IC reader Robert Solmundson had been hearing a lot of negative Jets talk of late and in an effort to offer some balance he wanted to share an experience he and his son had with a member of the Winnipeg Jets squad.

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It seems as though there are some negative P.R. stories surrounding some members of our beloved Winnipeg Jets being retold around town.  I have heard varying accounts of incidents spread through word of mouth although I have no idea what has or has not actually occurred.  Nobody I have talked to seems to have first or even second hand eyewitness accounts to these incidents – it’s always a friend of a friend of a cousin etc.

The positive feel good stories do not receive nearly enough attention or headlines.  I hope the experience I am about to share changes that.

It started a few months ago when I was with a group of friends enjoying a post game beverage at Polo Park area restaurant.  I was part of a large group made up of friends, and friends of friends.  I recognized one of the people in our group, but just couldn’t place him ( In my defense this was back in October after my first game so I had yet to become familiar many Jet personalities).  It turned out to be none other than Toby Enstrom.  He had recently injured his shoulder and had not played that evening.  I was introduced to him and had the pleasure to talk with him over the course of the evening.  I asked mostly typical fan type questions about his thoughts on the Winnipeg weather and comparing fan support between Atlanta and Winnipeg.  He was very easy to talk to asked me about my “Scandinavian” sounding last name and whether I get to all the home games and whether or not I had a family.  Upon hearing that I have two boys, he told me next time I attend a game with my boys, to come find him after and he would possibly come out to meet them.  He would miss the next 18 or 19 games due to his injury.  We made an attempt to find him at the Jets Skills Competition but due to his injury, he had left early.

This takes us to Jan 19th 2012 in a game vs the Buffalo Sabres which was in fact my 7 year old’s first JET game ever.  He bragged about going to the game for weeks to anyone that would listen.  Game day arrived and he was ready with his Jets gear on complete with a sign to get himself on the “Fan Cam”.  The Jets won 4-1 and he managed to get on the “Fan Cam” in the second period.

His first game could not have gone any better, or could it?  After the game, we waited for the crowd to thin out before departing our seats.  We headed downstairs and I inquired at the security gate about how to try get a message to Tobias.  I was directed to one of the men in charge of security by the name of Dwayne.  I explained to him how I had met Enstrom some time ago and that he told me to come find him after.  We were instructed to wait and he would go and check with Toby and report back.  We were just about to give up hope when he returned and told us to follow him. We were led back into the concourse and down towards the seats behind the Jet bench.  There, waiting for us was Toby Enstrom, fresh from one of his best games where he scored and received a well deserved 1st Star.  He said he remembered me although I am not sure if he was just being polite.  He talked to us for several minutes, posed for a couple of photos, and presented my son with one of his sticks.  My son, a hockey player himself, was smiling from ear to ear and was nearly in shock. He will never ever forget his first Jet game experience, and I will never forget it either.

I cannot put into words the gratitude I have for these acts of kindness that will have an everlasting impact on us both.  After waiting for us at the entrance ramp, Dwayne was kind enough to walk us out and make sure we knew the directions to get us to our car , parked at the Millennium Library.  A huge thank you to both Tobias and Dwayne, I hope they realize how their much their actions meant to one 7 year old boy….and his Dad.

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Needless to say that there are many Jets players giving back to our community without expectation that these stories will be spread.  This was just one example of a player helping the team both on and off the ice.

Jets news:

Washington Post:  Will the Capitals win the Southeast Division?  Appears the thinking is this is a three way race between the Capitals, Panthers and Jets.  Have to agree that 2nd in division won’t be enough for a playoff spot so it looks like it will be 1st or bust for what Greenberg calls the Southleast.

Regina Leader-Post:  Pats honour Rypien.  Nice to see that the Pats, after consultation with the Rypien family are moving ahead with this evening and turning it into a fundraising opportunity.

Illegal Curve:  Evaluating Evander Kane’s fair market value later today (and Part 2).  Richard takes a long look at Evander Kane and evaluates what the Jets might expect to pay for his services.

Artvoice:  Promises kept – visit to Winnipeg.  Came across this story late yesterday and thought it was worth sharing again this morning.  Much like our story about the two Sharks fans who came to the Peg‘ to see San Jose take on the Jets, these two enterprising Sabres fans came down to Winnipeg last week to fulfill a promise made years earlier, to see Buffalo take on Winnipeg.

Jets official site:  Behind the Scenes – Tony Borgford.  The Jets are doing some interesting behind the scenes looks and yesterday they took a look at video goal coach Tony Borgford.

Jets official site:  Take a Jet to work – Jim Slater.  Wonder if his insurance covers welding.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

The Telegram:  IceCaps recall Marto on eve of game against Monarchs.  Looks like the injury to Meech has necessitated the call-up of Marto.

Next opponent news – Philadelphia Flyers:

Philadelphia Dailt News:  5 bold predictions for Flyers in second half.  Jets fans can’t like #1 although #3 could be interesting considering the plethora of d-men in the Jets system.

Philadelphia Inquirer:  Giroux, Timonen go early in all-star fantasy draft.  The Flyers will have 3 players representing their team at this year’s all-star game, 2 on Team Alfredsson and 1 on Team Chara.

NHL.com:  Savouring my All-Star experience.  Perhaps he is making Jets fan wonder what could have been as Sean Couturier, the player many expected Winnipeg to take in the 2011 Entry Draft, is having a good enough season that he was selected to play in the rookie game.

CBS Philly:  Evaluating the Flyers at the All-Star break.  KYW’s Matt Leon caught up with Sam Carchidi, the Flyers’ beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, to talk about the Flyers at this point in the season and what he expects down the stretch.

When previewing the Jets’ season this past summer, one player was the “key” to it all.  That player, Evander Kane, provided fans with the prospect of another superstar on the ice in the City of Winnipeg.  Not since Teemu Selanne and Keith Tkachuk had fans been lifted out of their seats for one particular player.

The intriguing element of Kane’s potential was the limited knowledge fans had of the 2009 fourth overall NHL Draft selection.  In usual cases, fans see their team draft a player in June and spend the remainder of the summer endlessly consuming information (both relevant and irrelevant) about him.  If the player is exceptional, the fans may luck out and catch a snippet of that particular player in the proceeding season.  If, instead, he resembles the majority of players his age, he is returned to the CHL, NCAA or Europe and followed by fans intensely for one, two or even three to four seasons.

In Evander Kane’s case, however, the British Columbia native was fairly unknown to Jets fans.  The NHL’s return to Winnipeg was only formalized at the end of May.  That left the remainder of the summer to get to know the entire Thrashers roster.  Fans did not have the luxury of two plus years to become familiar with Evander Kane; instead, they had a whole three months until training camp hit.  His goal totals, a simple yet indicative performance indicator, were more than respectable over the past two seasons (14 and 19 respectively), but just what was his ceiling?

Much has been gathered from the Jets’ season thus far; the team lacks depth and skill at forward, relies on Ondrej Pavelec significantly and has some stellar talent on the blue line.  However, one other aspect of the team has stood out most of all: Evander Kane, at 20 years old, is the team’s top forward and, arguably, top player.

So far this season, Kane has demonstrated he has a top ten NHL wrist shot, blazing speed and strength that matches up against any tough opposing defenseman.  This success (31 points in 46 games) has resulted in fan excitement but also a modicum of apprehension.  This apprehension is based upon Kane’s pending free agency.  Reassuringly, this free agency is restricted free agency which allows the Jets to match any free agent offer the former Vancouver Giant may receive on or after July 1.

While this article could point to some concern over the relationship between Jets coach Claude Noel and Evander Kane, or Kane’s reputation with the Winnipeg fan base, that is not so much the point.  Rather, the purpose of this article is to attempt to gauge Evander Kane’s value as a free agent.  More specifically, it is an attempt to estimate a realistic figure in terms of both term and salary for the potential 40-goal scorer.

(a)        Comparables

Evander Kane was drafted in 2009, as mentioned above, directly behind John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene.  Naturally, Tavares, a player who has also played just over two full NHL seasons, for a poor Eastern Conference squad serves as a comparable.  Importantly, at least from an analysis perspective is the fact that Tavares recently re-upped with the Islanders for a six-year, $33 million contract.  Of most concern is Tavares’s annual cap hit which is $5.5 million.

Now that we have seen Tavares’s extension, let’s examine his career production thus far:

By comparison, here are Kane’s numbers:

Tavares and Kane are comparable to the extent that they were drafted in the same year and have had a similar career course.  Their overall skill packages are both exceptional but particularly different.  Tavares is not a great skater (although his skating has improved significantly from his first season) but has tremendous hands, vision and passing skills.  Tavares is more of an east/west player, as opposed to Kane’s north/south style that allows him to utilize his speed to his and his team’s advantage.

