Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Dec. 6

December 6, 2021 by

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. 

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: 

UPDATE:

Neal Pionk is suspended for 2 games.  Jason Spezza was suspended for 6 games.


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:

UPDATE:  This is huge news and looks like finally an opening for David Gustafsson.

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.    

See the source image

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.

Vs Arizona Coyotes – 14,129

Vs New Jersey Devils – 13,844

Vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 14,461

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

  • Good:  Pierre-Luc Dubois.  It doesn’t matter who his linemates are, he just keeps chugging along.  I can’t get enough of PLD.  
  • Bad:  The officiating in the 3rd period of the TOR/WPG game.  They totally lost control and everybody in the building could see it coming but the two clowns in stripes.             
  • Ugly:  Helle’s puck handling.  All he does is screw up his defencemen.        

18. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum). 

  • PP:  13th at … 20.30% up from 16th at … 18.60last week. 
  • PK:  31st at … 67.70% down from 30th … 68.30 last week.
  • FO:  15th at … 50.20% up from 21st … 49.20last week.

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  9-6-4 … 2.70 GAA … .916 SV% 
  • Eric Comrie:  3-2-0 … 2.49 GAA … .913 SV%

20. CFL:  We’re going to the Grey Cup.  Andrew Harris is an absolute BEAST.  That’s all I got but this says it all.

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PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

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Winnipeg Jets First Quarter Grades: Forwards

December 1, 2021 by

Winnipeg Jets grades for the forwards:

As usual in any hockey season, any given NHL roster is going to have its surprises and its disappointments.  The Winnipeg Jets are no exception.  The Winnipeg Jets forward group in the first quarter of the season has been very inconsistent with the exception of Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured, Report Cards, Winnipeg Jets Tagged With: , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Nov. 15

November 15, 2021 by

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 went 2-0-1 last week and improved their overall record to a very sneaky 8-3-3 on the season.  With one more game left in their 7-game homestand, the Jets are 4-1-1 in the first six games with a huge match-up versus the Edmonton McDavids on Tuesday night.  

2. Jets:  Every once in a while you get “goalied” and there is nothing you can do about it.  The Jets got “goalied” by Jordan Binnington last Tuesday and outside of a weak opening goal that Connor Hellebuyck whiffed on the Jets played extremely well and I have no complaints about their effort.  They definitely deserved a better fate.    

3. Jets:  Hockey is a game of mistakes.  There is no such thing as a perfect game without mistakes and the Winnipeg Jets still make their share but I believe they have greatly reduced their errors and it has shown so far this season and it should continue to get better.    

4.  NHL:  After watching Jordan Binnington’s effort against us last Tuesday I am now convinced he has to be the front-runner for Team Canada’s #1 goalie for the upcoming Olympics.  He was a little lucky but he was a lot very good.  (see #2) 

5. NHL:  The NHL might need to rethink their Covid protocols because it seems to be getting out of control.  It is getting serious enough that it may affect Olympic participation.  With only 50-60% of Americans vaccinated, it looks like Covid will be around for a while.  My body, my choice though, right?     

6. NHL:  Regulars that visit her know my stance on NHL officiating.  The officiating really irritated me for the games that involved the NYI, St. Louis Blues, and the LA Kings recently.  It pisses me off when plodding teams are allowed to come into our building and get away with their style of play.  The Winnipeg Jets are a fast, skilled, skating team that had to endure countless interference, clutching, and grabbing infractions going uncalled in those two games.  There would be a hockey summit if this went on in Edmonton with the GOLDEN CHILD.  Actually, I think there was in the off-season.  I’m sick of the double standards and inconsistencies in this league.  Ask Nik Ehers what he thought of the officiating after getting kneed by Brendan Lemieux with no call on Saturday night.       

7. Jets:  Why do NHL coaches worry about having a defenceman on the ice in 3 on 3 overtime?  Overtime is not about playing defence, it is about puck possession and speed.  You should put your best players on the ice regardless of position.     

8. Jets:  Kyle Connor is off to the best start of his NHL career.  He is 6th in scoring with 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points in 14 games.  KC has never had this kind of success playing without Mark Scheifele.  In the past any time KC was moved off the Scheifele line he went ice cold.  KC used to be linemate dependant but now he is becoming a line driver.    

Embed from Getty Images

9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.  The concern seems to be waning in light of Eric Comrie’s play so far this season although I still need to see more and against some tougher competition BUT so far, so good.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets:  Kristian Vesalainen is slowly and I mean slowly starting to show a little bit of his offensive skill that made him a late 1st round draft pick.  I have all the patience for him in the world because he looks to have some offensive upside.  Patience grasshopper.  

