Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets for Dec. 15, 2025

December 15, 2025 by

Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon.“ Odds and Ends, Thoughts, and Questions from this past week in Hockey

I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, 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, or is it the 8Ps?  You’ve been warned.

For a more in-depth look at these Random Thoughts, check out the new WHT YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk

Host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk writer Mitch Kasprick discuss his Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League. 

 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 1-2 this past week, but the team did play well enough to win all 3 games but to be blunt, they did not get NHL goaltending.  Their record sits at 15-15-1 and they are 4 points out of the last wildcard position.  They have over half a season left to get their act together, but catching Minny for 3rd place in the Central Division is probably out of the question, so right now the goal is to win some games and see where you are when the dust settles. 

2. Jets:  Some good news and some bad news.

Connor Hellebuyck is back and leads his team to a 5-1 win in his first game back on Saturday night.  Helle in net sure was a sight for sore eyes.

The bad news is Helle hasn’t played for a month, so temper your expectations as this Jets free fall started long before his surgery.

3. Jets:  Even though I said I was going to stop ragging on Dylan DeMelo, it hasn’t stopped others.

4. Jets:  From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file.  

I’m old school, and I have no issue with fighting in the NHL, but I need someone to explain to me the purpose of the fight between Jets Luke Schenn and Bruins Mark Kastelic 3 seconds after the puck dropped on Thursday night.  The only thing more embarrassing than the fight was listening to TSN’s Kevin Sawyer trying to justify it.  The NHL needs to put an end to those meaningless tilts by giving the players automatic game misconducts because they’re a joke, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.  

5. Jets:  The Eric Comrie rollercoaster ride mercifully ended on Thursday last week after losses to Dallas (4-3) and to Boston (6-3 en).  The only thing plummeting faster than the mercury in a thermometer in Manitoba is Comrie’s save percentage.

6. Jets:  Question for Scott Arniel:  Hey, coach, does this make sense?

7. Jets:  I’m not saying Hadyn Fleury is the answer, but he’s got to be better than Logan Stanley or Luke Schenn based just on his skating ability alone.  Wouldn’t it be nice if he were a late, late bloomer, as this former 1st-rounder was such a stud in junior.

8. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose went 1-1 last week, making their record 14-10-2-0.  The Moose are in 2nd in the Central Division and are in a tie for 3rd in the 17-team Western Conference.  The boys still have 4 more in a row at home to finish off the month of December.  The Jets prospects have done didily-squat in the past 2 weekend series versus a very weak Iowa team, and that is very concerning.  Dom DiVincentiis has been sent back down to the Moose with the return of Connor Hellebuyck. 

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live every Monday … we’ll be starting our live show at 6:30 tonight … Winnipeg Hockey Talk on YouTube

9. Jets:  I don’t usually do Money Puck’s playoff percentage odds until the midway point of the season, but I’ve already had requests, so let’s give the readers what they want.

As of Wednesday morning, before the Boston game, the Jets’ chances of making the playoffs were at 35.2%.  As you can see, the percentage fluctuates daily, whether the team plays or not; however, the days following games exhibit larger fluctuations.  After beating Washington on Saturday night, they were at 36.1% and after Sunday’s games settled in at 36.5%.

 

10. Jets:  I see a lot of belly-aching about Logan Stanley on X and in some chat rooms, and I am by no means a Stanley cheerleader, but someone who hasn’t had a problem with him all year.  I look at my expectations of him, how much money he makes, and what he contributes to this team, and the fact that he is still learning and hopefully improving.  Stan is easily earning his $1,250,000, and I’d be way more worried about the ROI (return on investment) the Jets are getting from #2 ($4,900,000) and #4 ($7,000,000).  The Jets’ problem isn’t their #6 defenceman, it’s a little higher up the depth chart.

