Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg ICE, and the NHL
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…]
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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 1-1-1 last week and improved their overall record to 9-4-4 on the season. The Jets play at home Monday night versus the Penguins then head back on the road for 3 games this week (Columbus, Minny, and Calgary) with a back to backs on Friday/Saturday.
2. Jets: The highlight of last week’s games was the Jets’ 5-2 win over the Edmonton McWhiners and that win helped them finish their 7-game homestand with an impressive 5-1-1 record. Any day we beat the Oilers is a good day in my books.
3. Jets: Are you kidding me? FYI, these rankings came out on Tuesday so whatever happened after Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Edmonton is irrelevant. As far as I’m concerned ESPN’s rankings are a joke and they have no credibility.
The #NHLJets, who lead the Central Division at 9-3-3 and have just one regulation loss in the last 12 games (9-1-2) fall from 12th to 20th in this week’s ESPN/NHL power rankings — following a dominating 5-2 win over their No. 1 team, Edmonton.
🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/vI0cuj0h7g
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) November 17, 2021
4. Jets: I’m getting a little concerned about the number of two on ones the Jets are giving up because of Josh Morrissey’s ill-advised pinches. Being aggressive in the offensive zone is part of the game now and every defenceman is going to get burned every once in a while but it’s becoming a regular thing with Josh.
5. Jets: It doesn’t matter what line Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers plays on, they automatically become a threat. Ehlers is a line driver and isn’t linemate dependant like a lot of wingers in the NHL. He is an outstanding puck handler and one of the NHL’s leaders in zone entries every season.
6. Jets: Regulars that visit here know how much I hate the NHL’s officiating and on Friday night in Vancouver they didn’t disappoint. Winnipeg Jets never had one powerplay opportunity in a game where the Jets forwards were interfered with countless times in front of Thatcher Demko. This league is such a joke.
7. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets played 125 minutes of hockey in their home and home series with the Edmonton Oilers last week and only gave up THREE goals and only ONE at even strength. Again, ONE at even strength. Let that marinate for a bit. The Jets came away with three points and probably should have taken four and looked very good doing so. The scary thing is this team is not clicking on all cylinders and is still a work in progress.
8. Jets: If you want a good chuckle watch this.
“Ladies and gentlemans, welcome aboard. Your captain speaking!”
Go ice-level with Evgeny Svechnikov as the Jets took on the Kings in another edition of Mic’d Up presented by @DavesQuickPrint!
WATCH 🔽 pic.twitter.com/hxOndpI7wB
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 18, 2021
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. We will probably run this poll for a couple more weeks before retiring it but the angst meter has started going a little more in Comrie’s favour. His numbers are actually pretty good and he has played very well overall but I just don’t like small goalies. He still scares me to death every start but that’s me.
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10. Jets: I see the hate for Blake Wheeler has amped up again from the same vocal minority that has been on him for years. Yes, the captain is off to a slow start but keep in mind he missed a handful of games due to Covid. He probably isn’t a top-line right-winger anymore but he certainly isn’t ready for the rocking chair yet either. One of his biggest strengths was running the #1 unit’s powerplay from the right half-wall but for some strange reason, Paul Maurice has him in the left goal-line bumper spot which is a complete waste of his passing ability. I’ve also heard his detractors say he is too slow which is complete bullshit. He is faster than Andrew Copp and nobody has ever accused Anze Kopitar of being slow although I’ve seen glaciers move faster. The captain hasn’t been putting up points at his usual rate but it’s not from lack of chances. I’m not ready to write him off yet.
11. Jets: I really like the current configuration of the Jets’ third line right now. Jansen Harkin, Adam Lowry, and Evgeny Svechnikov have a nice mix of skill and grind in their game and they spend a lot of time in the offensive end of the ice. It seems like Lowry has to adapt to breaking in new linemates every season but he continues to be a beast and one of the Jets’ most reliable players. We are lucky to have him.
