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 decent week and rediscovered their goal-scoring as they went 2-1-0. Their record currently sits at 12-8-4 on the season. The Jets now play Carolina at home on Tuesday night and then head out west for back-to-backs versus Seattle and Vancouver on Thursday and Friday.
2. Jets: If you know me you’ll know that I’m kind of twisted. I’m not a Paul Maurice supporter but I’m not a hater either. Don’t get me wrong, he drives me crazy at times but not as crazy as his haters on Twitter. For some reason, I get great amusement from their angst, to the point where I can’t wait for Mark Chipman to announce PoMo’s 5-year extension. What an a-hole eh?
3. Jets: Congratulations to Winnipeg Jets captain, Blake Wheeler on playing in his 1000th NHL game on Sunday night. It would have been nice to see him pot his first goal of the season on his special day but I’m sure he’ll be happy with two assists and a win.
4. Jets: I’ve mentioned this a few times in the previous weeks but Kristian Vesalainen is slowly and I mean glacier speed slowly coming out of his shell. He is giving us small glimpses of offensive chops in his game. I would love to see him get to the point where Paul Maurice or whoever is responsible for our powerplay tries him in the right half-wall one-timer spot. Vesy had great success there in the Finish League and he was actually called “the left-handed Laine”.
5. Team Canada: Hockey Canada has invited Cole Perfetti to the U20 World Junior Selection Camp later this month. Perfetti will be the only returning forward from last year’s silver medal-winning team and should have a huge role with this year’s team.
6. Jets: I’ve decided that #6 is going to be the permanent home dedicated to my weekly bitch-fest about NHL officiating. I’ll never have to worry about having a lack of content, hell I could probably fill all 20 thoughts here on NHL officiating. Here’s one from Friday night. Check out this subtle little slew foot or should I say slew knee by PK Subban. PK is one of my favourite NHL players but he is getting a bit of a reputation for the slew foot. I believe he has been flagged for 2 or 3 of these lately. Maybe his nickname should be PK Slewban. This infraction went uncalled and Nikolaj Ehlers was rightfully not pleased.
PK Subban takes out #NHLJets Nikolaj Ehlers pic.twitter.com/Ivc0wQAtUi
— Michael Remis (@mremis) December 4, 2021
Next, on Sunday night after Rasmus Sandin collided knee on knee with Neal Pionk, the next shift Jason Spezza knees Neal Pionk in the head while he is sliding on the ice. In my opinion, this was premeditated as retaliation to Sandin being injured and should be suspendable but I wonder if the DOPS will even look at it.
UPDATE:
NHL Department of Player Safety offers Jason Spezza an in-person hearing, meaning there is option to suspend him more than 5 games. Neal Pionk will have a phone hearing and Wayne Simmonds fined $2,250. All from last night’s TOR/WIN game.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 6, 2021
UPDATE:
Neal Pionk is suspended for 2 games. Jason Spezza was suspended for 6 games.
Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk has been suspended for two games for Kneeing Toronto’s Rasmus Sandin. https://t.co/69HHijjoXA
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 6, 2021
Toronto’s Jason Spezza has been suspended for six games for Kneeing Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk. https://t.co/DDlM0Tdzw3
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 8, 2021
7. Jets: Riley Nash has now been healthy scratched for 5 straight games. Wow, how the mighty have fallen, from the 1st unit powerplay to the first unit in the popcorn brigade. Put him on waivers and put this chapter behind us and do it now before the Christmas roster freeze.
UPDATE:
Riley Nash (WIN) & Kevin Connauton (FLA) on waivers
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 6, 2021
UPDATE: This is huge news and looks like finally an opening for David Gustafsson.
TB claims Riley Nash
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 7, 2021
8. Jets: Say what you want about Paul Maurice reuniting Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler but this threesome does have unspoken chemistry that is eerie at times. They’ve never had a problem scoring, it’s been their play in their own zone that’s been an issue the past 2-3 years. I’m curious to see if they can hold their own this time around at even strength. Time will tell I guess.
9. Jets: I’ve never been keen on Andrew Copp playing as a top-6 forward but he surprises me every now and then. I’m not saying I’m completely off the fence but I’m slowly slipping. I actually like the new line of Andrew Copp, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Nikolaj Ehlers. I have a feeling though, that Paul Maurice will have the blender on overdrive all season long.
10. NHL: Does anybody realize the New York Islanders have now lost 11 straight games? This has to be the least talked about slump around the league this season. I guess Barry Trotz has forgotten how to coach. I wonder if their fan base is calling for his head?
11. Jets: After scoring 14 goals in their last two games this week that 1-0 loss last Monday to Arizona seems like ages ago.
12. Ice: The Winnipeg ICE split their two home games with Saskatoon last week and now have an overall record of 22-2-1 on the season. After week 9 the ICE are still the top-ranked team in the CHL. It will be interesting to see if their one loss this week will change their CHL ranking in Week 10.
ICE forward Matthew Savoie after he was named the McSweeney’s WHL Player of the Month for November. Savoie recorded 22 points (7G-15A) in 10 games in November and he begins the month of December as the WHL’s leading scorer with 39 points (13G-26A).
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 9
1. Winnipeg ICE
2. Kamloops Blazers
3. Everett Silvertips
4. Edmonton Oil Kings
5. London Knights
6. Charlottetown Islanders
7. Gatineau Olympiques
8. North Bay Battalion
9. Sherbrooke Phoenix
10. Hamilton Bulldogs
13. Moose: The Manitoba Moose swept their two-game series in Belleville this week and improved their overall record to 13-6-1-0 and remain in 4th place in the Western Conference. Arvid Holm stopped all 22 shots he faced on Sunday afternoon to get the 2-0 shutout, the first in his short AHL career. Cole Perfetti continues to lead the Moose in scoring with 15 points in 17 games.
14. NHL: Since there is no such thing as Maple Leafs. I think Toronto should change its name to Maple Leaves. I bet they win a Stanley Cup soon after. Of course, they won’t. BAZINGA.
15. Jets: My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff and/or Paul Maurice.
Why not send Nate Beaulieu down to the Moose or are you afraid he can’t crack their blueline either?
16. Jets: Attendance: Winnipeg Jets attendance has never been an issue or a talking point but after a year with no fans, with people still a little hesitant on attending games because of covid, and maybe some fan backlash toward TNSE and Kevin Cheveldayoff, the attendance is down and I’m a little concerned. I’ve gone through the pain of losing an NHL team and once in a lifetime is enough for me. Yes, we have rich owners but the club still needs to be viable on its own merits.
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I seen you (I think) tweet about it last night but can we just take a moment to acknowledge how awful Kevin Sawyer is? Seriously he talks more than Beyak and makes less sense. Surely we can do better after 10 years. I for one have never understood the Sportsnet hate. The TSN broadcast is nothing to write home about. It’s pretty much the same. That said Ron MacLean can go away anytime. There is no reason Tara Sloan or David Amber can’t handle the HNIC hosting. Maybe with one of them they can rein in Bieksa’s worst takes.
I know it’s a bit out of left field but it’s really getting hard to listen to games on TV.
I feel better now.
Cary on.
When I posted that tweet I was actually starting to wonder who got the penalty even though I knew it was the Leafs LOL. Sawyer doesn’t irritate me as much as others but I must admit I miss Shane Hnidy.