11. Jets:  When Paul Maurice gets the itch to put Kyle Connor back with 55 and 26 and you know it is just a matter of time I hope that he considers giving Nikolaj Ehlers a shot playing there first.  I would love to see how many goals Ehlers would score playing with an elite center. 

After I wrote this earlier in the week PoMo actually played Ehlers with Scheif and Wheeler.  I’m not sure how long it will last but it made for a nice OT winner versus LA on Saturday night.      

12. Ice:  The Winnipeg ICE went 3-0 last week improving their overall record to 17-1.  The ICE are still in first spot in the CHL’s weekly rankings. (updated Wednesdays)  Notice that 4 of the top-5 teams are all from the WHL.  This should make for some interesting competition.  The ICE’s only loss so far was to the #5 ranked Oil Kings in Edmonton.   

Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 6

2. London Knights
3. Kamloops Blazers
4. Everett Silvertips
5. Edmonton Oil Kings
6. Sherbrooke Phoenix
7. Quebec Remparts
8. Shawinigan Cataractes
9. Seattle Thunderbirds
10. Soo Greyhounds

 

UPDATE: ICE sweep WHL weekly awards-

The Western Hockey League announced today that Winnipeg ICE goaltender Gage Alexander has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 14, 2021.

AND

The Western Hockey League announced today that Winnipeg ICE forward Matthew Savoie has been named WHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 14, 2021.

13. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose went 2-1-0-0 last week and finished their 6-game road trip with a modest 3-2-1-0 record and now sit with an overall record of 7-5-1-0.  A couple of Jets top prospects (Ville Heinola and David Gustafsson) lead the team in scoring with 10 points.  Goaltenders Mikhail Berdin and Arvid Holm both have a SV% under .900 which will need to improve if the Moose want to be taken seriously as a contender in the Western Conference.

 

14. Jets:  PROPS to CJOB’s Kelley Moore on coining the phrase “Pionkian Pirouette” after Neal Pionk’s spin-o-rama goal versus the St. Louis Blues this past Tuesday.

 

15. Jets:  My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice. 

Why is Ville Heinola still in the AHL?  

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.

Vs St. Louis Blues – 14,004

Vs San Jose Sharks – 14,229 

Vs Los Angeles Kings –  13,776  

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

  • Good:  The line of Dubois, Svechnikov, and Connor has taken over as the #1 line.  Update: PoMo has switched up Evgeny Svechnikov and Blake Wheeler on this line as of Monday morning’s practice.  Go figure.  
  • Bad:  NHL officiating. (I sound like a broken record)         
  • Ugly:  Connor Hellebuyck’s puck handling.      

18. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum). 

  • PP:  8th at … 23.70% down from 4th at … 28.10 last week.
  • PK:  30th at … 65.80% up from 32nd … 65.70 last week.
  • FO:  14th at … 50.30% down from … 50.90 last week.

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  5-2-3 … 2.87 GAA … .911 SV% 
  • Eric Comrie:  3-1-0 … 1.98 GAA … .926 SV%

20. CFL:  While resting a few starters, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost 28-14 in a meaningless game to Montreal last week but one thing was abundantly clear, if Zach Collaros ever gets injured this team is in a world of hurt.  Mr. third and one, Sean McGuire may be able to get one yard when he needs to but as a passer he is an absolute train wreck.  I’m not interested in hearing about McGuire’s lack of playing time and the poor weather conditions BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, the bottom line is Sean McGuire was awful.  They don’t call me a curmudgeon for nothing.   

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PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

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

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Oct. 25

October 25, 2021 by

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. 

UPDATE:

Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has resigned after the findings from the sexual assault scandal were released.  The investigation into the allegations began in August led by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar.

Kevin Cheveldayoff previosly stated he had no knowledge of any allegations involving Mr. Aldrich until he was asked if he was aware of anything just prior to the conclusion of his employment with the Chicago Blackhawks.

This story is far from over and could reach as far as Florida (Panthers) and Winnipeg (Jets).  There will be more news coming soon but things don’t look good for Panthers coach Joel Quennevile and maybe even Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 2-0-1 last week getting back to .500 and eased a bit of the angst around town.  The Jets did play a lot better in stretches but are very far from a finished product.  They now head back to California for three more games before returning home for a seven-game homestand.  Their record currently sits at 2-2-1. 

Update:

The National Hockey League announced earlier today that Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor has been named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week ending October 24, 2021.  Congrats KC.

2. Jets:  John Gibson 1 Connor Hellebuyck 1 …. Helle easily won round #2 of the fight for Team USA’s goal crease in the upcoming Olympics.    

