Odds and Ends about the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL that crossed my mind this past week —
Odds and Ends about the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL that crossed my mind this past week —Some random facts and a few thoughts from this past week about the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.
BREAKING NEWS:
Jan. 17, 2017
The Winnipeg Jets have called up Ondrej Pavelec from the Manitoba Moose.
Podcast later today.
1. The Winnipeg Jets started the week with a shutout at home versus the Calgary Flames and then a blowout at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. After an embarrassing loss against Arizona, they played a decent road game against the L.A. Kings but lost in overtime. The Jets finished the week 1-2-1 and now have a record of 20-22-4 overall.
2. I think Paul Maurice’s new nickname should be “Captain Hook”.
3. The big news after the debacle in Glendale Friday night was the Winnipeg Jets players held a “players only meeting”. Big whoop. What did they do? Talk about their feelings? As far as I’m concerned the “players only meeting” is a bogus creation to deflect attention away from a team’s poor play and make it look like they get it. Obviously, they don’t get it.
4. I think most hockey fans would be hard pressed to name their team’s goalie coach. There is usually only two times the goalie coach’s name is brought up. It’s either when a goalie is playing very good or if he’s playing very poorly. I don’t think Winnipeg Jets fans have ever heard Wade Flaherty’s name mentioned for the right reasons.
5. Last week I said that I thought Jacob Trouba had his best week as a Winnipeg Jets player. I must have jinxed him because this past week he wasn’t very good. Jake and his partner Toby Enstrom were on the ice for a lot of goals. It seemed like they were in the same corner of the ice or out of position an awful lot. I realize this may have something to do with Paul Maurice’s man to man coverage but the optics of it didn’t look very good.
6. I would rather see Captain Hook use a timeout and calm his team down instead of yanking the goaltender. It can’t do anything for a goalie’s confidence. Has it ever made a difference in a hockey game? It’s too late to close the stable door once the horse has already bolted.
7. Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers might be the Winnipeg Jets best player AND he’s not even a complete player yet or close to reaching his ceiling.
8. Pet peeve: I’ve never understood why hockey teams get bent out of shape when somebody steps on their logo in the locker-room. Why the hell is it on the floor in the first place? Aren’t you the ones disrespecting your own logo by putting it on the floor? Get the damn logo off the floor and plaster it all over the walls for crying out load.
9. I wonder if ex-Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel is sitting in a room somewhere sipping a pop, watching Jets highlights, and laughing his ass off.
10. The referee that called that penalty on Josh Morrissey for “tripping” on Jeff Carter with a body check Saturday night should be sent to the ECHL and never be allowed to come back.
11. Hayley Wickenheiser announced her retirement from the Team Canada women’s hockey team. Team Canada lost a great warrior.
Dear Canada. It has been the great honour of my life to play for you. Time to hang em up!! Thank you! #grateful #graduationday #canada pic.twitter.com/qzEo6sTgP2
— Hayley Wickenheiser (@wick_22) January 14, 2017
12. Last week I asked. “What are your thoughts on shootouts at the U20 WJC?” No surprise here as 7% said they were ok with the shootout while 52% said play 5 on 5 until it’s over. Play 3 on 3 received 22% and 4 on 4 received 19% of the votes.
13. There has been a lot of talk about Dustin Byfuglien’s play lately so I wrote an article on Saturday asking “Is Dustin Byfuglien A Coach Killer?”
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14. Question for Kevin Cheveldayoff: How come the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs are 20-13-8? Is their “process” better than yours or is it because you are still evaluating?
15. There was a time when being a .500 team wasn’t a bad thing. If you were .500 you were pretty much guaranteed a playoff spot. With the NHL handing out loser points left and right, being .500 has lost whatever cache it had. It can no longer be used as a positive benchmark anymore. How could it be when 24 out of the 30 NHL teams currently have records over Gary Bettman’s .500?
16. Next Winnipeg Jets game spend some time concentrating on just the Jets defencemen in their zone. Tell me how that defensive system can possibly work? It is mass confusion with huge holes in it. It is based on pressure and when executed correctly it is very effective BUT the breakdowns result in “grade A+” scoring chances. I personally hate it and I’m sure the Jets goaltenders aren’t thrilled with it either.
17. Back to team logos on the floor. Why have this big dressing room with your logo on the floor if you have to constantly have to walk around it? Maybe that’s why so many hockey teams play around the perimeter … bazzinga! (see #8)
18. The numbers:
- Connor Hellebuyck: GAA – 2.82 … SV% – .907 … 3 shutouts. One shutout and was pulled twice last week.
- Michael Hutchinson: GAA – 3.18 … SV% – .896 … 1 shutout .
19. Too bad Jets defenceman prospect Tucker Poolman is a right-handed shot. The Jets could really use an LD although it may not matter if Chevy doesn’t get him to sign a contract when UND’s season is over. We could be looking at another Justin Schultz or Jimmy Veasey situation.
20. Special Teams:
- PP: 17th at 17.7% up from … 18th at 17.2% … last week.
- PK: 26th at 77.6% up from … 26th at 77.1% … last week.
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Thanks, Mitch
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10.9
I have to say that though it is frustrating when the team I root for is sucking, the Random Thoughts are much more entertaining than when the team is playing well. 🙂
I hear ya
I had a few belly laughs reading some of your thoughts, especially for No. 9. Well done.
Noel is probably killing himself laughing … maybe I’m not a bad coach after all