11. Jets:  Special Teams:  Rule of thumb.  Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).

  • PP: 12th at 20.90% down from 12th at 21.30% last week (net 12th at 18.70%)*
  • PK: 21st at 78.40% down from 14th 81.30% last week (net 20th at 81.40%)*
  • FO: 12th at 51.30% down from 9th at 52.10% last week

12. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  9-6-0 … 2.41 GAA … .916 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  6-8-1 … 3.30 GAA … .886 SV%

13. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  Connor Hellebuyck is back, and without him making a save, the team looked different in front of him from the get-go.
  • Bad:  Special Teams are starting to look a little ragged.  
  • Ugly:  The Jets ended up 3-8-1 post-Helle surgery.

14. Jets: Congrats to Nino on 1000 games in the NHL, the 1st Swiss-born player to do so.  He is one of my favourite Jets.

15.  Things that make me go hmmm:🤔 Josh Morrissey is a virtual lock for the Canadian Olympic Team, and Mark Scheifele is a frontrunner for a spot, but there are a few late contenders that could make it interesting.

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live every Monday … we’ll be starting our live show at 6:30 tonight … Winnipeg Hockey Talk on YouTube

Click ICON to follow WHT  on X 👉👉👉 Follow @WpgHockTalk

*

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets for Dec. 8, 2025

December 8, 2025 by

Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon.“ Odds and Ends, Thoughts, and Questions from this past week in Hockey

I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, 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, or is it the 8Ps?  You’ve been warned.

For a more in-depth look at these Random Thoughts, check out the new WHT YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk

Host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk writer Mitch Kasprick discuss his Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League. 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets finished their 5-game road trip with a disappointing 1-3-1 record, and after a week where they went 1-2-1, their record of 14-13-1 still has them hovering around the wildcard position.  The good guys now have 4 in a row at home and need to start banking some points.

2. Jets:  The lack of scoring, and by that I mean scoring from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines, is a much bigger problem than the lack of Helle.  The good news is that the 4th line has scored in the last 2 games, but the bad news is that the 2nd and 3rd lines have completely gone dry.

3. Jets:  Adam Lowry and Dylan Samberg are not playing their best hockey right now.  I think missing games to start the season has impacted both of them more than we would have expected.  You can add Cole Perfetti to this list as well and while I’m at it, let’s add Jonathon Toews, who hasn’t played in a couple of years.  I’m looking forward to a big second half from all 4 of these players because we’re going to need it.  I just hope it’s not too late.

4. Jets:  From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file.  

I’m not a Chevy hater nor a Chevy apologist, but at what point does the GM have to take responsibility for the fiasco he has created?  Under Chevy’s tenure, the Winnipeg Jets have only won 4 playoff rounds in 14 years, and year 15 isn’t looking very promising.  It’s time to start holding his feet to the fire, as he is the architect of this old, slow team, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.  

5. Jets:  After being very hard on Eric Comrie last week, he was incredible on Wednesday night in Montreal.  I also thought he was excellent versus Buffalo on Friday night.

6. Jets:  Question for Scott Arniel:  With your team having to go to Edmonton on a back-to-back, your big roster move was to sit Elias Salomonsson and dress Luke Schenn?

7. Jets:  Logan Stanley, Neal Pionk, and Dylan Samberg were taking turns serving up free pizzas in Montreal on Wednesday night.

8. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose went 2-1 last week, making their record 13-9-2-0.  The Moose are in 2nd in the Central Division and are in a tie for 3rd in the 17-team Western Conference.  The boys now have 6 in a row at home to finish off the month of December.  The part that frustrates me about the Moose is that I want to see Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov get called up to the Jets, but if I were being honest, the way they are playing at the AHL level, they don’t deserve a promotion. 

Update:  Thomas Milic down to the Moose, Dom DiVincentiis up to the Jets. 

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live every Monday at 7 pm … @WpgHockTalk

9. Jets:  Elias Salomonsson played in two games last week, and his overall play actually looked pretty solid.  It will be interesting to see what happens when Haydn Fleury is ready to return.  IMHO, he would not be my choice to come out of the Jets lineup.