3. Jets:  Sometimes Paul Maurice makes it just too easy.  Replacing Blake Wheeler (out with covid) on the first unit powerplay with Riley Nash is his latest head-scratcher.  Just because he is right-handed?    

4. Jets:  The sky is falling, the sky is falling!  Yup, Cole Perfetti was assigned to the Manitoba Moose.    

5. NHL:  They couldn’t get Evander Kane on gambling allegations, they couldn’t get him on spousal abuse allegations but the NHL nailed him for something stupid like him using a fake covid vaccine card.  C’mon Evander, really?  He has been suspended for 21 games and is probably done in the NHL.  The Sharks players have publicly said they don’t want him back and I don’t think teams are lining up to give him 3rd, 4th chance.  Good luck in the KHL Comrade Kane.   

6. Jets:  Pierre-Luc Dubois has scored in four straight games and finally looks to be comfortable as a Winnipeg Jet.  PLD has a nice mix of skill, speed, and strength in his game and it’s been on display so far this season. 

7. Jets:  Kristian Vesalainen scored his first NHL goal on Saturday night and his line (with Adam Lowry and Jansen Harkins) were dangerous all night.  This was definitely their strongest game of the season.  Hopefully, there’s more to come and now that Ves has scored his first goal maybe he can relax and start sniping.

8. Jets:  Regular readers here know I’m not an Andrew Copp is a “top-6” guy and he didn’t do anything to change my opinion in his first two games of the season playing on a line with PLD and Nikolaj Ehlers BUT I must admit he was very good in Minny playing with Scheif and KC and Thursday night with Paul Stastny and Nik Ehlers.  Copp isn’t the most skilled forward on the team but he balances that out by being responsible defensively.  No, I haven’t been abducted by aliens, it’s still me.   

Embed from Getty Images

9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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Looking at the Jets schedule it looks like Eric Comrie’s first start should be Nov. 5 versus Chicago or Nov.6 versus the Islanders.    

10. Jets:  The Jets passive penalty kill drives me crazy.  There are times when they are two feet away from a player that can be challenged and they collapse into a passive position.  This team relies way toooooooo much on Connor Hellebuyck on their PK and even when Helle is at his best the Jets PK falls into the middle of the pack statistically in the NHL.  The last few seasons the problem hasn’t been the personnel, it’s been the system.       

11. Jets:  I don’t get all the angst because Cole Perfetti was assigned to the Manitoba Moose.  I’d rather see him play big minutes as a center and learn that position in the AHL rather than playing lesser minutes in the NHL as a winger.  To be honest I think he could play in the Jets’ top 9 forward groups but I get why he was sent down.  (see #4)     

12. NHL:  The Vegas Golden Bettmans need to turf those gold helmets, they are beyond FUGLY.  They wore them again last week and I haven’t heard one positive review from anybody.  Surprise, surprise.

13. NHL:  To Gary Bettman:  Put the player’s benches on opposite sides of the ice like they used to be and were meant to be.  The excuse that the home team has an advantage because the penalty box is closer to the home team’s bench is beyond lame.  Even if it is a slight advantage, who cares, it is part of being the home team and last time I checked ALL 32 NHL teams play 41 home games.  Sounds even to me.  

14. Jets:  Unpopular take but I don’t think Josh Morrissey has had the great start everybody thinks he has.  He is off to a better start offensively with two goals already but he has only been average at best in his own end.  Yes, he is breaking in a new partner but he is struggling mightily in front of Connor Hellebuyck in the physical game.  A lot of the goals have beaten Helle because Josh can’t move guys in front or tie up their sticks.  Helle can’t stop what he can’t see.  Neal Pionk has been equally bad.  It really showed versus Minny where the Wild owned the front of Helle’s crease.     

15. Jets:  The line of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Connor and Evgeny Svechnikov have looked very good in their two games together and myself along with other fans in Jetsville are now wondering if they continue to play well together what Paul Maurice does when Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele return to the lineup?      

16. Jets:  Don’t ask me because I can’t explain Paul Maurice’s decision to dress 11 forwards and 7 defencemen.   

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

  • Good:  The improving powerplay.   
  • Bad:  Opposition camping out in front of Helle.     
  • Ugly:  The number of turnovers/giveaways by a veteran defence corp.   

18. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum). 

  • PP:  11th at … 26.30% up from 31st … 00.00 last week.
  • PK:  30th at … 54.60% up from 27th … 60.00 last week.
  • FO:  20th at … 48.90% up from 26th … 00.00 last week.

