Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers

Note: Tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN Radio 1290 on Saturday as the guys (and myself) discuss all the latest Winnipeg Jets and NHL news.  Take note that the show starts at 8 am until 11 am as a result of the Jets game beginning at 2 pm.  Guests:  Kevin Allen (USA Today), Craig Button (TSN) and Chip Alexander (News and Observer).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets not cup contenders.  If you measure yourself against a team like the Penguins than it is pretty, pretty difficult to stand up to the test.  Can the Jets win against the Penguins, absolutely!  But a long series facing a tough Pittsburgh/Boston/Montreal team would be problematic.

TSN:  Power play struggles in loss to Penguins.  Associating the word power with the Jets special teams seems like a mistake.  Currently sitting 26th in the NHL converting at an anemic 14.4%.

Winnipeg Sun:  No penalties for Jets.  While they didn’t do anything noteworthy on the score sheet, they also didn’t take a single penalty for the first time in the combined Thrashers/Jets history.  Pretty crazy to think that in all those years they didn’t have a single clean game before last night.

Winnipeg Sun:  Penguins pound Jets, but Winnipeg remains six points ahead of Carolina in Southeast.  The Jets win by virtue of the ineptitude of the rest of the East and you won’t hear anyone complaining about it.  While it was a brutal loss to a clearly superior Penguins team, the bottom Eastern teams continue to fail to significantly gain ground.  The hottest team outside the playoffs right now are the New York…Islanders, winners of three straight.

Winnipeg Sun:  Winnipeg Jets didn’t look all that interested against Penguins.  After the Jets failed to score, despite carrying the play for the initial 10 minutes and once Pittsburgh got a couple of goals, you got the sense that defeat was creeping onto the Winnipeg bench.  Paul also looks at the Jets five on three blues, Buffs adventures, Kane’s had better nights, Burmi over handling the puck and seniority rules in dressing room.

Pittsburgh Tribune:  Tangradi happier in Winnipeg.  Tangradi had a number of good opportunities to scores against his old team, including a 3rd period breakaway.

Jets on a Deadline – Penguins 4 – Jets 0:

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline.  Game recaps, post-game audio, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars of the night.

Jets affiliate and prospect news:

Barrie Examiner:  Brothers in arms.  If you want to get to see a different side of Jets 2011 first round draft choice Mark Scheifele read this article.

Calgary Herald:  Broncos captain Lowry and Iginla family friend reflects on deal.  Jets fans will certainly not complain if they can have a Jarome Iginla type player from Adam Lowry, as he continues his development.  Unfortunately for Adam Lowry and his Swift Current Bronco teammates, they lost Game 5 of their opening series to the Calgary Hitmen last night.

Illegal Curve: Examining Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Trouba’s options. Since his NCAA season with the University of Michigan Wolverines ended with a loss to Notre Dame, there has been wild speculation as to the path the Jets number one pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft will take.  We broke down the four options on NHL Mid-Week on TSN Radio 1290.

NHL news:

Globe and Mail:  Imagination soars at playoff possibilities after Sens shutout Rangers.  Roy MacGregor is an excellent writer and as per usual pens a great read.  This time, while breaking down the Sens and Rangers snooze-fest,  he focuses on what a high level of Canadian content might look like in the playoffs.

Globe and Mail:  Latest white knight in Coyotes saga will want incentives.  Just when you think it is done, the Coyotes find another ‘prospective buyer’.  With all the excitement that the Iginla story received, the Drama in the Desert news seemed to be pushed aside.  Now the focus is back on the potential relocation of the team from Arizona as the NHL no longer wants to hemorrhage money since the City of Glendale will no longer provide the 25 million dollar cushion.

CBC:  Time for Flames to be more careful.  Calgary is not the same place it used to be.  They seem to be the butt of many jokes around the league these days.  Elliotte Friedman gives his thoughts on the situation in cow-town.