Note: The Jets went into St. Paul on Sunday afternoon and picked up their 10th win of December as they ended 2023 with the weekend sweep of the Wild courtesy of their 3-2 victory. With the win Winnipeg improved to 22-9-4 on the season which put them temporarily into top spot in the Central although both Colorado and Dallas won so they ended the calendar year tied for 2nd with the Stars. Thankfully the Jets and Wild don’t meet again until February 20th which is probably a good thing as the two fan bases could use some time apart. The Jets are off today and will return to the ice on Tuesday when they get set to face the Lightning.
Note II: The Moose were hosting a New Year’s Ever afternoon re-match against the Stars looking to erase the bad taste from a tough Friday loss to Texas. They had the benefit of a sold our barn with over 7500 fans in attendance for the holiday game. The teams traded power play goals in the 1st including Jets prospect Brad Lambert‘s team leading 11th goal of the season. Penalty trouble late in the game allowed the Stars to tie it at the 18:18 mark of the 3rd and then take the lead for good 37 seconds later. The fans did win pancakes and they did get indoor fireworks after the game however the Moose got swept by the Stars as they fall to 12-15-0 on the season. They are off today.
Jets news:
Winnipeg Sun: Jets score twice in third, down Wild for second time in as many days. The captain answered the bell to start the game and then scored his 100th NHL goal to tie the game, both of which helped set the tone in the game.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Winnipeg Sun: Jets’ depth continues to pay dividends. Scott wrote this before the re-match game on Sunday but the theme continued into the game later that afternoon.
Winnipeg Free Press: How sweep it is. (Paywall). Mike details the sweep and the importance of yesterday’s win.
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Marc-Andre Fleury reaches one milestone, misses another in Wild’s 3-2 loss to Jets. Read a game recap from a writer that covers Winnipeg’s opponent.
Jets video:
Sportsnet: Wild’s Maroon and Jets’ Lowry get game started with bang dropping gloves on opening draw. Adam Lowry and Patrick Maroon bring the grit early dropping the gloves on the opening faceoff after a highly contested contest the night before.
Jets audio:
Illegal Curve Hockey Show: Saturday Podcast. On Saturday’s show I was joined by Jim Toth for two hours of Jets/Moose talk including a look at the Winnipeg/Minnesota rivalry, which is most important to fix, PK or PP, putting on GM Hat. Kyle Connor skating. Jets/Wild preview and more. We were joined by Moose forward Wyatt Bongiovanni and Andrew “Hustler” Paterson of Winnipeg Sports Talk.
Jets prospect news:
The Athletic: Jets prospect Elias Salomonsson has taken off with Skellefteå, Team Sweden at world juniors. (Paywall). Fans are already thinking about a right shot defenceman for the near future and we’ve been talking about the 2022 2nd rounder as someone who may be ready sooner rather than later. Check out this read from Scott.
Moose news:
Illegal Curve Hockey: Moose give up late lead and get swept to conclude 2023 as Stars win 3-2. Check out the recap which includes insight into the lineup, a look at the lines/D pairs, the notable game events, post-game media and what’s next on the schedule.