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  2-2-1 … 3.80 GAA … .886 SV% 
  • Eric Comrie:  0-0-0 … 0.00 GAA … .000 SV%

20. CFL:  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers improved their record to 10-1 after humiliating the BC Lions 45-0 on Saturday night.  The Bombers have now officially clinched home-field for the Western Final.  This is probably the most dominating defensive effort I have seen from a Winnipeg Blue Bomber team and this team has had some great defences over the years.*

PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

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

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Oct. 11

October 11, 2021 by
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. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE

1. Jets:  Just in case you forgot, Mark Scheifele won’t be available for the season opener in Anaheim Wednesday night because he still has to serve one more game of his four-game suspension from last season’s playoffs.    

2. Jets:  I’d feel a lot better about Andrew Copp playing on the second line if Paul Maurice said he wanted to add a defensive presence to the line and not because he believes Copp is a top-six winger.   

3. Jets:  As of today, winger Evgeny Svechnikov is still unsigned but I think it has something to do with the salary cap and his signing is just a formality.   

4. Jets:  This made me smile.

5. NHL:  Has everybody else had enough of Evander Kane and Robin Lehner? 

6. Jets:  The Jets game versus Calgary on Wednesday night was the best Josh Morrissey has looked offensively in ages and he and Nate Schmidt seem to have developed some chemistry together.  I really liked this pairing on the second unit powerplay.

7. Jets:  Upcoming events.

Oct. 13 – First regular-season game at Anaheim.

Oct. 21 – Home opener vs Anaheim.

8. Jets:  I remember a few years back there was talk of Evander Kane to Montreal for Max Pacioretty and at that time I said a “HARD NO”.  Ask me again.  

9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets:  Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers is playing at an elite level so far this season and I’m guessing his early start representing Denmark in Olympic qualifying has a lot to do with it.  I’m expecting big production from him early on and all season.  I think I will take a run at him tonight in our “keeper league” auction.  

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11. NHL:  While I was watching highlights of a Seattle Kraken pre-season game I felt a little bad for the hockey fans of Quebec City.  I guess the only way Quebec City is getting an NHL franchise is if the NHL puts another team in Atlanta and they have to relocate it ten years later.

12. Jets:  Wednesday’s game versus Calgary was the first game this pre-season the Jets dressed a reasonable facsimile of their opening night lineup and although Nate Beaulieu wasn’t awful he did stand out as the weakest link.  He is a battler and a team guy but right now I have him as purely a depth guy, probably 8-9 on my depth chart BUT Paul Maurice probably has him in the 6-7 slot and he’s the boss.   

13. NHL:  Why do most people including sports announcers call pre-season games exhibition games?  That is a very very old-school reference and it irritates the hell out of me.  The NFL doesn’t call them exhibition games, MLB doesn’t call them exhibition games either.  STOP IT. 

14. Jets:  I think Cole Perfetti has outplayed all of the so-called “bubble” players competing for a spot on the Jets roster and he has been better than a lot of veterans that are half-assing it through the pre-season.  It would be a shame for him not to make the Jets 22-man roster but I sort of understand if they send him to the Moose.  There is a bigger picture and I get it but I don’t have to like it.     

UPDATE: 

15. Jets:  Dominic Toninato and Nelson Nogier were placed on waivers Sunday and if they clear will be assigned to the Manitoba Moose.  Cole Perfetti, Kristian Vesalainen, and Evgeny Svechnikov have escaped the axe so far but we won’t know for sure until Wednesday.   

UPDATE: 

16. Jets:  Unless there was some underlying problem between Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets that we don’t know about I wish the Jets would have invested in Laine before committing long term to Kyle Connor.  That doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t want KC but I would have prioritized the true sniper.  KC is a good enough scorer but Laine was elite and didn’t have to be attached at the hip with Mark Scheifele.

17. Jets:  In a bit of a surprise, at least for me, the Winnipeg Jets have assigned David Gustafsson to the Manitoba Moose.  This tells me they are probably going with a 22 man roster.  The good news is Cole Perfetti hasn’t been sent down as of the writing.  Hmmmmmmmmm. 

18.  Jets:  Not that I’m overly concerned about it but Connor Hellebuyck hasn’t looked great during the pre-season games he has played in.   

19. Jets:  Pierre-Luc Dubois has looked decent during the pre-season and all Winnipeg Jets fans are hoping for big things from PLD.  He will definitely be under the microscope early on this season and especially Wednesday night when the Jets play their season opener in Anaheim versus the Ducks without Mark Scheifele.    

20. CFL:  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are now 8-1 after dominating the Edmonton Elks on Friday night.  The Bombers’ defence absolutely smothered the Elks offence for 60 minutes.  I’ve seen a lot of great Bomber defences over the years and some dominant performances but this one was one for the ages.  

PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

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If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

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