10. Jets:  The NHL has announced that the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in an outdoor game in the 2026 “Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic” at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.  The game will be played on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, and I’m guessing it won’t be an afternoon game where the sun can play havoc like the last time in 2016.

11. Jets:  WHT Poll

If the price is right should Chevy look into acquiring Steve Stamkos?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

12. Jets:  Special Teams:  Rule of thumb.  Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).

  • PP: 12th at 21.30% down from 11th at 22.70% last week (net 12th at 18.80%)*
  • PK: 14th at 81.30% down from 6th 84.50% last week (net 12th at 84.60%)*
  • FO: 9th at 52.10% down from 6th at 53.00% last week

13. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  8-6-0 … 2.51 GAA … .913 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  6-6-0 … 3.08 GAA … .898 SV%
  • Thomas Milic:  0-1-0 … 3.56 … .871 SV%
  • Domenic DiVincentiis:  6-7-0–0 … 2.49 GAA … .915 SV%  (Manitoba Moose)

14. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  The 3rd period versus Buffalo on Friday night looked like last year’s Jets.
  • Bad:  Adam Lowry should be embarrassed by being outmuscled by the much smaller Matt Savoie on Edmonton’s 3rd goal on Saturday night.  
  • Ugly:  The Jets are 3-6-1 post-Helle surgery.

15.  Things that make me go hmmm:🤔  

I’ve already heard a lot of Jets fans griping about Montreal being the Jets’ opponent for the Heritage Classic, when Minnesota is our closest rival in proximity and our biggest rival, period.  I totally concur, but I don’t know what the criteria are for choosing an opponent.  Is it about Canadian Heritage and not necessarily rivalries?  I wonder?

16.  WHT Poll

Who would you prefer to see in the Tim Hortons Heritage Classic?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

17.  WHT Poll

Should Chevy look into Laurent Brossoit?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

18. Jets:  Cole Koepke has NHL speed, but he has AHL hands.  If Cole had better hands, he’d have 3 or 4 more goals this season.  I love the way he takes the puck to the net and doesn’t live on the perimeter like some of his teammates. 

19. Jets:  I like Vladdy, but I’m sorry, you can’t have a guy with 0 goals and 1 assist in his last 15 games playing on the 2nd line and second unit powerplay.  He’s okay in a pinch, but he is a bottom-six guy on most teams.

20. Jets:  Kevin Cheveldayoff’s scorecard has a lot of birdies on it as well as a lot of bogies.  He also has a couple of eagles and a few double-bogies too, but after you add up his scorecard, he is a par golfer at best, and par golfers never win a golf tournament and rarely even make the cut.  It’s time for Mark Chipman to find a new golfer to back.  

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live at 7 pm on Monday nights … @WpgHockTalk

Click ICON to follow WHT  on X👉👉👉 Follow @WpgHockTalk

*

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets for Dec. 1, 2025

December 1, 2025 by

Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon.“ Odds and Ends, Thoughts, and Questions from this past week in Hockey

I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, 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, or is it the 8Ps?  You’ve been warned.

For a more in-depth look at these Random Thoughts, check out the new WHT YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk

Host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk writer Mitch Kasprick discuss his Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.

Watch WHT’s YouTube show here >>> at 7 pm every Monday.

1.  Jets: The Winnipeg Jets finished the first 3 games of their 5-game road trip with a 1-2 record and finally stopped their losing streak at 4 games.  Their record of 13-11-0 still has them hovering around the wildcard position, even though the team is going through one of its roughest patches in quite a few years. 

2. Jets:  While most Jets fans are lamenting the loss of Connor Hellebuyck, I am actually more concerned about the lack of scoring.  Up until Saturday night in Nashville, the Jets have not had any secondary scoring since their last win, 5 games ago, versus Columbus.   

3. Jets:  The Jets aren’t scoring enough goals to constantly be chasing the game.  They are such a different team when they score the first goal.  Saturday night was a perfect example; they scored the first 3 goals and won 5-2.

