Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon”
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 so-so week going 2-2 but are still in the hunt for first place in the division. The Jets’ current record of 20-10-1 is pretty impressive considering they haven’t played with their “A” roster yet.
2. Jets: Pierre-Luc Dubois is gettin’ paid.
3. Jets: I like when the bottom six guys like Axel Jonsson-Fjallby score a big goal. His snipe in Vancouver was a beauty.
4. NHL: I have no problem with the Jets playing on back-to-back nights, every team does it BUT what the hell was the NHL schedule maker thinking when he had the Jets play back-to-back within 22 hours? There should be at least a 24-hour minimum. It might be nitpicking but two hours is two hours.
5. Jets: I can’t believe Josh Morrissey is still the Jets leading scorer and to think I traded him away in one of my fantasy leagues. I wasn’t sure it was for real. Oh well.
6. Jets: Dylan DeMelo loses his stick and when he goes to pick it up Jordan Eberle scores. I wonder if he just takes the stick offered to him by one of his forwards if that goal happens. Dylan DeMelo played pretty well last night but I think he made two poor plays that lead to Seattle’s first and third goals.
7. Moose: Considering the Manitoba Moose have half of their team called up by the Jets they have played fairly well going 4-2 over the past two weeks. They still sport a solid 14-7-2-1 record. They currently occupy second place in the Central Division. FYI, the top four teams in the division qualify for the post-season based on winning percentage.
8. ICE: The Canadian Hockey League announced their Week 11 edition of the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings for the 2022-23 season and they have moved the ICE up to #2 despite the ICE having five more wins than Seattle. I don’t get it. The CHL is as bad as FIFA.
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 11
as of Dec. 14
1. Seattle Thunderbirds (20-4-1-1)
2. Winnipeg ICE (25-4-0-0)
3. Quebec Remparts (24-5-0-1)
4. Saskatoon Blades (21-5-0-0)
5. Portland Winterhawks (21-4-2-1)
6. Ottawa 67’s (22-5-0-1)
7. Victoriaville Tigres (21-6-1-3)
8. London Knights (19-8-1-0)
9. North Bay Battalion (20-8-0-1)
10. Halifax Mooseheads (19-7-2-1)
9. Jets: Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness’s message is certainly getting through to all his players from top to bottom but I can’t help but wonder if he can make it last. The difference in this team from last season is amazing. Rick Bowness is actually as media savvy as Paul Maurice but he tells it like it is more than Maurice. I find that very refreshing.
10. Jets: Mark Scheifele is playing at a level we’ve never seen before. He is scoring, skating, handling the puck like a wizard, and playing a 200-foot game. Amazing what a new voice in the room can do. His mentor Dale Hawechuck would be proud.
11. Jets: The latest newcomer to the Jets lineup that has made a positive impression on me is Kevin Stenlund. Stenlund looks like he has a decent skillset and he has more to offer than your typical four-liner. I’ve said this earlier in previous “Random Thoughts” but kudos to Chevy and his pro scouts for identifying guys like Kevin Stenlund, Saku Maenalanen, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Kyle Capobianco.
12. Jets: Poll question-
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13. Jets: The Jets received more bad news on the injury front with Blake Wheeler being lost to the team for at least a month and Nate Schmidt out for at least six weeks. The team is already without Nikolaj Ehlers, Saku Maenalanen, Mason Appleton, and Logan Stanley.
14. Jets: My weekly question for Rick Bowness, Kevin Cheveldayoff, or Mark Chipman.
This is a question for Chevy. With injuries piling up and the NHL trade freeze upcoming are you going to be working the phone lines over the holidays?
15. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).
- PP: 11th at 24.20% up from 15th last week at 22.70%
- PK: 5th at 82.10% down from 4th last week at 83.60%
- FO: 26th at 47.30% same as 26th last week at 47.30%
16. Jets: Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 16-7-1 … 2.33 GAA … .928 SV% … 3 shutouts
- David Rittich: 4-3-0 … 2.77 GAA … .896 SV%
PLD will get 8.5 up if he keeps playing and leading like this
Morrissey and Schmidt, especially the latter are big leaders.
Scheiffle attitude has definitely changed this year.
Bowness line choices, considering who’s there have worked quite well.
Lastly, did you see the overview of “the shot” Wheeler took? OUCH!!!!
Thanks for reading Don ….. Poor Wheeler … that looked painful