It is hard to imagine Kane matching a contract both of the quantum and term of Tavares.  So, Kevin Cheveldayoff could easily reference Tavares as a far-fetched ceiling when sitting down with Kane’s agent, Craig Oster of Newport Sports Management.  Winnipeggers may find it interesting to note that Oster attended the University of Manitoba and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce prior to securing his LLB (now JD) from the University of Western Ontario.

Now that we have established a ceiling to Kane’s value, at least over a four or five-year term, that leaves other comparables who are hopefully more similar in terms of both the type of player they are and their career course to this point.  The three most logical comparisons that come to mind are:

1. Logan Couture;
2. James Neal; and
3. Phil Kessel

Couture is probably the least comparable of the bunch in terms of his style of play and the fact he is now relied on as primarily a center in San Jose.  However, for comparison’s sake, it does not hurt to include him in this analysis.

Neal and Kessel, on the other hand, seem to be very reasonable comparables; both players are shoot-first, ala Kane, play wing, skate well and have terrific shots.

Let’s examine their respective statistical output through their first three NHL seasons (as Kane is currently completing his third NHL season):

Logan Couture:

**All other advanced statistical categories included were based upon a minimum of 30 games played in that particular season.  For Couture’s first season, an exception was made for the above chart and adjusted to a minimum of 20 games to provide context (albeit limited) for his performance.

James Neal:

Phil Kessel:

Click here to read the 2nd part of Richard’s analysis of Evander Kane’s fair market value.

We take a look at the remaining factors for analyzing Kane’s worth to this team.

(b)        Leverage

Before delving deeper into the contracts of the aforementioned players, it is important to note that Kane is limited in his leverage.  Over the next four seasons, notwithstanding a possible long-term extension, Kane’s contract status will be the following:

You will notice that Kane is not eligible for salary arbitration this summer.  That is because he has not yet accrued four NHL seasons; as a result, he will be eligible for arbitration after next season.

With salary arbitration not an option for Kane he has limited options in the summer of 2012:

1. Sit out;
2. Demand a trade; and
3. Sign a contract.

This limited leverage does factor into his negotiating power and is one of the portions of the CBA intended to benefit the team over the player (something that many NHL GMs have not taken advantage of).

(c)        Contracts

We analyzed comparable players and their statistical output over the same period as Kane, so let’s now delve into their post-entry level contracts:

One point that has not yet been made is the fact that both Couture and Neal experienced one season in the AHL prior to playing full-time with the Sharks and Stars respectively.  This, of course, impacts their numbers (in a positive direction) and would play a factor in any negotiation.  Conversely, both Kessel and Tavares jumped right to the NHL from the NCAA and OHL respectively.

You will notice that Kessel’s contract does not rise significantly over the course of the deal (which is also the case with Tavares); with the final two years seeing his salary drop by just under one million dollars.  The reason for this is that Kessel’s contract extends into UFA status, meaning the numbers within the contract have no bearing on his arbitration case because Kessel will not have to head to arbitration (which requires a qualifying offer of at least 100% of the previous season’s contract) as a UFA.

It is interesting to note that Couture and Neal signed for the identical cap hit; however, Neal earns $500,000 more than Couture in the final year of his contract which will result in a higher qualifying offer.  We touched on the arbitration protocol in further length this past summer as it related to Anthony Stewart.  Click here and here for further clarification as to the process.

Now, of course, we must direct the analysis to Evander Kane.  As you can see above, the term Kane’s agent will be seeking will immediately allow both parties to narrow down their possible salary figures.

(d)        Available Contract Options

Let’s now examine Evander Kane’s approximate worth on one-year, two-year, three-year and four-year deals.  We will limit the evaluation to a four year maximum duration because Kane entered the NHL as an eighteen year-old, thus making him eligible for unrestricted free agency after seven NHL seasons, or four seasons after the 2011-12 season with Winnipeg.

Kane’s numbers are very similar to James Neal’s through their first three (or two and a half) NHL seasons.  Couture’s numbers compare more favourably to Kane’s than do Neal’s.  What is interesting about Couture is that he signed his two-year post entry-level extension prior to the expiration of his entry-level contract.  This contract was somewhat akin to the dealing of the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball.  The team signed a player prior to his contract expiring (albeit a short-term contract) providing him with the security of a second NHL contract and providing the team with possible value—which it appears will be quite significant.

Looking at how Neal and Couture compare to Kane, a contract offer of two-years, $5.75 million from the Jets seems entirely reasonable.  On one hand though, the average annual salary will likely increase (last season it was $2.3 million), something Evander Kane’s agent is surely aware of.  On the other hand, the argument can be made that Couture and Neal’s numbers have been better than Kane’s.  However, as noted above, both of those players entered the NHL after a year of seasoning in the AHL.

With the average annual salary rising and the fact Kane entered the NHL as an eighteen year old, Kane’s agent will likely seek a two-year, $5.75 million contract as a floor rather than a midway point, never mind a ceiling.

This is where Kessel and Tavares come into play—with both having entered the years at 18 years of age.  Tavares is a superior player to Kane; one could argue Kessel is as well, but Kessel is more comparable in terms of style (to a point) and production.

Here are their contracts:

(e)        Projected contract(s)

There are a variety of options for Kane’s contract, but as stated earlier, we are going to cap a projection at four years (when Kane reaches UFA status).

Overall, James Neal appears to be a very applicable comparison to Evander Kane.  As a base, we used Neal’s second NHL contract in shaping Kane’s projected deal over two years ($3.05 million).  Over the last two seasons, we calculated a figure slightly below the average cap hit of Tavares and Kessel ($5.1 million) over the final two years taking Kane into unrestricted free agency.

A total contract of four-years, $16.3 million deal seems like appropriate market value for the young and upcoming Kane.  The question now is, will Kane serve those years in a Jets jersey?

**Thank you to capgeek.com for the listed salary figures and behindthenet.ca for the listed advanced statistics.**

It is the All-Star break for most NHL players, but your Illegal Curve All-Stars will be live on TSN 1290 for three hours of The Illegal Curve Hockey Show, Saturday, beginning at 12 Noon.

Throughout the show on Saturday, we will be spending a significant chunk of the broadcast analyzing what the Jets should do at the rapidly approaching trade deadline (February 27, 2012) and we will spend additional time trying to answer the question, “what is Evander Kane worth as an upcoming RFA?”

Our first guest, joining us at 12:30 PM, will be James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen. With the All Star Game taking place in Canada’s capital, James will have all the latest news and happenings from what is undoubtedly a busy weekend along the banks of the Rideau Canal (or, more accurately, given the locale of Scotia Bank Place, a local farmer’s field.)

At 1:00 PM, we will be joined by St. Louis Blues forward and Winnipegger, Alex Steen. As has been well documented, the Blues are one of the league’s best surprises, entering the All Star break among the league leaders in points. Alex is back in Winnipeg for the mid season break, and we will ask him about the Blues surprising season. Alex will be joining us in support of the Amadeus Steen Foundation.

At 2:15 PM, we are excited to welcome longtime NHL player, and two time Stanley Cup winner, Bobby Holik (Twitter: @holikonhockey) to the show. Undoubtedly, you are familiar with Holik, thanks to his lengthy NHL career (1300+ games, 747 career points), but you may be less familiar with his new hockey website, www.holikonhockey.com, where he gives his insight and opinion into the game he knows so very well.

Additional guests may be added, so stay tuned to this post and our Twitter page for news on that front.

All that, plus your tweets, emails and (maybe, but not likely) phone calls (204-780-1290).  Best tweets and emails will receive exciting Illegal Curve merchandise!

Join us Saturday from 12 Noon – 300 PM on TSN 1290 in Winnipeg and online at tsn.ca/Winnipeg

Jets news:

Note:  Richard is going to have an in-depth analysis of Evander Kane’s fair market value later today.  Part 1 and Part 2 are now available.

Artvoice:  Promises kept – visit to Winnipeg.  Much like our story about the two Sharks fans who came to the Peg‘ to see San Jose take on the Jets, these two enterprising Sabres fans came down to Winnipeg last week to fulfill a promise made years earlier, to see Buffalo take on Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Chevy’s commandments.  While the Jets have pulled off a trade already they haven’t had to make any major dressing room changes.  Should be an interesting month to the deadline.