12. Ice: The Winnipeg ICE won both of their road games last week and improved their overall record to 19-1-0 on the season. Matt Savoie, Mike Milne, and Connor McClennon are one, two, three in the WHL’s scoring race. The ICE are still the top-ranked team in the CHL. It’s a great time to be a Winnipeg sports fan.
CHL Top 10 for Week #7:
13. Moose: The Manitoba Moose had a good week going 2-1-0-0 in their three-game series with the Milwaukee Admirals and now have an overall record of 9-6-1-0 and sit 5th in the Western Conference. A fun fact about this team is that there are four defencemen in their top eight scorers.
14. Jets: I hate the Winnipeg Jets penalty killing and I have for years. It is passive and basically relies on Connor Hellebuyck to stand on his head. This team’s PK has been hovering around the basement all season but yet the Jets AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose has the #1 PK in the AHL. I don’t know who the Jets’ PK coach is but enough is enough. It’s time for a different vision.
15. Jets: My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice.
Does Riley Nash or Dominic Toninato bring more to the table than David Gustafsson would?
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.
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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 2-1-0 last week and improved their overall record to 6-3-2 on the season. The Jets still have 4 more games left in their season longest 7-game homestand.
2. Jets: The Jets’ streak of gaining points in consecutive games reached 8 after beating Chicago 5-1 on Friday night but ended after losing 2-0 to the Islanders on Saturday night. Not a bad run considering they played like crap in a couple of those games.
3. Jets: As each game goes by it looks more and more like Evgeny Svechnikov is getting comfortable in his role with the Jets. He was a low-risk/high-reward gamble that looks to be turning into the steal of the UFA season.
4. NHL: Now the NHL has hearings for tripping a guy?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I watched the replay of Subban’s “tripping” penalty but it wasn’t any worse than Phillip Danault’s TWO slewfoots against two Jets players vs the LA Kings a couple of weeks ago. One was called tripping and one was let go. The Subban slewfoot was a penalty but it wasn’t any worse than Danault’s. The NHL’s inconsistency never fails to disappoint.
New Jersey’s P.K. Subban will have a hearing today for Tripping Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 3, 2021
By the way, PK was fined $15,000 for his bad behaviour. What a joke.
5. NHL: I thought that Mark Chipman and Kevin Cheveldayoff handled their presser fairly well and for the most part I believed most of it but they put a lot of spin on their narrative and had the benefit of following that brutal Gary Bettman/Bill Daly presser. It was staged well, scripted well, and it was conveniently scheduled at 4 pm where it could only last one hour. They left some satisfied, a lot frustrated, and a lot wanting more.
6. NHL: Finally the Jack Eichel trade happened and TSN is more relieved than Buffalo Sabres fans. Now TSN can spend more time talking about Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
7. Jets: Paul Stastny and Andrew Copp aren’t exactly the fastest guys on the ice but somehow it works. They leave the skating to Nik Ehlers.
8. Jets: Winnipeg Jets fans are now seeing the REAL Pierre-Luc Dubois and he is becoming a fan favourite. He has a contrasting style to most of the Jets skill forwards but he also does it with speed and skill. He plays very well in the heavy areas and seems to have found some nice chemistry with Kyle Connor. Jets fans will never forget Patrik Laine but at least now they see why the Jets made that trade.
9. Jets: Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.
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This thought was written after the Dallas Stars game on Tuesday.
Eric Comrie got his second win of the season against a goal-scoring challenged Dallas team. He basically did just enough for his team to get the win. He wasn’t bad but he certainly wasn’t great. (.889 SV%) Every win the Jets can get with him starting is a bonus but for me, the jury is still out.
This thought was written after the Chicago Blackhawks game on Friday.
Eric Comrie got his third win of the season against Chicago in a game where he wasn’t tested a lot but came up big a few times when he had to.
This thought was written after the New York Islanders game on Saturday.
Eric Comrie was forced to start in back-to-back games on Saturday versus the Islanders with Connor Hellebuyck not available and he was very solid in a 2-0 loss. Comrie played well enough to keep his team in the game but unfortunately got no support on the scoreboard. Comrie didn’t lead his team to a win but I thought it was his best effort of the week. I think he is starting to win the trust of his doubters, myself included with his early-season play.