4. NHL:  From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file. 

I wrote this after the second period of the Caps game on Wednesday night, with the Jets trailing 3-2.  Two of the three goals that Eric Comrie let in were muffins that were very low-level scoring chances.  When the goalie plays poorly, the narrative is that “it’s a team game, BUT in a 4-3 loss, those 2 goals were the difference, and yes, you can blame the goaltending, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

5. Jets:  The DeMelo Files: The truth is out there.

I think Dylan DeMelo looked like his normal self last week, and although he still takes penalties due to his lack of speed, his overall play was solid.

6. Jets:  Question for Scott Arniel:  WHY … WHY … WHY

7. Jets:  Looking at SOG metrics is meaningless when you watch a Winnipeg Jets game.  In some games, they shoot the puck, and in some games, they don’t.  It doesn’t matter if they are in a good scoring position or not.  Let’s just say they have been known to overpass.  Trying to guess the score by the SOG in a Jets game is almost impossible. 

8. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose went 2-2 last week, making their record 11-8-2-0.  The Moose are still in a tie for 2nd in the Central Division and are in a tie for 6th in the 17-team Western Conference.  The boys now head out on the road for 3 games next week.  This Moose team also has a hard time scoring, which doesn’t bode well for prospects looking for a call-up.

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live every Monday at 7 pm.

9. Jets:  Elias Salomonsson (RD) and Thomas Milic (G) both made their NHL debuts last week to mixed reviews, but the only ones that matter are the ones here, and they were both good IMHO.  If you want to hear my reviews, watch us live tonight at 7 PM on YouTube or anytime after it’s uploaded.

10. Jets:  Memory Lane:  Ulf  Nilsson is my favourite Jets player of all-time.  Who is yours?

11. Jets:  WHT Poll

If the price is right should Chevy look into acquiring Steve Stamkos?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

12. Jets:  Special Teams:  Rule of thumb.  Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).

  • PP: 11th at 22.70% down from 8th at 23.30% last week
  • PK: 6th at 84.50% up from 6th 83.80% last week
  • FO: 6th at 53.00% down from 5th at 53.01% last week

13. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  8-6-0 … 2.51 GAA … .913 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  5-4-0 … 2.91 GAA … .898 SV%
  • Thomas Milic:  0-1-0 … 4.09 … .882 SV%

14. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  Perfetti has been a disappointment so far this season, but maybe scoring a goal versus Nashville on Saturday night will get him going. 
  • Bad:  I don’t like how easily the Jets are giving up their blueline and backing up into their goalie.
  • Ugly:  1-4 post Helle.

15. Things that make me go hmmm:🤔  One of my favourite Jets is Vladdy Namestnikov, but I still haven’t really figured out what he is.  He’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”  His scoring output doesn’t align with his skill set.  

16. Things that make me go hmmm:🤔Part 2.  Hmmm Chevy! 

It looks like Laurent Brossoit is a man without a home.  He hasn’t played for Chicago since signing a two-year contract with them on July 1, 2024.

During “Saturday Headlines” on Hockey Night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman reported the Blackhawks have given other teams permission to speak with Laurent Brossoit’s camp about trading for him, as the Blackhawks don’t have room for his $3,300,000 cap hit.  Spencer Knight is currently their starting netminder with Arvid Soderblom serving as his backup.

The good news is he can probably be had at a bargain basement price, AND Chicago has two salary retention slots still available and could retain a portion of Brossoit’s contract if the price is right.

Brossoit is set to start playing in a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League this week.

17. Jets:  WHT Poll

Should Chevy look into Laurent Brossoit?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

18. NHL:  Pet Peeve:

Hockey announcers who base a player’s play on their points.  On Saturday night, Garry Galley was gushing about a certain player because he had 2 assists in the game, even though he was a tire fire most of the night.

19.  Jets:  From the “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth“ file.

Maybe last year was the outlier, and this is the real Jets.

20. Jets:  I’m not sure Brad Lambert or Nikita Chibrikov earned their way onto the Jets roster coming out of training camp this year, or not, as I didn’t attend camp this year.  They did make the roster because of injuries to Adam Lowry and Dylan Samberg though.  What I can say now, after 24 games, is that I would prefer any combination of Lambert, Chibrikov, and Salomonsson in the lineup. 