Winnipeg Free Press:  A mental health week.  Perhaps the Jets need to spend the week perfecting some Stuart Smalley (SNL) daily affirmations “We’re good enough, we’re smart enough and gosh darn it we can score goals”.

Winnipeg Sun:  What did you expect Jets fans?  This isn’t a sprint Jets fans, it is a marathon.  While it would be wonderful to see quick results the Jets project is a long term initiative.

Winnipeg Sun:  Chevy’s glass half-full.  If you need an example of what can happen when you throw money at a problem, check out the Buffalo Sabres.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets way off goal-scoring pace.  The offensive numbers have been nothing to rave about this season.  As Richard pointed out the other day, the Jets top production player is Blake Wheeler who is tied with 8 other players for 75th.  Gone are the days when 100 points scorers grew on trees.

Metro:  Jets show cracks back-to-back.  No explanation as to why the Jets have struggled as badly as they have in the 2nd half of back-to-backs.  That 0-8 record though is quite abysmal.

SI.com:  Everybody loves Winnipeg.  I’m getting a tad tired of writers pointing out all the things wrong with this market before the introduction of reasons why it is a good one for hockey.  Very nice that SI is recognizing the return of NHL hockey to the Peg’ but I’m not sure why there is a need to denigrate the city before explaining why it deserved elevation from the AHL to the NHL.

Winnipeg Sun:  All Jets, all the time.  A 5 minute video discussion of all things Jets.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

Note:  IceCaps just recalled Jake Marto from the Colorado Eagles.

IceCaps official site:  Caps squeak past Sound Tigers.  The Caps have tied the Penguins for 1st in the East with a game in hand.  Next up is a date with the 2nd place in the Atlantic Monarchs.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Meech re-injures knee.  Another unfortunate setback for the Winnipeg blueliner.  Hopefully this injury doesn’t have him back on the shelf for too long.

Next opponent news – Philadelphia Flyers:

Philadelphia Inquirer:  Read’s travels are taking him to All-Star skills event.  The Flyers have themselves quite the player in Matt Read as Jets fan learned when they faced Philly.

Philadelphia Inquirer:  Giroux will feel right at home in All-Star game.  Always nice to be selected for the game, especially nice when the game is being played in your backyard.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Now THAT is a handshake.  It isn’t just the Jets players who have elaborate pre-game handshakes.  Even the training staff have their own routines.

Winnipeg Jets:  Fixing up the Phone Booth.  Missed this article the other day which gives a comprehensive overview of all the changes that the MTS Centre has undergone as they have transitioned from the AHL to the NHL.

ECHL:    Mark Flood Alumni Profile.  He is a hard working player who gives his best effort each and every time he is on the ice.  As you can see from his humble beginnings, he isn’t going to take this opportunity to play with the Jets lightly.  While the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island native is not listed on the Jets depth chart his play this season has him solidly in the conversation for coach Noel.

TSN:  Noel not happy with .500 record at break.  While many of the staff and players are new, this has a deja-vu feel about it.  Can the Jets prevent a Thrashers-like fall from grace?  They will need to develop some road punch over the course of 6 of the next 7 games.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Punchless Jets need infusion of elite talent.  Unfortunately big time scorers don’t grow on trees and it will take some time for the Jets fruit to ripen.  I don’t see GM Chevledayoff making any major trades before the February 27th trade deadline.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Thorburn comes close but still can’t buy a goal.  He works hard and will be rewarded soon.  I  went back and watched his 8 goals from last season, 3 of which he scored in the first 3 Atlanta games to start the 2010/11 season.  The majority of which were all hard nosed heading to the front of the net type goals.

Winnipeg Sun:  Time off comes at right time for Jets.  No question they need some R & R time away from the rink.  Especially when the first task to start the 2nd half of the season is facing the tough Philadelphia Flyers on the 31st.

Winnipeg Sun:  Snapshots.  Two teams light years apart.  Manhandled.  Jets toughest opponent.  Jets PK lone bright spot.  Tanner Glass glorious chance.  Thorburn stands tall for this teammates.  Rebound control issues.  Ladd’s defence.  Anti-Miettien.  No Manitobans in the All-Star game.

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline – Rangers 3 Jets 0.  Game recaps, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars of the night.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets re-assign Patrice Cormier and Aaron Gagnon to the St. John’s IceCaps.  The Caps have some injuries so these two additions will be welcome for them.

The Telegram:  Gagnon makes a short-haul trip to join Jets.  It wasn’t just Gagnon in attendance as the entire IceCaps team, down to the team bus driver, was at MSG to watch the parent club get schooled by the Rangers.

Next opponent news – Philadelphia Flyers:

Philadelphia Inquirer:  Flyers finally snag a shootout win.  This is a very dangerous Flyers team that can beat you in all facets of the game.

Press of Atlantic City:  Flyers Hartnell selected to All-Star game for 1st time.  Still kinda a snub considering he was an add-on for an injured Toews.

Game Stories:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Rangers beat Jets 3-0.

Winnipeg Sun:  Rangers blank Jets.

Globe and Mail:  Lundqvist downs Jets for 40th NHL shutout.

NHL.com:  Rangers blank Jets 3-0 win.

New York Daily News:  Rangers jet into NHL All-Star break in 1st place.

New York Times:  Rangers enter break in 1st place in East.

Video Highlights:

NHL.com 3 Stars

1.  Henrik Lundqvist

2. Ryan Callahan

3.  John Mitchell

Jets news:

While they might not have as much support from Jets fans as they did the last time they played in New York, there will still be some Jets jerseys in the MSG crowd.

TSN:  Burmistrov game-time decision, Kane on IR. 

Winnipeg Free Press:  Tough task for Jets tonight as they take on Rangers.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets call up Gagnon.

Winnipeg Sun:  No easy games for Jets.

CBC:  Jets in funk as they face host Rangers.

Illegal Curve:  Game day preview of Jets at Rangers.

Affiliate news – Colorado Eagles:

Northern Colorado:  Eagles add another new name to roster.

A few things of note as we get ready for the All-Star break:

1.  The team does not have a scorer in the top 69 in the NHL.

2.  Mark Stuart is 2nd in the NHL in blocked shots & plays approx 4 minutes less per game than the Habs Josh Gorges (1).

3.  Evander Kane takes the longest average shifts on the team for the forward position.

4.  Evander Kane sits fifth in the NHL in shots taken. Neal (1), Malkin (2), Nash (3) & Tavares (4).

5.  Mark Stuart is 6th in the NHL in minor penalties taken with 23.

When: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York

Records: Winnipeg (22-21-6), New York Rangers (30-12-4)

Television/Radio:  TSN-JETS,MSG 2/ TSN 1290 Radio

The Story:  Start spreading the news because the Jets are in New York tonight to face the Rangers in the last game before the All-Star break..

The Jets lost 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes last night but they will try to follow it up with a win in the Big Apple Tuesday night against the best team in the Eastern Conference.

The Jets outshot the Hurricanes 30-16 last night but again failed to score more than a goal for the fifth time in their last 11 games. Kyle Wellwood got the lone Jets goal as the Jets continued to struggle on the road. Winnipeg is now 7-13-4 on the road, remarkable for a team that is in 10th place and just three points behind the Washington Capitals for the last playoff spot in the East.

With only one game remaining before the upcoming NHL All-Star Break in Ottawa (January 28th-29th), the Jets are desperate for at least a point tonight in New York. The Jets have had a horrible month of January (3-7-1) and need to keep pace with both the Capitals and the 9th place Toronto Maple Leafs, who defeated the New York Islanders 3-0 last night.

Ondrej Pavelec will start in goal for the Jets tonight.

Projected line combinations:

Goalie:

Ondrej Pavelec

Forwards:

1st: Alexander Burmistrov-Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler

2nd:  Kyle Wellwood- Nikolai Antropov- Andrew Ladd

3rd:  Tanner Glass- Jim Slater- Chris Thorburn

4th:  Antti Miettinen- Patrice Cormier-Eric Fehr

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Tobias Enstrom

Zach Bogosian-Johnny Oduya

Mark Stuart-Randy Jones

Offensive Leaders:

New York Rangers: Marian Gaborik (25 goals, 14 assists, 39 points), Ryan Callahan (16 goals, 18 assists, 34 points, Brad Richards (15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points)

Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler (nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points), Evander Kane (18 goals, 13 assists, 31 points), Kyle Wellwood (nine goals, 21 assists, 30 points)

Injury Report:

New York Rangers: Artem Anisimov (upper body), Jeff Woywitka (foot), Steve Eminger (shoulder), Michael Sauer (knee)

Winnipeg Jets:  Kane (concussion), Stapleton (lower body), Byfuglien (knee) is day-to-day

Who’s Next: After tonight’s game, the Jets have six days off before their next regular season game as they will now break for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa, which starts this Saturday, January 28th with the the NHL Skills Competition and Rookie Game and ends with the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, January 29th. The Jets next game is on Tuesday, January 31st against the Philadelphia Flyers (6:00 p.m. CST)

QUICKIES…..Andrew Ladd, Kyle Wellwood and Tanner Glass are the only three Jets who have played in all 49 games this season……Kyle Wellwood is on a five-game points streak…..Join Illegal Curve at The Cheer Bar & Grill (Osborne & Stradbrook) for tonight’s Jets/Rangers game…..Pick up your official Illegal Curve New Era 5950 Fitted Hat, available online (www.illegalcurve.com ) or at City Haul on 823 Corydon Avenue…..