10. Jets: Back to the 11 and 7 talk again. Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler are both healthy and playing but Paul Maurice still stuck with 11 and 7. I hate to admit this but I’m starting to dig the 11 and 7. I like that we are getting to see the Jets’ top players a little more as they rotate them in with the fourth-line guys.
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.
12. Ice: The Winnipeg ICE won both of their games last week improving their record to 14-1. The ICE have now moved into the first spot in the CHL’s weekly rankings. (updated Wednesdays)
13. Moose: The Manitoba Moose went 1-1-1 last week in the first 3 games of their 6-game road trip and now have a record of 5-4-1-0. They have 3 more games on this road trip before returning home for 5 straight in Winnipeg.
David Gustafsson is the leading scorer with 8 points in 1o games. Ville Heinola and Johnathan Kovacevic are right behind with 7 and 6 points respectively. Top prospect Cole Perfetti has 5 points in 7 games.
I know a lot of Winnipeg Jets fans are waiting for the 2019 1st rounder, Ville Heinola to get his chance with the big club and with injuries in a long NHL season, he will definitely see some action BUT don’t be surprised if 2017 3rd rounder, Johnathan Kovacevic challenges Heinola for a shot at the big club. Ville Heinola is no longer the default first call-up.
As of this writing, the Moose are in sixth place in the AHL’s Western Conference.
14. Jets: The 2 goals by Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele in the shootout Tuesday vs Dallas were things of beauty but it still doesn’t change my mind about shootouts. They are horseshit garbage. I say keep playing 3 on 3 until there is a winner. It should not take long and the lame-ass excuses about time constraints are just that …. LAME. If time is an issue then scrap the anthems. Funny there’s no time constraints when they have 15-20 minute pre-game ceremonies. SCRAP THE SHOOTOUTS.
15. Jets: My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice.
Why is David Gustafsson still in the AHL?
I’m going to keep asking until they call him up.
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 of covid, and maybe some fan backlash toward TNSE/Kevin Cheveldayoff and his role in the Chicago Blackhawks/Kyle Beach scandal 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 Dallas Stars – 13,174
Vs Chicago Blackhawks – 13,756
Vs New York Islanders – 13,424
17. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.
18. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).
19. Goaltending:
20. CFL: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers improved their record to 11-1 by sweeping their seven-game home schedule with a 31-21 victory over Montreal on Saturday night. They also responded to some early week trash talking by a few Alouettes players that said the Bombers haven’t played anybody tough and they (Als) are better. Pretty tough talk from a team that has Ottawa on their schedule THREE times.
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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:
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
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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 again last week to improve their overall record to 4-2-2 on the season but it wasn’t pretty. Right now this team is a train wreck in their own zone and the turnovers are piling up like snowbanks in a Winnipeg winter. On the bright side, the team has points in 6 consecutive games (4-0-2) after losing their first 2 games of the season.
2. Jets: John Gibson 1 Connor Hellebuyck 2 …. Helle broke serve and won round #3 of the fight for Team USA’s goal crease in the upcoming Olympics. It will be an interesting competition for the #1 job but I think Helle is starting to round into form and should win that job but it could be close. Gibson is a quality goaltender.
3. Jets: Are fans’ expectations of their team mostly based on an inflated value or evaluation of their team’s players? I think it is. Most fan bases including Winnipeg’s think their players are better than they are and I think that is because most fans don’t spend a lot of time watching a lot of other teams play. Right now I think we could be guilty of this. The Jets haven’t actually played any of the better teams and although they are 4-2-2 they haven’t looked very good in my opinion.
4. NHL: Watching the Kyle Beach interview was heartbreaking and there is no doubt he was failed by multiple people but for me, the biggest fail was from the NHLPA. As a “black ace” I’m not sure what his official standing was as it pertains to the NHLPA but since he was practicing as a Chicago Black Hawk he should have been protected by the PA. The NHLPA’s sole objective is to serve and protect its members. Donald Fehr has a lot of explaining to do. Kyle Beach did not deserve this, nobody deserves this. I commend Kyle’s bravery and hope he gets some sort of closure out of this process.
