Odds and Ends about the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL –
Some random facts and a few thoughts about the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.
1. The 2017-18 NHL season finally started and after all the hype and off-season signings by the Winnipeg Jets, they proceeded to get thumped twice going 0-2-0 in their first week of play. BTW that THUD you heard was Winnipeg Jets fans jumping off the bandwagon.
2. Even though Paul Maurice just signed a “more than one-year extension” I would say if they get thumped by the Oilers tonight the “watch” is officially ON!
UPDATE: Oct. 9, 10:00 pm
The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Edmonton Oiler 5-2, behind a 3-goal, 1 assist effort by Nikolaj Ehlers and a solid goaltending performance from Connor Hellebuyck. It wasn’t perfect but it sure beats losing. PoMo probably got a temporary stay of execution. The “watch” is on hold for now.
3. What happened to that unbelievable power-play we witnessed throughout the pre-season?
4. Steve Mason is taking a lot of heat after being brought in to shore up the Winnipeg Jets goaltending but the truth of the matter is that with the defensive system that Paul Maurice has his team playing it wouldn’t matter if the Jets had the 1970’s Habs blueline and Ken Dryden in goal. It doesn’t work. Somebody in that room whether it’s a player or an assistant coach or the GM or the fricking owner needs to stand up and say something. This hybrid man on man/zone system IS A JOKE!!!!!!!
5. I find it quite amusing that after seven years the Jets top defensive pairing is still the Atlanta Thrasher pair of Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom.
6. Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers just signed a very “club friendly” contract that locks him up for an additional seven years. Nice job by Kevin Cheveldayoff.
7. Speaking of contracts, does anybody think Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel is worth 10,000,000 per season? I’ll give you the answer. It’s NO.
8. Pet peeve: With all the crap NHL officials have on their plate it boggles my mind that the NHL’s off-season priority was penalizing players for wearing their visors improperly and not having their sweaters tucked in. Absolutely LAUGHABLE! Gary Bettman and his henchmen are so misguided it’s scary. Does any NHL fan want to see a game decided because a player’s visor is tilted too high up? What a bunch of morons.
9. I said this last year and I’ll say it again, I would like to see Mark Chipman hire a qualified President of Hockey Operations that oversees the GM and coach BUT not a yes man. Right now Mark Chipman makes all the major hockey decisions. This is the NHL boys, not your old AHL play toy!
10. Is there any point to having RFAs and bridge contracts? The owners and GMs are overpaying young players and then will be bitching about it the next CBA.
11. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights are 2-0-0.
12. The way I see it Mark Scheifele is the #1 center and Bryan Little is the #2 center. Adam Lowry is the #4 center. So, in reality, the Jets need another NHL center. If it’s not Perreault, Roslovic, Copp, or Petan I would like to see Chevy go outside the organisation and acquire one. He has a shitload of assets to use and it’s time to start cashing some of them in. Now!
13. FYI: The NHL actually did make one very good rule change. If you challenge a goal because it was off-side and you are wrong it is a two-minute penalty. I like it. Half the challenges last year were BS and a last-ditch shot in the dark.
14. Dustin Byfuglien has been taking a lot of heat after the first two games but Jacob Trouba has been awful as well but nary a negative word. Interesting.
15. Question for Kevin Cheveldayoff: How long is Paul Maurice’s leash or is that Mark Chipman’s call?
Loading ...16. I was at the Coyotes home opener and I was pretty happy when I saw the first period score in Calgary. I DVR’d the game and was fully intending to watch it when I accidentally heard the score. I checked twitter on the ride home and man it was vicious. I said to my wife the honeymoon is definitely over. Nobody in the Jets organisation is immune from the wrath of pissed off Jets fans.
17. I’m waiting for somebody in the mainstream media to ask Coach Maurice about his defensive system. If I’ve missed it, I apologize. I would love to hear his explanation.
18. I would not want to be a penalty killer on the Winnipeg Jets. Collapsing down low and becoming a shooting target would not be my idea of fun. With all the speedy forwards the Jets have I can’t understand why they don’t pressure the puck more?
19. I can see Adam Lowry being used as a net-front presence on the occasional Jets PP but him being out there on a regular basis is a misuse of your assets. Wake up PoMo!
20. Special Teams:
- PP: 25th at 9.1%.
- PK: 30th at 60.0%.
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Thanks, Mitch
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I’m not panicking yet. They dominated the first periods of both games but for whatever reason when adversity happened they lost their heads. If Maurice is telling Buf to float up to the blueline whenever you can in your own end or telling Armia to make a couple of moves just inside your own blueline before getting it out or telling Trouba and Kulikov to give pucks away in the corner, fire him because anyone who played hockey learned that in pee wee so that’s not coaching. Armia has been awful too. The only big concern I have is the penalty killing, even though I thought they did well against Calgary but had a seeing eye goal by Brodie with a few seconds left in the PP and a deflection goal and the Jets scored short handed. Toronto only had chances on the power play. I thought the Jets played pretty well for the whole game except short handed and couldnt score on their power plays even though they had tremendous pressure. My point is I’ve seen them dominate like last year but not doing it for the whole game. I don’t see their own end any worse than any other team so far. Every team in the league gets pressured hard at points in a game. They have to stop panicking and there are no excuses for your top players to panic. They did pick up Hendricks to kill penalties but he’s hurt. Another reason not to panic is Dallas, Minnesota, San Jose, Nashville have no wins so far and Vegas is 2-0 so things are upside down and it’s not like they’re out of it. I don’t believe Edmonton is some power house either. Only one guy is scoring there and they lost to Vancouver. Get a win and everything will turn around. I hope!
lots of blame to go around but I think fans are tired of the excuses … this team needed a good start and it didn’t happen … lots of angst in River City