Jets news:

Note:  Jets have recalled Aaron Gagnon from IceCaps and placed Evander Kane on IR retroactive to January 19th.

Winnipeg Free Press:  The Secret Handshake Club.  All the Jets pre-game routines are quite interesting to watch.  Even the refs have some pre-game rituals just before the game starts.

Winnipeg Sun:  NHL missing the Jets’ boat.  As I said yesterday while it is unfortunate that the Jets won’t be mentioned, officially, this will be an opportunity for the players to rest and get ready for a big 2nd half push.

Winnipeg Sun:  Trying to solve back-to-back woes.  Considering the Jets are a young team you wouldn’t think lethargy would be a factor but they have often looked tired in the 2nd game.  Something tells me the Jets are going to get their first win of the season in back-to-back’s against the Rangers.

Winnipeg Sun:  Top line plagued by injuries.  Perhaps the Kane/Little/Wheeler line has had to deal with all the injuries in the first half and will have a trouble free 2nd half.

Winnipeg Sun:  Big thrill for little Jets fans.  Another very cool program that allows kids from all across the province to check out some Jets action.  As the flight deck is quite close to the IC seats in the press box we can often see these kids whooping it up during the games and you can see how much they appreciate the opportunity to watch the games.

ChrisD.ca:  Bobby Hull returning to Winnipeg for book signing.  He returns for the 40th (yes 40th) anniversary of one of the most iconic sports contract signings in the history of hockey.

Winnipeg Sun:  Snapshots.  Lack of 3rd period finish.  Playoff trouble.  Just missed opportunities.  Bad luck.  Tough start for Mason on his 300th game.  Too many missed shots.  Still an All-star chance.  Hnidy meets the President.  Unsportsmanlike play by Canes player.  Miettinen still snake bitten.  A game they needed to win.

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline.  Game recaps, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars of the night from last night’s Jets 2-1 loss to the Canes.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

The Telegram:  Getting to know Shawn Weller.  Always important for Jets fans to be aware of who is in the pipeline.

Next opponent news – New York Rangers:

New York Post:  Rangers taking in coach Tortorella’s talking points.  Always best to be on a coach’s good side, especially one as fiery as Tortarella.

New York Daily News:  Sauer news for Rangers defenceman.  With another injury to a Rangers defenceman, you have to wonder if the scouting department is going to be out watching a team with a lot of defensive depth…..wonder who that could be!

Game Stories:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets fall 2-1 to lowly Hurricanes.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets fall 2-1 to ‘Canes.

TSN:  Hurricanes top Jets.

NHL.com:  Canes hold off Jets 2-1.

News and Observer:  Ward, Canes stop Jets 2-1.

FS Carolinas:  Canes’ commitment on defence paying off.

Video Highlights:

NHL.com 3 Stars

1.  Cam Ward

2.  Jeff Skinner

3.  Kyle Wellwood

Note:  Join the IC Crew at The Cheer Bar and Grill on Stradbrook tonight for the Jets & Hurricanes game which starts at 6 pm.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets shut out of all-star game.  While some might look at it like it is a snub, perhaps the optimistic way of looking at it says that Big Buff (or any Jets player who would have replaced him) can use that time away from the game to continue to get healthy.

TSN:  Jets visit Hurricanes.  Munz brings you up to speed on the latest from Jets practice including tonight’s projected line combos.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets to start Mason tonight.  Will he pull off his 4 straight victory over the Hurricanes this season in his 300th NHL game?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:  Letang to play in All-Star game.  Looks like the Jets will be unrepresented in Ottawa as it was made official today that Big Buff won’t be participating in the game this year as a result of the injury.

Next opponent news – Carolina Hurricanes:

News and Observer:  Canes last test before break.  The Hurricanes can ill afford to be complacent and start focusing on the mini-break they will be getting thanks to the All-Star festivities.

When: Monday, January 23, 2012

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: RBC Center, Raleigh, North Carolina

Records: Winnipeg (22-20-6), Carolina Hurricanes (17-24-9)

Television/Radio:  TSN-JETS, FS-CR (HD)/ TSN 1290 Radio

The Story:  It’s time for the Winnipeg Jets to go back to back-to-back.

The Jets have two road games coming up starting tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes followed by a game tomorrow night versus the New York Rangers which will be the Jets last two games before this weekend’s 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa, Ontario (Saturday, January 28th-Sunday, January 29th). 

The Jets lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Florida Panthers on Saturday night but picked up a very important point to stay within striking distance of the Washington Capitals for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Jets currently sit at 50 points and are three points behind Washington and four points behind the Panthers for the Southeast Division lead.

The Jets dominated the Panthers on Saturday night, outshooting them 44-23 (including 10-3 in the third period) but the Jets lacked finish around the net. The Jets also only converted on one of five power play chances, including a missed opportunity to score on a 5-on-3 in the first period.

The Jets best line on Saturday night was the line of Andrew Ladd-Nikolai Antropov-Kyle Wellwood who combined for five points and the first two goals of the game. Saturday also marked the return of defenseman Zach Bogosian, who missed the previous five games with a lower-body injury. Bogosian lead the Jets in ice time (25:19) and was solid in his own zone.

The Jets and Hurricanes have met three times this season with the Jets winning all three games.  It is interesting to note that Chris Mason has been in goal for the Jets for all three of those games. Mason will start for the Jets tonight versus the Hurricanes. Ondrej Pavelec is expected to start against the New York Rangers tomorrow night.

Projected line combinations:

Goalie:

Chris Mason

Forwards:

1st: Alexander Burmistrov-Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler

2nd:  Kyle Wellwood- Nikolai Antropov- Andrew Ladd

3rd:  Tanner Glass- Jim Slater- Chris Thorburn

4th:  Antti Miettinen- Patrice Cormier-Eric Fehr

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Tobias Enstrom

Zach Bogosian-Johnny Oduya

Mark Stuart-Randy Jones

Offensive Leaders:

Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal (11 goals, 25 assists, 36 points), Jussi Jokinen (seven goals, 20 assists, 27 points), Tuomo Ruutu (15 goals, 11 assists, 26 points) and Jeff Skinner (13 goals, 13 assists, 26 points).

Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler (nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points), Evander Kane (18 goals, 13 assists, 31 points), Kyle Wellwood (eight goals, 21 assists, 29 points)

Injury Report:

Carolina Hurricanes: Jaroslav Spacek (undisclosed), Joni Pitkanen (knee), Brian Boucher (lower-body)

Winnipeg Jets:  Kane (concussion), Stapleton (lower body), Byfuglien (knee) is day-to-day, Derek Meech (lower body) is day-to-day.

Who’s Next: The Jets will play the New York Rangers tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24th (6:00 p.m. CST). After the 2012 NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa, the Jets next game is on Tuesday, January 31st against the Philadelphia Flyers (6:00 p.m. CST)

QUICKIES…..Patrice Cormier played only three minutes and 55 seconds on Saturday against the Panthers…..Kris Versteeg a.k.a. The Jets Killer has five goals in three games against the Jets this season……Join Illegal Curve at The Cheer Bar & Grill (Osborne & Stradbrook) for tonight’s game…..

Jets news:

TSN:  Jets kick off road trip in Carolina.  If you still haven’t ordered the TSN Jets channel, why not join the Illegal Curve crew at The Cheer Bar and Grill on 437 Stradbrook for great food and prizes.

Winnipeg Free Press:  New line like B’s in a pod. Classic catch-22.  Burmistrov needs more ice time with better players to develop but has to play better to merit said ice time.  The next couple of game are going to be his time to shine and prove to coach Noel that he deserves 1st or 2nd line minutes.

Winnipeg Sun:  Putting Mason in against Hurricanes should be a no brainer for Jets.  If Mason gets the start for the Jets tonight will he be rocking the new pads?  He has been a Hurricanes killer beating them all three times the Jets have faced Carolina this season.

