Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –
Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.
I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula. I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned.
1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets had a good week going 3-0-0 and jumped into second place in the Scotia North Division. They are one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers with a game in hand. Their overall record currently sits at 25-13-3.
2. NHL: St. Adolphe wasn’t selected as the winner of Kraft Hockeyville but as they say, it was an honour to be nominated. I was really pulling for them. I’m sure they’re disappointed but $25,000 is a decent consolation prize that will be put to good use. Congrats to everyone involved.
3. Jets: Not much going on up to this point with the Winnipeg Jets as far as a trade is concerned. Prices seem steep although I wouldn’t have minded Brandon Montour for a 3rd round pick.
4. Moose: The Manitoba Moose played 3 games this week versus Belleville going 2-1 and improved their overall record to 10-11-2-0. The Moose have 6 games left on their current homestand before finishing off their season with 7 games on the road. Winnipeg Jets 2020 first-round pick Cole Perfetti is playing meaningful minutes and the nineteen-year-old has put up am impressive 17 points in 24 games (including Monday’s game).
5. Jets: Poll Question: Who is your biggest surprise on the Winnipeg Jets roster so far this season?
Logan Stanley was the winner with 65% of the vote. For me this wasn’t much of a surprise since the expectations for him were very low. Stanley he has made great strides and has even impressed a lot of his doubters.
6. Jets: I just about lost my lunch when I was glancing at some Winnipeg Jets stats and noticed that Kyle Connor (39) is only six points ahead of Andrew Copp (33) in scoring. Based on opportunity and deployment I say good on you Andrew and shame on you KC. KC with top unit PP and better line-mates should be higher in my opinion.
7. Jets: The Jets 1st unit PP is struggling. It seems predictable, it moves the puck slowly and lacks a net-front presence. The 2nd unit is having more success because Neal Pionk and Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers don’t pass up good shooting opportunities and Mathieu Perreault isn’t afraid to get in front of the opposition goalie. You don’t have to have a cannon from the point to have success. Josh Morrissey has an adequate shot and needs to find the shooting lanes and SHOOT more.
Update: The Jets PP went 1 for 6 and probably cost them the game. They did score one nice goal on their first attempt but in the next five they couldn’t solve Gustafsson and probably gave up as many scoring chance as they created.
8. NHL: Blaming Torts for Patrik Laine’s play is a lazy narrative in my opinion.
9. Jets: This should help and might be a clue that something is cooking.
We’re told that Winnipeg has moved Nathan Beaulieu to LTIR, giving them and additional $1,250,000 in non-prorated Salary Pool relief.
They now have $4,792,501 in current cap space. pic.twitter.com/vq2gOkEwl1
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) April 12, 2021
10. Jets: How did the Brady Tkachuk elbow to Blake Wheeler’s face go unpunished by the clowns that run the NHL’s Department of Player Safety? What the hell does it take? These clowns need to wake the hell up. Wheeler is suffering concussion symptoms and all Tkachuk’s elbow to the face rated was a minor penalty. WHAT A JOKE.
11. NHL: Man those Vegas Golden Knights bright gold helmets are fugly.
12. NHL: Key dates.
- Mar. 12 – Players on one-year deals can sign extensions (usually Jan. 1)
- Apr. 12 – Trade Deadline
- May 8 – End of the regular season
- May 11 – Playoffs begin
- July 15 – The latest the Stanley Cup can be awarded
- July 17 – Expansion draft protection lists tentatively due
- July 21 – Expansion draft
- July 23-24 – 2021 NHL Entry Draft
- July 28 – Free agency opens
13. Jets: Poll Question: TRADE DEADLINE POLL
TRADE UPDATE:
The Winnipeg Jets trade a 2021 6th round pick to Vancouver for defenceman Jordie Benn.
Are you happy with Kevin Cheveldayoff’s move or lack of moves.
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14. Jets: There is a certain faction of Jets fans that irritate the living crap out of me and especially on Twitter. They refuse to give Logan Stanley any credit whatsoever. What’s the problem? Is he too tall? Does he have too long a reach? Is it the toughness he adds to the team? WHAT?
15. Jets: Schedule
Update: The May 7 game vs Ottawa has been re-scheduled to Monday, April 5. This is due to the two postponed Vancouver games this week.
16. Jets: Is there anything more satisfying than a low stress win against a hated original six team like the Habs on a Saturday night? I guess beating Toronto is right up there as well. Now that I think about it, beating Edmonton and Calgary is pretty sweet too.
17. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum). I also base the movement (up or down) on the % and not the NHL ranking.
These are the Winnipeg Jets rankings within the seven team Canadian Division. Since all games played during the regular season are divisional the rest of the league’s numbers don’t really matter.
- PP: 2nd at 25.80% up from 25.70% last week.
- PK: 1st at 81.00 up from 80.20% last week.
- FO: 5th at 49.10 up from 48.60% last week.
UPDATE: Today, the National Hockey League has announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and the First Nations Pandemic Rapid Response Team’s Melanie MacKinnon have been named the NHL’s Co-First Stars of the Week for the week ending April 11, 2021. Hellebuyck went 3-0-0 last week with a .938 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against average.
18. Jets: I’m tired of the Josh Morrissey/Tucker Poolman pairing. It’s time for Paul Maurice to come to his senses and move Dylan DeMelo back up with Josh.
19. Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 20-10-3 … 2.45 GAA … .921 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%
20. Jets: FYI: Corey Perry is a weasel. Just ask Connor Hellebuyck who has had a couple of run-ins with him this season.
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In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.
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Thanks, Mitch
So who goes after Brady tonight? My guess is Forbort, since last game he tried luring him into dropping his gloves. Don’t think it will be Lowry too valuable to lose with a broken hand, and he is too big.
As the games get closer to playoff intensity and whistles disappear, give me Stanley over Niku or Heinola, not long term just not now.
Hard to say … maybe nothing happens if the game is close … it will be interesting … I would like to see Stanley challenge him.