I’m not sure what criteria are being used to justify the icetime and roster positions occupied by Tanner Pearson, Gus Nyquist, or Luke Schenn, but I’m not buying whatever it is.  I have 2 eyes.  

  

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live at 7 pm on Monday nights.

Click ICON to follow WHT 👉👉👉 Follow @WpgHockTalk

*

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets for Nov. 24, 2025

November 24, 2025 by

Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon.“ Odds and Ends, Thoughts, and Questions from this past week in Hockey

I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, 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, or is it the 8Ps?  You’ve been warned.

For a more in-depth look at these Random Thoughts, check out the new WHT YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk

Host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk writer Mitch Kasprick discuss his Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.

Watch WHT’s YouTube show here >>> https://youtu.be/gsFpDc79Kxw  at 7 pm every Monday.

1. Jets:  Friday night versus the Carolina Hurricanes, four to six weeks of life without goaltender Connor Hellebuyck officially started for the Winnipeg Jets. 

It was probably smart to have the surgery now and rehab through the Christmas break so he won’t miss as many games. 

2. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets finished their 3-game homestand with a 1-2-0 record and sit in 5th place in the Central Division, just a couple of points outside of a wildcard spot.  The boys now head back out on the road for 5 games visiting Washington, Carolina, Nashville, Buffalo, and Montreal.  I have a very bad feeling about this trip.

3. Jets:  Some good news if you’re an Adam Lowry fan. 

4. NHL:  From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file. 

Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers, who was one of my favourite players as a Winnipeg Jet.  Nik played in his first game as a Carolina Hurricane versus his old team for the first time in Winnipeg on Friday night, and apparently, I was supposed to give a crap.  I’m glad he got a warm ovation during his video tribute, but I find it hard to feel warm and fuzzy about a player who left us high and dry.  He is gone and I don’t give a #&%! about him, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

5. Jets:  The DeMelo Files: The truth is out there.

Tuesday night versus Columbus, Miles Wood blew past him like he was standing still and tied the game 1-1 after the Jets dominated the 1st period.

Friday night against Carolina, DD made a terrific breakout pass (got an assist) to Scheif that led to a goal by Josh Morrissey.

Later in that period, he saved a sure goal by swatting a puck out of mid-air that was on its way into an open net.

Sunday afternoon, versus Minnesota, he took an interference penalty that I thought was a weak call, but he lost body position, and the official got fooled.

I rag on DD quite a bit, but overall, I think he had a decent week.

6. Jets:  Question for Scott Arniel:  You’ve been juggling the lines a lot lately in 3rd periods when you’re behind or looking for more offence.  Why not try some new lines and attempt to bolster the 2nd line on a more permanent basis?

7. Jets:  There is a current trend that’s been going on for quite some time, that if you’re in a playoff position on American Thanksgiving, you will indeed make the playoffs.  This Thursday is American Thanksgiving, and I have a bad feeling Friday will show the Jets on the outside looking in.

8. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose won both of their games this week to make it 6 in a row, improving their record to 9-6-2-0.  The Moose are now in a tie for 2nd in the Central Division and are in a tie for 5th in the 17-team Western Conference.  The boys have 4 home games this coming week.  Three up, one down as the Moose got three players ( Brad Lambert,  Parker Ford, and Nikita Chibrikov) back from the parent club, while losing one ( Thomas Milic) to the Jets. 

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live every Monday at 7 pm.

9. Jets:  This is getting really old. 

10. Jets:  I think it’s time to give some props to Alex Iafallo.  AI is the new Mathieu Perrault type of Swiss Army Knife.  Play him on any line, use him in any role, and he just keeps on chugging and never complains.  He is definitely one of my favourite Jets.