Winnipeg Sun:  Kane, Buff notably absent.  The Jets 3rd and 5th leading scorers are going to be missed by the Jets this week, especially given the importance of these two games against the Hurricanes and Rangers.

Carman Valley Leader:  Jets and Beavers alumni teams face-0ff.  Always fun for fans to watch these old teams get together and play some hockey.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

The Telegram:  Two of three ain’t bad.  Derek Meech cleared waivers and played quite a few minutes for the IceCaps yesterday.

Fan590:  Murray shootout hero in IceCaps 3-2 win over Sharks.  Unlike the parent club, the Jets farm team showed they can win the 2nd game of a back-to-back.

Next opponent news – Carolina Hurricanes:

News and Observer:  Ward had refocused his emotions on his game.  He has been the Canes go to guy, especially of late playing 17 of 19 games.

Illegal Curve News

Saturday’s Illegal Curve Hockey Show aired on TSN 1290 at it’s usual time of 12pm-3pm. This week’s guests were Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press and David Ebner of The Globe & Mail. Topics of discussion included, Evander Kane’s recent concussion, Alex Burmistrov’s ceiling, Winnipeg Jets week in review, Sidney Crosby update, as well as weekly segments “Six Things We Learned This Week and Rapid Fire”

The easiest way to download the podcast is to subscribe on iTunes, or non-iTunes users can subscribe via RSS. To download the mp3′s directly from our website, part 1 is available here, and click here for part 2.

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show – January 21, 2012 – Part 1

0:00 – Show intro, Jets talk, Jets week in review, Evander Kane out with concussion

12:20 – Winnipeg Jets week in review

25:44 – Alex Burmistrov’s potential, Blake Wheelers play as of late, Jets week in review

38:34 – Winnipeg Jets vs. Florida Panthers preview

49:12 – Winnipeg Jets vs. Florida Panthers preview

59:46 – Sidney Crosby update, Evander Kane update, News & Notes

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show airs Saturdays on TSN 1290 from 12pm-3pm

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show – January 21, 2012 – Part 2

0:00 – Interview with Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press

17:21 – Discussion of Elliotte Friedman’s article “Big Deals Don’t Always Pay Big Dividends”

26:35 – Interview with David Ebner of the Globe & Mail

39:35 – Six things we learned this week

50:26 – Trade deadline discussion

1:02:14 – Rapid Fire, Cheers & Jeers

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show airs Saturdays on TSN 1290 from 12pm-3pm

Jets News:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Want pizza?  Jets deliver.  With all these references to free pizzas you’d think Pizza Pizza or 222 would do a promo.  It was a game the Jets should have had and one they might look back on and regret giving up the points to Florida.  Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen played a heck of a game, stopping 41 of 44 shots.  The killer in the game were the turnovers by the Jets which were quite egregious and capitalized on almost every time.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Sniper lost 1 week or more.  The Jets can ill afford to lose his scoring touch at this point in the season.  They have a big game against the basement dwelling Hurricanes on Monday and then against the head of the class Rangers on Tuesday.  The good news is thanks to the All-star game the Jets won’t play again till the 31st and that should give the Jets star some time to heal.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Kane entitled to rights as a citizen.  Excellent column by Gary on what is fair and what is foul when it comes to making accusations of people.  While fans are entitled to their opinion of players, they should keep it hockey related and not go digging into spurious claims that are really the result of broken telephone and could enter the realm of a libelous claim.

Winnipeg Sun:  Snapshots.  Emotional roller-coaster.  Fehr back where he belongs.  Bogosian’s triumphant return.  Free pizzas.  Antropov line only one to remain unchanged.  Wellwood still needs to shoot more.  Fan sent for repairs in section 121.  Thorburn still stymied.  Pavelec wasn’t his strongest.  Neither was Wheeler.  Burmistrov’s promotion.  4 on 4 instead of 5 on 5.

Winnipeg Sun:  Stars not aligning for Byfuglien.  Unfortunately the Jets big man won’t be able to showcase his skills to the world but he will hopefully recuperate and be ready for the push that is going to come following the All-star break.  The Jets play the Flyers on the 31st and they could use Buff back against, as coach Noel would say, a “heavy” team like Philadelphia.

Game Recap – Panthers 4 Jets 3 in shootout:

Winnipeg Jets audio:  Alexander Burmistrov and Zach Bogosian.

Florida Panthers: Kris Versteeg, Scott Clemmensen, and coach Dineen.

Illegal Curve:  Post-game podcast.  Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 loss.

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline.  Game recaps, post-game audio, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

TSN:  Pogge has 25 saves as Pirates defeat IceCaps.  Caps were burnt by former member of the Jets Brett MacLean and the goaltending of Justin Pogge.

Next opponent news – Carolina Hurricanes:

News and Observer:  Skinner scores, then Tavares takes over.  The Jets sit 7 points up on last place Carolina and can ill afford to lose the game on Monday.  Carolina has played better of late going 4-3-3 in their last 10 games.

Game Stories:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Panthers beat Jets in shootout.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets fall 4-3 in shootout.

The Globe & Mail:  Jets fall to Panthers in shootout.

TSN:  Versteeg scores two as Panthers edge Jets in SO.

NHL.com:  Panthers end road skid with shootout win over Jets.

Miami Herald:  Panthers go distance in shootout victory.

Sun-Sentinel:  Panthers end losing skid with 4-3 shootout win.

Chrisd.ca:  Panthers edge Jets in shootout.

Post-game audio:

Winnipeg Jets:  Alexander Burmistrov and Zach Bogosian.

Florida Panthers:  Kris Versteeg, Scott Clemmensen and coach Kevin Dineen.

Illegal Curve:  Post-game podcast.  Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the game.

Video Highlights:

NHL.com 3 Stars

1.  Kris Versteeg

2.  Nik Antropov

3.  Zach Bogosian

Illegal Curve Hockey Show – Jets vs. Panthers Postgame Podcast – January 21, 2012

Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 shootout loss against the Florida Panthers.

Zach Bogosian

Alexander Burmistrov

Kris Versteeg

Scott Clemmensen

Coach Dineen

When: Saturday, January 21, 2012

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Records: Winnipeg (22-20-5), Florida Panthers (21-15-10)

Television/Radio:  CBC / TSN 1290 Radio

The Story:  This is classic, old school hockey in the middle of a cold, prairie winter.

The Winnipeg Jets host the Florida Panthers tonight at the MTS Centre in a game that will feature two teams battling it out for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Jets have won two of their last three games and can move within a point of the Panthers for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference with a win. It should be noted that the Jets have played one more game than the Panthers but that hardly diminishes the importance of tonight’s game. With just over a week to go before the 2012 NHL All-Star Break in Ottawa, the Jets have 49 points and are not only within three points of a playoff spot but they are within three points of the Southeast Division lead (the Washington Capitals sit in 3rd place and also have 52 points).

This is all fine and dandy and getting a win tonight against the Panthers will be important (even “four-point” important) but the Jets upcoming road schedule over the next three weeks will be the ultimate test that will determine whether or not the Jets 2.0 will make the playoffs this season.  After tonight’s game, the Jets will play six consecutive games on the road and eight of their next nine games on the road, a gruelling stretch that features no less than three back-to-back games, starting this Monday when the Jets play the Carolina Hurricanes and then face the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

The Jets pessimist might say the Jets can’t win enough of those road games to stay in the playoff hunt while the Jets optimist would say that the team has it in them to get the job done on the road.

But I digress.

Tonight, the Jets main focus will be on the Panthers, who lost 3-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks last night. The Jets and Panthers have met twice this season, with each team winning one game on the road. The last time the Panthers were in Winnipeg was back on November 10th when Kris Versteeg scored a hat trick and the Panthers won 5-2.  Florida has struggled as of late and have only won three of their last 10 games. Versteeg, who leads the Panthers with 39 points, has one point in his last nine games.

According to TSN 1290′s Brian Munz, Evander Kane will not play tonight due to a concussion he suffered on Thursday night versus the Buffalo Sabres.  Zach Bogosian will play tonight after missing the last five games and will replace Mark Flood in the line-up.

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to make his second consecutive start in goal for the Jets.