5. NHL: I would have liked to have heard more from Chevy but he along with Mark Chipman will be addressing the media this afternoon and I hope our beat writers don’t let them off the hook and ask the tough questions we all want answers to.
Statement from Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff: pic.twitter.com/lgiS5jbH5s
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 29, 2021
UPDATE:
Mark Chipman/Kevin Cheveldayoff presser is scheduled today (Tues) at 4 pm MB time.
— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) November 1, 2021
6. NHL: Gary Bettman’s statement regarding Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. 
7. Jets: Evgeny Svechnikov scored his first goal as Winnipeg Jet on a nice feed from PLD on Tuesday in Anaheim. Svech and PLD are starting to show some of the chemistry they had in junior with Cape Breton in the QMJHL.
8. Jets: Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers has played well all season with little to show for it until Tuesday night in Anaheim when with just over a minute to play in the game he scored 2 goals in 19 seconds to steal a 4-3 win over the Ducks. Nikolaj is an absolute stud.
9. Jets: Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.
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Eric Comrie finally got his first start of the season in his old stomping grounds in LA in front of family and friends and played very well in a 3-2 win. Like I mentioned last week he should still be in line for a start on Nov. 5 versus Chicago or Nov.6 versus the Islanders.
10. Jets: Once again, don’t ask me because I can’t explain Paul Maurice’s decision to dress 11 forwards and 7 defencemen. I could buy into the reasoning that with the captain and Scheif out of the lineup (Covid 19 protocol) that 11 and 7 were because of salary cap implications but Blake Wheeler was back on Saturday and Paul Maurice still went with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. Hopefully, PoMo comes to his senses when Scheif returns this week.
11. Jets: I can’t help but think the Jets’ sloppy play is a result of Paul Maurice dressing 11 forwards and 7 defencemen thus not having any consistent lines and rotating 7 defensemen. This team needs to settle into regular lines and defence pairings to clean up play in their own end if they want to be considered contenders. Contenders don’t get outplayed and lose to a team with FIVE AHL call-ups.
12. Ice: The Winnipeg ICE had their eleven-game winning streak snapped in Edmonton last week but still had a very successful 4-1 road trip. Their 12-1 record is currently the best in the WHL and they are currently ranked #2 in the CHL.
UPDATE:
Winnipeg ICE goaltender Daniel Hauser was named the Western Hockey League’s “Goaltender of the Week”. Congrats Daniel!
13. Moose: The Manitoba Moose are off to a decent start this season with a 4-3-0-0 record and now head out on a tough six-game road trip. I’m not sure where they finish in the Western Conference since we haven’t seen most of these teams for quite some time.
14. Jets: It hasn’t bared any fruit yet but Kristian Vesakainen’s confidence and play look better and I think/hope it’s just a matter of time before we see some results.
15. Jets: Why is David Gustafsson in the AHL?
16. Jets: The way the Winnipeg Jets are playing in their own end may Paul Maurice should consider dressing 9 forwards and 9 defencemen. (see #10)
17. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.
18. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).
19. Goaltending:
20. CFL: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers clinched home-field advantage before their bye-week and now have three meaningless games left and it will be interesting to see how Mike O’Shea manages his roster. Now it’s all about keeping sharp and staying healthy.
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:
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
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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.
Schar says Blackhawks officials held a May 23, 2010, meeting to discuss the allegations of sexual assault. Those present included John McDonough, Stan Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Jay Blunk and Kevin Cheveldayoff, Schar said.
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) October 26, 2021
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.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says in a statement he plans to meet with Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff in the wake of a review of the Chicago Blackhawks’ handling of the employment of former video coach Aldrich.
— Bartley Kives (@bkives) October 26, 2021
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.
9. Jets: Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.
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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.
18. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).
19. Goaltending:
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:
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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