Embed from Getty Images

 

11. Jets:  WHT Poll

If the price is right should Chevy look into acquiring Steve Stamkos?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

12. Jets:  Special Teams:  Rule of thumb.  Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).

  • PP: 8th at 23.30% down from 8th at 24.10% last week
  • PK: 6th at 83.80% down from 6th 84.10% last week
  • FO: 5th at 53.01% up from 7th at 53.00% last week

13. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  8-6-0 … 2.51 GAA … .913 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  4-3-0 … 2.87 GAA … .899 SV%

14. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  I thought the Jets played pretty well last week, but got nothing to show for it.
  • Bad:  No puck-luck.  
  • Ugly:  0-2 post Helle.

15. Things that make me go hmmm:🤔

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter, but I was wondering why Frank Seravalli broke the news about Brad Lambert’s trade request, and Darren Dreger broke the story about Helle’s surgery and not one of our local guys.

16. Things that make me go hmmm:🤔Part 2.  

I wonder if it pisses off our local guys?

17. Jets: From the “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth” file.

We are at the 1/4 pole of the season, and I have to ask myself to put aside my Jonathon Toews bias and ask myself the question.  Is JT working out?  I’m going to ignore the question for now because I might not like the answer.

18. NHL:  Pet Peave:  “The lacrosse line change.”

The lacrosse line change in hockey happens when the team skating from their offensive zone back towards their defensive zone have 2 players jump into the back gate of their players’ bench, while 2 players jump onto the ice out of the front gate, and gain the length of their players’ bench plus the 2-3 steps grace they’re allowed.  The problem is that the 2-3 step grace at both ends has turned into 3-4 steps, then 4-5 steps.  Do you see where I’m going with this?

Friday night in the 3rd period versus Carolina, the Jets had a 2-on-1 developing coming out of their defensive zone when 2 Hurricanes jumped out of the far end of their box while the 2 players they were replacing were still 6 feet away, basically turning a 2-on-1 into a 2-on-3, and it pisses me off even more when the announcers don’t mention it.

Give ’em an inch, and they’ll take a mile, and you know for sure that Count Chocula’s minions will call the first “too many men on the ice” penalty on a lacrosse change in 5 years against the Jets on their upcoming 6-game road trip.  

19. Jets:  Kyle Connor is starting to let some of his old bad habits creep back into his game, and it really showed on the 2 short-handed goals that were scored against the Jets in both their losses this weekend.  I’m not saying the shorties were his fault, but the sight of him dogging it on the backcheck wasn’t a good look. 

20. Jets:  Neal Pionk left the game after his 2nd shift in the 1st period and did not return.  Pionk is day-to-day with the injury, but there will be an update after the team practices on Monday afternoon.

*

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live at 7 pm on Monday nights.

Click ICON to follow WHT 👉👉👉 Follow @WpgHockTalk *

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets for Nov. 17 2025

November 17, 2025 by

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, Manitoba Moose, 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, or is it the 8Ps?  You’ve been warned.

For a more in-depth look at these Random Thoughts, check out the new WHT YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk

Host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk writer Mitch Kasprick discuss his Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.

Watch WHT’s YouTube show here >>> https://youtu.be/gsFpDc79Kxw

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets finished their 6-game trip with a 2-4-0 record and fulfilled my prediction of winning 2 of the last 3 games to help salvage the backend of the trip, BUT, BUT, had to go to a shootout versus the lowly Calgary Flames to do it.  The team has an 11-7-0 record and currently sits in 3rd place in the Central Division. 

2. Jets:  Dylan Samberg returned to the lineup last week and made a noticeable difference, but unfortunately, he and Josh can’t make up for the rest of the def corps’ shortcomings, although he does help Neal Pionk look a little better, but not enough in my opinion. 

3. Jets:  I know I’ve been harping on the Jets’ blueline an awful lot this season, and good team defence needs to include the forwards as well, BUT most of the glaring mistakes that are leading to goals against have been when we’ve already had possession of the puck and given away by our dmen.  

4. NHL:  FYI:  In standings, a victory in a shootout counts as one goal for, while a shootout loss counts as one goal against.