Projected line combinations:

Goalie:

Ondrej Pavelec

Forwards:

1st: Eric Fehr-Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler

2nd:  Kyle Wellwood- Nikolai Antropov- Andrew Ladd

3rd:  Tanner Glass- Jim Slater- Chris Thorburn

4th:  Antti Miettinen- Patrice Cormier-Alexander Burmistrov

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Tobias Enstrom

Zach Bogosian-Johnny Oduya

Mark Stuart-Randy Jones

Offensive Leaders:

Florida Panthers: Kris Versteeg (17 goals, 22 assists, 39 points), Stephen Weiss (12 goals, 23 assists, 35 points) and Brian Campbell (three goals, 31 assists, 34 points)

Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler (nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points), Evander Kane (18 goals, 13 assists, 31 points), Kyle Wellwood (eight goals, 19 assists, 27 points)

Injury Report:

Florida Panthers: Ed Jovanovski (hand), Jacob Markstrom (knee), Scottie Upshall (abdomen), Marco Sturm (head)

Winnipeg Jets:  Kane (concussion), Stapleton (lower body) Byfuglien (knee) is day-to-day, Derek Meech (lower body) is day-to-day.

Who’s Next: After tonight’s game the Jets will play two road games before the NHL All-Star Break in Ottawa (January 28th-29th). The Jets play the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, January 23rd (6:00 p.m.) followed by a game against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, January 24th (6:00 p.m.).

QUICKIES…..Jets forward Nik Antropov was fined $2,500.00 on Friday for boarding Buffalo Sabres defenseman T.J Brennan during the third period of Thursday night’s game. Antropov was given a roughing penalty on the play……The Jets re-assigned Paul Postma to the St.John’s Ice Caps of the American Hockey League on Friday…..Mark Stuart and Chris Thorburn each have six fighting majors this season, tied for the most on the Jets…..

Note:  Tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show at noon to 3 pm today on TSN Radio 1290.  Today’s guests include Mike Johnson (TSN), Ed Tait (Winnipeg Free Press) and David Edner (Globe and Mail).

Winnipeg Free Press:  Kane out while recuperating from concussion.  Despite his slump, the Jets could always use the speedy Evander in the lineup.

ChrisD.ca:  Provincial amateur athletes treated to Jets games.  Nice way to reward these amateur athletes.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Tensions mount in Eastern bloc.  The Jets are 7 points back of the 6th spot Penguins but are also 7 points ahead of last place Islanders, Lighting and Hurricanes.  The next 11 games are against Eastern conference opponents and will be critical if the Jets are to ever get back over the playoff line.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Made of 100 per cent TRUE GRIT.  A quiet guy without a lot of flash, he has quickly become a fan favourite for the intangibles he brings to the game

Winnipeg Free Press:  Can’t fault Hainsey for not being dumb.  If a team is willing to pay a player the big bucks he can hardly be faulted for signing the deal.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Big Buff unlikely for all-star game.  It would be a shame for the NHL’s newest franchise not to have a presence at the All-Star game in Ottawa this season.

Winnipeg Sun:  Stapleton impressing with little ice time.  He has been the little engine that could all season.  He is happy playing on the 1st through 4th lines as long as he is able to contribute.  The ultimate team player, he is a valuable asset to this team.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets defenceman a human road map.  Tough as nails, blocks shots, fights and plays a solid defensive style.

Winnipeg Free Press:  NHL fines Antropov $2,500.00.  He received the maximum fine allowed under the CBA for this incident.  Fair or foul?

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

TSN:  Jaffray scores quick overtime goals as IceCaps beat Whale.  The IceCaps continue to show that they know how to win on the road.

Next opponent news – Florida Panthers:

Chicago Tribune:  Hawks handle Panthers.  Another instance of the Hawks beating up an opponent who next has to travel to Winnipeg.

Sun-Sentinel:  Panthers trio returns after long absences.   It wasn’t a happy homecoming for the former Hawks despite the warm ovation they received from the United Center crowd.

Jets News:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Bonds yield dividends.  Some players might not appreciate the intimate nature of the city, but if the Jets 2.0 are able to recreate the camaraderie that was experienced by the Jets 1.0, they will definitely boost their appeal to players already in the system.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Outdoor NHL in city?  Chipman open to it.  Fans have been abuzz since the announcement of the Jets return that there should be a Heritage Classic played in the new Bomber stadium.  I ask readers, which Canadian team would you most like to see play the Jets?

Winnipeg Free Press:  Injuries part of game….but.  Many players have their pre-game routines and in some instances that is skating/stretching without a helmet during the warm-up.  We will have to wait and see if the injury to the Oilers Taylor Hall spurs a reaction from the Jets brass similar to what has apparently been done in Toronto and Colorado.

Winnipeg Sun:  Snapshots.  Ladd shows leadership skills.  Stuart carries the load.  Jets strong 1st period.  Sabres goal kills the crowd.  4th line gives them something to be excited about.  Antropov’s need to shoot.  Wheeler’s close call.  Lindy in tough.  Miettinen a healthy scratch.

Winnipeg Sun:  First strike Jets’ key.  It would appear that most teams know one of the keys to success against the Jets.  Weather the initial 10 minute storm, and if the score is tied at zero, you have gone a long way to taking the crowd/team out of the game.  A visiting coach described it as playing 2 games within a game against the Jets.  A 10 minute game and a 50 minute game.

Winnipeg Sun:  Wheeler feeling fortunate.  With good reason.  He could have been a lot worse off than simply having to remain in hospital for 24 hrs and missing a couple of games.  Of course his return to the lineup last night was just what the doctor ordered for the Jets.

Winnipeg Sun:  Bogosian back soon.  Every time this team is about to get healthy they have a set back.  Luckily it appears that Zach Bogosian might be making his return to a game on Saturday against the Panthers who are currently tied with Washington for 1st place in the Southeast.

Game Recap – Jets 4 Sabres 1:

Winnipeg Jets audio:  Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, Ondrej Pavelec, Bryan Little and Tobias Enstrom.

Buffalo Sabres audio:  Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Ryan Miller and coach Lindy Ruff.

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline.  Game recaps, post-game audio, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

Hartford Courant:  Whale weekend.  Looks like the Caps are going to have an opportunity to harpoon themselves some Whale tonight, as Connecticut has had an extremely tough January.

Next opponent news – Florida Panthers:

Miami Herald:  Chicago provides a special lure for some Panthers players.  The Jets should be sending the Chicago Blackhawks a very nice bottle of win or 10.  After a team passes through the always tough Windy City, the Jets have the opportunity to pounce on what is left of them.  Last night they took on a tired Sabres team (who had lost 6-2 to Chicago on Wednesday) and on Saturday they face Florida who will first play in Chicago tonight.

The Winnipeg Jets defeat the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-1 at MTS Centre.

Game Stories:

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets rattle Sabres 4 – 1.

Winnipeg Sun: Inspired effort by Jets does the trick.

The Globe & Mail: Jets Ease Past Sabres.

TSN: Jets take advantage of tired Sabres with victory

CBC: Ladd, Enstrom lead Jets in win over Sabres.

WinnipegJets.com: Jets soar past Sabres.

Buffalo News: Sabres remain in deep freeze.

Chrisd.ca: Jets Sharpen Swords on Dull Sabres.

Video Highlights:

NHL.com 3 Stars

1. Tobias Enstrom

2. Andrew Ladd

3. Blake Wheeler

Drew Stafford

Tyler Myers

Ryan Miller

Lindy Ruff

Ondrej Pavelec

Blake Wheeler

Andrew Ladd

Bryan Little

Tobias Enstrom

Check out this new Tim Horton’s Promo – Jets Doughnut:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Citizen Kane.  Looks like Evander Kane is going all “blogger” on us.  Should be an interesting read.

Winnipeg Sun:  Wheeler will be back against Sabres.  And not a moment too soon.  No question that his absence has been felt.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Wheeler in, Bogosian out as Jets face Sabres.  The Jets need Bogosian back although neither Buffalo nor Floria are particularly “heavy” teams as coach Noel likes to reference the Boston and San Jose types.

CBC:  Jets wary of Sabres’ ineptness on road.  The Jets should be wary of the Sabres.  Despite an OT win last week in Buffalo, the Jets were lucky in that the Sabres were playing the 2nd game of a back-to-back and should have been tired and “easy pickings”.  Simialrly, the Sabres were destroyed by the Hawks 6-2 last night so the Jets need to jump on this fragile visiting team early and often.

Illegal Curve:  Jets post-practice audio.  Wheeler, Bogosian, Little and coach Noel.

Coming off of a terrible game against New Jersey, the Jets take on the Sabres tonight at 7:30pm CST. If  Winnipeg has any hopes of making the playoffs, this is a must win against the underachieving Buffalo team who are 11th in the Eastern Conference.

