Note: The Jets concluded their toad trip last night against the Islanders which saw them drop their third game of four they played away from Manitoba by a final score of 2-1. Today they are off but they will return to the ice tomorrow for morning skate as they prepare to kick off six of their next seven at home starting with the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, who will be without Norris/Conn Smythe winner Cale Makar who was ruled out for the games this weekend after he was put into concussion protocol.
Note II: The Moose eight-game homestand continues with a big tilt against the division leading Admirals as the two Central Division rivals square off with a two-game set. Third place Manitoba is just four points back of tied for first place Milwaukee. Puck drop is at 7 PM CST.
Note III: The Ice continued their ten-game road trip in Calgary yesterday in an afternoon matinee against the Hitmen which saw them extend their win streak to eight games after they defeated the home team 5-2. They are an impressive 45-7-1-0 (winning % of .858) and they sit comfortably in 1st, 13 up on the Rebels/Blades. Speaking of the Rebels the Ice will be heading to Red Deer next where they will take them on Friday night.
Jets news:
Sportsnet: What past trade deadlines tell us about how Jets GM Cheveldayoff may act. Is this 2017-18? It is starting to look more 2018-19 around these parts. The next eight days in the NHL and specifically here in Manitoba are going to be fascinating.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Jets observations: Perfetti’s injury, Bowness’ tinkering, Helleybuck’s workload, more. (Paywall). Murat gives you a week’s worth of his observations.
Sportsnet: Lack of secondary scoring continues to haunt Jets in loss to Islanders. If you take away that offensive outburst in the Rangers game the Jets have scored a grand total of four goals in the three games they lost on this four-game road trip. The team is healthy with the exception of Cole Perfetti (who they had for two games of this trip) and David Gustafsson who has been out since January 10th. But when Lowry hasn’t scored in 31 games, Maenalanen in 18, Barron in 16, Stenlund in 10, Kuhlman in 9 and Gagner in 8 you got some pretty, pretty, pretty big scoring problems.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Winnipeg Sun: Jets’ big guns low on ammunition in loss to Islanders. The Jets seemed discombobulated in the 3rd period and just couldn’t generate as they “attempted to mount a comeback”. They must have turned the puck over three to five times and just had no urgency in their game.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets stumble through loss to Isles. (Paywall). Mike was inside UBS Arena and gives his thoughts on the game.
Winnipeg Free Press: Eric Dubois finally gets called up to NHL. (Paywall). It isn’t just players who occasionally earn themselves a call up and it is well deserved for Moose assistant coach Eric Dubois who has done an excellent job in helping to develop the young D prospects on Manitoba.
New York Post: Ilya Sorokin shuts down Jets as Islanders get some cushion in standings. Those were a big two points for the Jets opponent in a very tight Eastern Conference. Read about the game from a writer that covers the NYI.
Jets video:
TSN: McLennan believes Cheveldayoff should go all-in and add a forward to Jets’ lineup. After a disappointing defeat to the Islanders on Wednesday, the Jets have lost three of their last four games. TSN Hockey analyst Jamie McLennan assesses what’s been plaguing Winnipeg of late, and which area GM Kevin Cheveldayoff should address at the trade deadline.
TSN: Does Meier make sense for Winnipeg? While the Jets fight for top spot in the Western Conference, could GM Kevin Cheveldayoff pull off a big move before the NHL trade deadline? The TH panel shares their thoughts on whether a big splash for Timo Meier would make sense for Winnipeg.
Sportsnet: Why the Winnipeg Jets could be team to break Jakob Chychrun deadline ‘Logjam’. Elliotte Friedman joined Tim & Friends to share the latest intel on the NHL trade deadline, included the continued ‘logjam’ caused by Jakob Chychrun.
Sportsnet: How Hellebuyck’s confidence translates to the rest of Winnipeg Jets lineup. The Hockey Central panel break down Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor’s chemistry, as well as Connor Hellebuyck’s current form in net, and how his confidence passes on throughout the rest of the lineup.
Sportsnet: Why Jets’ Dubois is one of the toughest centres in the NHL to match up against. Jamal Meyers joins Caroline Cameron to break down why Winnipeg Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois is one of the toughest centres in the NHL to match up against and if there’s pressure on Bo Horvat to score for the Islanders with Matt Barzal out of the lineup.
Sportsnet: How Jets’ Bowness helped turn Morrissey into an elite NHL defenceman. NHL Network’s Mike Kelly joins Jeff Marek to discuss how Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness has helped turned Josh Morrissey into an elite defenceman in the NHL and what makes him so effective.
Sportsnet: What would the Jets have to give up in order to land Timo Meier? Jason Bukala joins Hockey Central to discuss the Oilers actively looking to add a defenceman, what to expect from the Flames at the deadline and who the Jets would have to give up in order to trade for Timo Meier.(Jets talk starts at 3:10).