5. Jets:  Dylan DeMelo gift-wrapped Seattle’s first goal on Thursday night.  I feel so sorry for Josh.  It’s getting tough to miss the constant mistakes from #2.

6. Jets:  Question for Kevin Cheveldayoff:  I’m sure you’re seeing the same mistakes and poor play defensively from your team, so my question is, what are you going to do about it?  I know top-4 defencemen don’t grow on trees and aren’t readily available in the trade market, but are you looking, or do you need to look within the organisation?

7. Jets:  Just based on the “eye test,” I would have never thought that Jonathon Toews was a team high -8 in the +/- statistic.

8. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose won all three of their games last week and finished their 5-game road trip with 4 wins, improving their record to 7-6-2-0.  The Moose are now in a tie for 3rd in the Central Division and are back home for six games.  Brayden Yager is starting to find the score sheet a little more regularly after a slow start.  The first-year pro now has a very respectable 8 points in 15 games.  Thomas Milic is the leading goaltender with a 4-2 record, 2.28 GAA and .915 SV%.

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live every Monday at 7 pm.

9. Jets:  Not only is Josh Morrissey the Jets’ best defenceman, he is one of the team’s best offensive weapons as well.  Josh is 3rd in team scoring, and the team scores many of their goals where he doesn’t get an assist, but it was one of his slick breakout passes that started the rush.  Josh has officially reached stud status in my books.  Josh is an All-Star and a lock for Canada’s Olympic team.

Embed from Getty Images

10. Jets:  I had to laugh when the HNIC announcer, Jon Abbott, said there sure have been some egregious turnovers in this game just seconds after Dylan DeMelo served up a pizza with extra cheese.

11. Jets:  WHT Poll

If the price is right should Chevy look into acquiring Steve Stamkos?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

12. Jets:  Special Teams:  Rule of thumb.  Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).

  • PP: 8th at 24.10% up from 13th at 20.00% last week
  • PK: 8th at 84.10% down from 6th 86.90% last week
  • FO: 7th at 53.00% up from 8th at 52.70% last week

13. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  8-6-0 … 2.51 GAA … .913 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  3-1-0 … 2.75 GAA … .908 SV%

14. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  The return of Dylan Samberg and the stability he has brought to the second defence pairing.   
  • Bad:  The Jets blew two 3-goal leads twice in the last two games of the road trip.  It cost them a win in Seattle and forced the Calgary game into overtime, then a shootout, which they won.  
  • Ugly:  The schedule.  Six games on the road, then three at home, and back on the road for five more.  Not great when the team is not playing well. 

15. Things that make me go hmmm: Part 1  

There are a lot of fans and people who cover the Jets, scratching their heads, wondering why the Jets can’t protect a lead when they were so good at it last year.  Well, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out this is not the same team.

16. Things that make me go hmmm: Part 2  

Why would you continue to play Gus Nyquist, who has done nothing to justify his icetime and not give David Gustafsson the job he has rightfully earned OR let one of the kids like Nikita Chibrikov or Brad Lambert get some much-needed on-the-job training since they are the future of this team?

17. Jets: From the “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth” file.

Right now, as this Jets team is currently built, it looks like they will be in a dog fight all season for a playoff spot, and there is a chance they could not make it.  Do I think they’ll miss the playoffs?  No, because I don’t think Chicago, Anaheim, Seattle, or San Jose will stay in the race, but you never know.  The Jets are a veteran team that knows how to win, but Scott Arniel needs to fix whatever ails them quickly! 

18. CFL:  As a proud Winnipegger, it hurts when you hear people badmouth our hometown, but this week, all we heard is out-of-town visitors here for the Grey Cup compliment the people and hospitality at the events and how terrific they were.  I have to admit it felt nice. Well done, Winnipeg!

Watch the WHT YouTube channel live at 7 pm on Monday nights.

Click ICON to follow WHT 👉👉👉 Follow @WpgHockTalk

*

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Blog Stats

  • 189,171 hits