The big news at practice this morning was that Blake Wheeler and Zach Bogosian were on the ice skating. Wheeler said his neck was only bruised as he turned at the last second and it did not hit him in the Adam’s apple.

Here’s the audio of Blake Wheeler talking about his injury

Zach Bogosian returned to the ice this morning, he had remained in Winnipeg while the team was on the two game road trip. Bogosian was one of the last players off the ice, showing that he is close to to returning. However, when asked if he would be playing tonight he said that he was  “day to day”. The 21 year old defenseman was pressed about what the exact injury was, but he would only say “lower body”

Bryan Little spoke about his reaction to Wheeler’s injury, the challenges facing Buffalo tonight, and getting back into the swing of things after his injury. Little has one point in six games since coming back in Buffalo on January 7, 2011.

Coach Claude Noel spoke about a number of items, he said Bogosian should be able to play Saturday, Wheeler will play tonight and talked about the challenges that Buffalo brings to the table for tonight’s game.

When: Thursday, January 19, 2012

Time: 7:30 p.m. CST

Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Records: Winnipeg (21-20-5), Buffalo Sabres (19-22-5)

Television/Radio: MSG-B,TSN-JETS / TSN 1290 Radio

The Story:  It’s January which means it’s freezing cold in Winnipeg but the Jets are hoping they can get hot on the scoresheet tonight when they welcome the Buffalo Sabres to town.

The slumping Jets were spanked 5-1 by the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night after they snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating the Ottawa Senators 2-0 on Monday night. The 10th place Jets have lost four of their last five games and have only won twice in the month of January. Winnipeg continues to have trouble on the road (7-12-4) and is now five points behind the 8th place Florida Panthers for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Buffalo lost 6-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday night and are quickly falling out of the playoff race in the East. The Sabres have only won twice in their last 10 games and are a team that has struggled all season to score goals. Sabres captain Jason Pominville scored two goals last night and has been consistent all year long (46 points) but goals have been hard to come by for many others on the team. Defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr, both established veterans who were acquired in the off-season, are out with injuries which means the Sabres are currently icing a very pedestrian defensive corps. To compound matters even further, Sabres goalie Ryan Miller has been human this season and at times has even looked shaky. The 2010 Vezina Trophy winner has a record of 11-13-2 this year with a .898 save percentage and 3.12 goals against average.

Remember Jets fans, it was less than two weeks ago that Winnipeg went into Buffalo and defeated the Sabres 2-1 in overtime on a beautiful goal by Johnny Oduya. The importance of that victory was huge at the time as the Jets had been previously humiliated by the Montreal Canadiens (7-3) and Toronto Maple Leafs (4-0).

One thing is for certain: The Jets will need to score more goals moving forward. The Jets have been shutout three times already this month which is simply not going to be good enough in order for the team to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

*** According to Tim Campbell of The Winnipeg Free Press, Blake Wheeler will return to the line-up today for the Jets. Wheeler has missed the last two games with a throat injury.

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to start in goal for the Jets tonight.

Projected line combinations:

Goalie:

Ondrej Pavelec

Forwards:

1st: Evander Kane-Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler

2nd:  Andrew Ladd- Nikolai Antropov- Alexander Burmistrov

3rd:  Tanner Glass- Jim Slater- Chris Thorburn

4th:  Antti Miettinen- Tim Stapleton-Kyle Wellwood/Eric Fehr

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Tobias Enstrom

Mark Flood-Johnny Oduya

Mark Stuart-Randy Jones

Offensive Leaders:

Buffalo Sabres: Jason Pominville (17 goals, 29 assists, 46 points), Thomas Vanek (19 goals, 22 assists, 41 points) and Derek Roy (9 goals, 16 assists, 25 points)

Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler (nine goals, 23 assists, 32 points), Evander Kane (18 goals, 13 assists, 31 points), Kyle Wellwood (eight goals, 17 assists, 25 points) and Dustin Byfuglien (6 goals, 18 assists, 24 points).

Injury Report:

Buffalo Sabres: Robyn Regehr (upper-body), Brayden McNabb (concussion), Tyler Ennis (ankle), Colin Stuart (lower body), Christian Ehrhoff (ribs),

Winnipeg Jets:  Bogosian (lower body), Byfuglien (knee) is day-to-day, Derek Meech (lower body) is day-to-day.

Who’s Next: After tonight’s game the Jets will play the Florida Panthers on Saturday, January 21st (6:00 p.m. CST, CBC).

QUICKIES…..The Jets have 10 1st Round picks in their starting line-up…..For players who have played at least 25 games this year, Tim Stapleton has the best shooting percentage on the team (14.0%)……Mark Stuart has 71 penalty minutes, tops on the team…..

Note:  As always stay tuned to Illegal Curve for all your audio from both dressing rooms.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  The mid-winter blues.   Ed Tait has seven question for Jets fans as the Jets ‘January to forget’ continues.

Winnipeg Free Press:  The numbers don’t lie – Jets should be sellers at trade deadline.  It is somewhat difficult to synch this concept in your brain.  It was pretty well understood that the Jets were going to need a few years and some additional pieces before they could compete (seriously) in whichever conference they played in.  However with winning came new expectations and fans began to think playoff run.  However, is it worth trading away prospects to acquire a player to ‘just’ make the playoffs?  It is never easy to counsel patience in an instant gratification society but that is, unfortunately, just what the doctor ordered if this franchise is to have long term success.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets likely to be sellers.  The Jets have just under 20 games before the trade deadline of February 27th.  Whether the Jets are buyers or sellers will be determined over the next month and a half.  We also took a look at some of the potential candidates to be moved by the Jets.

Winnipeg Sun:  Turbulent skies for Winnipeg.  We compared how this team had performed in 2010/11 to 2011/12 and after 41 games the Jets were actually slightly behind the Thrashers in terms of points.   The Thrashers really fell off the wagon (or is it on the wagon) from games 42-61 where they went 5-11-4 and the Jets are going to really need to get things going immediately if they want to avoid a similar fate.

Winnipeg Sun:  Healthy Slater key to success?  With the exception of the Sharks game, he has been excellent in the faceoff circle recently and currently has taken the most faceoffs for the Jets this season (338, 1 more than Bryan Little).

Winnipeg Sun:  Music to Miettinen’s ears.  Wonder if he would be willing to enter a Battle of the Bands at the West End Cultural Centre.

Winnipeg Sun:  Tale of two Jets teams.  The Jekyll & Hyde nature of this team has fans apoplectic.  Unfortunately they still have a number of back-to-backs this season.  Luckily they had the day off yesterday and they can get refocused on the Sabres who were demolished in Chicago last night.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

Brunswickan:  Former St. John’s IceCaps forward joins Varsity Reds program.  The Brandon, Manitoba product is making a smart decision.  Use hockey to get an education, while still not giving up on your goal of playing professionally.

Next opponent news – Buffalo Sabres:

Buffalo News:  Leino’s lapse dooms Sabres.  Things have gone from really bad to extremely worse in Sabres land.  They are 2-6-2 in their last 10 and haven’t won a road game since a victory over Nashville back on December 3rd, 2011 .  Will the Jets send them to their 11th loss in a row on the road?

Buffalo News:  More thoughts on Lindy.  Is the longtime Sabres coach finally cracking?  Sounds like nothing more than standard coach aggravation at the media following a disheartening loss.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Stinky sequels.  Good news for the Jets is as bad as they have been at winning the 2nd game of a back-to-back, they have been good at finishing of a team playing in that situation.  Luckily for them they will face the Sabres on Thursday that has to go through Chicago on Wednesday.

Winnipeg Sun:  Snapshots.  Back-to-back games comical.  Six more to go.  Kane’s not able.  Antropov’s iron.  No legs for comebacks.  Stick-slashing idiotic.  Slater’s strong game.  Burmistrov need to shoot more.  Poor energy in Jersey.  Flood’s hard work.  Little not yet up to speed.  Better 3rd period.

Winnipeg Sun:  Up one day…down the next.  Just when you think that every team in the NHL probably stinks in the 2nd half of a back-to-back you see that it causes no issues to some teams.  Perhaps the Jets need to study and copy how teams like Chicago (7-2-1) and New Jersey/Detroit (7-3)  prepare as they have demonstrated no failings when it comes to these types of games.

Winnipeg Free Press:  African restaurants score Jets business.  Another example of how the Jets return has impacted the downtown of Winnipeg.

Illegal Curve:  The 59Fifty hat.  We branch out with 2 style’s of New Era hats.

