Apr. 27 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets

April 27, 2026 by Leave a Comment

1. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose won their opening round series two games to one over the Milwaukee Admirals, exercising some old playoff demons from tough losses to Milwaukee in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Central Division Semifinals.

2. Jets:  I thought Brayden Yager showed pretty well in the 3 games he played with the Jets at the end of the season, and his solid play continued in his first three playoff games as a pro.  I’m sure he has his sights set on making the big club next season, and that could be a big ask for the young centerman, but I like what I am seeing, and I’m pulling for him.   

3.  Moose:  Domenic DiVincentiis was very solid in leading the Moose to both victories over the weekend when they were facing elimination after Thomas Milic dropped the first game to a very opportunistic Milwaukee squad.   

4. Moose:  It looks like the Moose will be rotating the goalies on a win-and-stay-in basis.

5. Moose:  A brilliant effort on the forecheck by David Gustafsson, and then a nice pass leads to the 2-0 goal for the Moose late in the second period to give the team a little breathing room going into the 3rd period, and boy did they need it.

Embed from Getty Images

6. Moose:  I was very pleased and surprised with Elias Salomonsson’s level of physicality in the two games he played in the series.  Paired with Isaak Phillips, they made a formidable duo on the back end, and it is no coincidence the Moose won with Salo back in the lineup.

7. Things that make me go hmmm 🤔:  Why is David Gustafsson playing in the AHL?  I’m so on board with the “Gus Bus.”  I don’t get it.

8. Jets:  Based on what I’ve seen so far in the first round of the NHL playoffs, I’m not sure if the Jets could compete physically.

9. Jets:   Everybody was making a big deal about Helle’s garbage bag day interview, but not much has been said about this quote from Scott Arniel.

I’d love to be a 100 mph team, but I have to coach what’s in front of me.

10. Moose:  Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert have developed some interesting chemistry together.

11.  Moose Turds:

  • Gus has 3 points in 3 games (1 goal & 2 assists) and all of them huge.
  • Nobody stands in front of the Moose net when Terell Bauer is on the ice.
  • Domenic DiVincentiis only allowed 1 goal in each win this weekend, along with a .962 sv%.
  • Attendance was 4,853 for game 3.

*

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Apr. 6 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets

April 6, 2026 by

Please join host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk owner/writer Mitch Kasprick for a more in-depth discussion of these Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League on our new WHT YouTube channel here >>>> https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk  LIVE every Monday at 7:00 pm.  

This week’s YouTube show

Join Harley and Mitch on YouTube for the Apr. 6 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets.

Listen to a more detailed version of the Curmudgeon’s thoughts.

Note: Because of today’s Jets game, we will be Live at 5:30 pm

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 2-1-0 this past week but have failed to gain any ground in their pursuit of the final wildcard in the Western Conference.  Their record currently sits at 33-31-12.  The boys are 3 points out of the playoffs with 6 games remaining in the regular season and still kicking at the cat, but they’re running out of games.

2. Jets:  It’s funny, Brad Lambert hasn’t put any points on the board lately, BUT you’d never know he’s the rookie out there.  

3. Things that make me go hmmm #1 🤔:  Almost all of the local podcasters or YouTube channels dedicated to following the Winnipeg Jets have all said the same thing.

The Winnipeg Jets are a much better team right now, but no thanks to the braintrust that finally made the correct roster moves based on necessity and not good roster management.

Most of us had been begging for these moves months ago, and if a bunch of keyboard warriors and basement dwellers could see it, why couldn’t our illustrious braintrust?  This organisation is so slow to react, if they react at all.  VERY FRUSTRATING.

4. Jets:  From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file.   It’s hard to get “frontier justice” if the intended target doesn’t want to engage, like on Thursday night in Dallas when Jason Robertson executed a legal but dirty reverse-hit on Elias Salomonsson that knocked him out of the game and the next game in Columbus.  The thing is, he (Robertson) tried it again late in the 3rd period on the much smaller Cole Perfetti with the score 3-0, and Neal Pionk wasn’t happy about it and gave him a couple of shots, then challenged him, but Robertson wanted no part of that, and his teammates came to his aid and jumped Pionk.  The part that bothered me about this course of events was that Jets’ captain, Adam Lowry, ended up having to fight Stars’ captain Jamie Benn while the gutless puke stood there and watched, uninvolved and unscathed.  Jason Robertson, who is 6’3 and 200 lbs, is under no obligation to fight if he doesn’t want to, but I’m sorry, if he can’t sack-up and fight the smaller Neal Pionk at 6’0, 190 lbs, he shouldn’t be playing that way.  As far as I’m concerned, this isn’t settled, and I hope the Jets’players don’t forget it either, which they won’t.  I’m sorry to all the snowflakes that won’t like the “frontier justice,” but that’s how it works, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

5. Jets:  The second period in Columbus might be the most dominant period of hockey they’ve played all season, but it took them 18 min and 14 sec to get something to show for it.

6. Pet Peeve:  Officials/linesmen constantly in the way along the boards affecting play.  GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY FFS.

7. Jets:  This past week, whenever the Jets were in trouble on the ice, it seemed like Dylan DeMelo or Jacob Bryson were the cause.  We are contractually (2 more years) stuck with DeMelo, but I hope Chevy doesn’t do something stupid like offer Bryson a contract.

8. Jets:  Playoff and Lottery Odds:  As of April 6

Watch our WHT YouTube channel.

Note: Because of today’s Jets game, we will be Live at 5:30 pm at

👉 👉 👉 Winnipeg Hockey Talk on YouTube

9. 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: 28th at 17.20% (net 26th at 15.80%)
  • PK: 19th at 78.30% (net 19th at 81.20%)
  • FO: 12th at 50.80%

10. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  21-21-11 … 2.77 GAA … .898 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  12-9-1 … 2.85 GAA … .897 SV%

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

  • Good:  The compete level of the younger players. 
  • Bad:  Helle’s wandering out of the net.
  • Ugly:  How Dallas overwhelmed the Jets with their size.

12. Jets: Tidbits and FYIs:

  • Mark Scheifele has 31 multipoint games this season.
  • On Saturday night, Kyle Connor scored his 35th and 36th goals of the season.
  • Danny Zhilkin notched his first NHL point on Tuesday in Chicago by assisting on Isak Rosen’s goal.
  • Winnipeg is 3 points ahead of its Monday night opposition, the Seattle Kraken

13. WHT on X:

*

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

Random Thoughts for Sept.15, 2025

September 15, 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. [Read more…]

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