game he played against the Coyotes will be a springboard to more games like that.
Photo Credit: Alexander James (Illegal Curve)
Winnipeg Free Press: Heinola earns another chance to stick in lineup. (Paywall). Somewhat ironic timing given that Sami Niku is in town playing for Laval in the AHL and when you consider some of the comparisons that have been made on twitter between the two Finnish defencemen.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets need repeat of recent run. (Paywall). While the Jets run of late has been impressive they don’t want it to be too little, too late and with the way the Stars keep accumulating points that is how it appears to be going. All they can do at this point is continue to try to maintain the run they are on and hope that they get some help.
Sportsnet: Mailbag – Mark Scheifele has long been a fixture in Winnipeg. Is that changing? In Wieber’s latest mailbag he answers a question that seems to be cropping up with greater frequency among some fans and then covers a bunch of other topics related to the local NHL club.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Breaking down the Jets’ depth chart: Strengths, challenges and upcoming cap concerns. (Paywall). Just as the headline suggests Murat delves into the topic with an eye towards both the present and the future.
Jets video:
Sportsnet: How can Ville Heinola earn the trust of Jets head coach Lowry? Dave Lowry talk about his expectations of young players like 21-year-old Ville Heinola and trusting them with key minutes during important games.