Game Recap – Devils 5 Jets 1:

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline – Devils 5 Jets 1.  Game recaps, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

Sentinel & Enterprise:  Worcester Sharks move Sunday’s start time.  If you were concerned about missing the Ravens/Patriots game on Sunday because you would be watching the IceCaps play the Sharks, worry no longer as Worcester has moved the game to accommodate NFL fans.

Next opponent news – Buffalo Sabres:

Buffalo News:  Sabres seeking solution to slump.  A season that began with such promise is quickly getting away from the Sabres.  As good friend to the show Mike Harrington writes “They are closer to last place in the Eastern Conference than the playoffs”.

WGRZ.com:  Robitaille on Sabres woes.  Long time Sabres analyst Mike Robitaille gives his thoughts on what has gone wrong with the Sabres this season.

WIVB.com:  What do the Sabres need to do?  Is it time to blow this team up?  Fire the coach?  Fire the GM?  Maintain the status quo?

Final Score: Devils 5 Jets 1

Game Stories:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Devils cruise to 5-1 victory.

Winnipeg Sun:  Devils dismantle Jets.

Globe and Mail:  Kovalchuk’s pair lift streaking Devils past Jets.

CBC:  Kovalchuk, Devils crush Jets.

Star-Ledger:  Devils fly by Winnipeg.

NJ.com:  Kovy scores twice as Devils beat Jets.

TSN:  Jets lose momentum at the hands of the Devils.

NHL:  Kovalchuk’s pair helps Devils knock off Jets.

Video Highlights:

NHL.com – 3 Stars:

1st:  Ilya Kovalchuk

2nd:  Patrik Elias

3rd:  Petr Sykora

Fresh on the heels of the overwhelming success of the Illegal Curve Touque, IC is pleased to announce the latest offering in Illegal Curve Merchandise—the Illegal Curve New Era 59fifty fitted Hat/Cap.

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When: Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

Records: Winnipeg (21-19-5), New Jersey Devils (25-17-2)

Television/Radio: TSN-JETS, MSG/ TSN 1290 Radio

The Story: Celebrate and then go back to work.

The Winnipeg Jets ended a three-game losing streak last night with a 2-0 road victory over the Ottawa Senators but that is yesterday’s news as the Jets will look to start a winning streak of their own tonight when they visit the New Jersey Devils.

The Jets and Devils played just three nights ago in Winnipeg, a 2-1 come-from-behind Devils win that at the time handed Winnipeg their fifth loss in six games. Tonight will be the third game in four nights for the Jets, who are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with 47 points, three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold the 8th and final playoff spot.

Tonight’s game will also be the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Jets and Devils. The Devils lead the season-series 2-1 but all three games have been close. The Devils needed overtime back on November 5th to beat the Jets 3-2 and the Jets won 4-2 back in early December in a tightly-contested game. In fact, each team has scored seven goals in the three head-to-head meetings which is reflective of how close these two teams have played each other.

The Jets will not have forward Blake Wheeler for the second game in a row tonight. Wheeler took a Petr Sykora shot in the throat during Saturday’s contest and did not travel with the team to Ottawa for last night’s game.

Jets goalie Chris Mason earned his second shutout in three starts last night but it is not yet known if Jets head coach Claude Noel will go back to Mason tonight or will opt instead to start Ondrej Pavelec. With Monday’s win, Chris Mason’s record improved to 6-3-0 on the season. Mason has a 1.99 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.

Projected line combinations:

Goalie:

Ondrej Pavelec/Chris Mason

Forwards:

1st: Evander Kane-Bryan Little- Alexander Burmistrov

2nd:  Andrew Ladd- Nikolai Antropov- Kyle Wellwood

3rd:  Tanner Glass- Jim Slater- Chris Thorburn

4th:  Antti Miettinen- Tim Stapleton-Eric Fehr

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Tobias Enstrom

Mark Flood-Johnny Oduya

Mark Stuart-Randy Jones

Offensive Leaders:

New Jersey Devils: Patrik Elias (16 goals, 25 assists, 41 points), Ilya Kovalchuk (17 goals, 21 assists, 38 points) and Zach Parise (15 goals, 23 assists, 38 points)

Winnipeg Jets:  Blake Wheeler (nine goals, 23 assists, 32 points), Evander Kane (18 goals, 13 assists, 31 points), Kyle Wellwood (eight goals, 16 assists, 24 points) and Dustin Byfuglien (6 goals, 18 assists, 24 points).

Injury Report:

New Jersey Devils: Adam Henrique (groin), Travis Zajac (achilles), Jacob Josefson (upper body) and Andy Greene (toe)

Winnipeg Jets:  Wheeler (throat), Bogosian (lower body), Byfuglien (knee) is day-to-day for Winnipeg, Derek Meech (lower body) is day-to-day.

Who’s Next: After tonight’s game the Jets return home for two games on Thursday, January 19th against the Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m. CST) and on Saturday, January 21st against the Florida Panthers (7:00 p.m. CST).

QUICKIES….. Evander Kane has not scored a goal in nine straight games….. Chris Mason has 23 career shutouts…..Jim Slater has won 60 short-handed face-offs which is 17th best in the NHL…..Join The Illegal Curve Crew at The Cheer Bar & Grill (Osborne and Stradbrook) tonight for the Jets/Devils game…..The new Illegal Curve 5950 fitted hats are now available for sale at City Haul (823 Corydon Ave.)…..

Jets news:

TSN:  Mason to face Devils.  Coach Noel is riding his hot hand and giving his #1 tender some well deserved time off.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets aim for first back-to-back win of season.  A win on the second game of a back-to-back has been as elusive as Bigfoot for the Jets.  Perhaps they will do better in their 2nd try of 2012.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Mason first to throw no-no at Sens this season.  If he keeps playing this well in the old pads, we might not see the new pads until 2013.

Winnipeg Sun:  Snapshots.  No passengers on this train.  Great start for GST.  Setting the tone early.  Kane getting call from Shanny?  Passing fancy.  Nik had his best game.

Winnipeg Sun:  Talent too thin.  There is no confusing this Jets team with one of the elite powers in the East but when healthy, in large part due to their exceptional goaltending, they can compete.

Winnipeg Sun:  Wheeler nears return.  As the above article suggests, the Jets are quite thin in the offensive department.  In January they haven’t scored more than 3 goals in a game.  So getting Wheeler and his legs back will be a boon to this team.

NBC Sports:   Evander Kane draws Senators’ ire with hit on Erik Karlsson.  Having Chris Neil come looking for you is probably enough justice for Kane’s hit.

Ottawa Citizen:  Jets trying to wipe away Thrasher memories.   Just because the team is wearing new jerseys and is playing in front of a rabid fan base doesn’t mean they will start scoring goals in droves and winning games.  Many on this team are aware of the slump they had mid season which cost them the playoffs.  Despite the injuries, they will need to continue winning on the road in January if they don’t want to dig themselves too deep a hole.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Chipman speaks at News Café.  Chairman of True North and Governor of the Winnipeg Jets answers questions in this Q & A session.

The IC Touque makes it to the HP Pavilion courtesy of our friend from San Jose, Bryan Lynch.  If you too would like to rock an IC Touque, check it out on our Merchandise page.  We want to see your photos of you wearing an IC Touque.

Game Recap – Jets 2 Senators 0:

Illegal Curve:  Jets on a Deadline – Jets 2 Senators 0.  Game recaps, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars.

Affiliate news – St. John’s IceCaps:

The Telegram:  Jaffray always adds something to team he’s on.   Cannot say I’m surprised to read those numbers on Jaffray.  Little Q & A at the end of the article.

Next opponent news – New Jersey Devils:

Star-Ledger:  Devils return home to face Winnipeg.  Basically a home and home for the Devils who have been off since they played on Saturday afternoon in Winnipeg.  Still no word if rookie Adam Henrique will be healthy enough to play against the Jets.

North Jersey:  Devils get a shot at being homebodies.  The Devils sit in 6th spot, 4 points back of the Senators but with 3 games in hand.  Of course they have the Capitals, Penguins, Leafs and Jets all in close proximity, so a decent homestand before the All-Star break is a necessity to maintain playoff positioning.

Final Score: Jets 2 Senators 0

Game Stories:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets blank Senators 2-0.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets shut out Senators, stop losing streak.

Globe and Mail:  Resurgent Winnipeg proves every dog has its day.

National Post:  Senators come out flat in loss to Jets.

Ottawa Citizen:  Mason, Jets shut down Senators.

NHL:  Jets blank Senators.

TSN:  Mason’s 25 saves lift jets to shutout win.

Video Highlights:

NHL.com – 3 Stars:

1st: Tobias Enstrom

2nd: Jim Slater

3rd:  Craig Anderson