Papers(November 22nd): Hawks beat down. Ellerby ends drought. PMO in the house & more

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Note: We have an exciting opportunity for Jets fans who will be in Florida for the Jets and Panthers game on December 5th. The Panthers are doing a promo (promo code is: Jets) that will allow fans to get a limited number of premium seats and behind the ice visitors access. Should be a lot of fun. To learn more, click here.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Hawks apply usual beating. It sort of like watching Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. You hope that he is finally going to make some contact, but you just know that at some point Lucy is pulling that ball away.

Winnipeg Free Press: Ellerby ends brutal schneid with first goal in 104 games. While he was happy to get a goal after such a long time it was clear that he wasn’t happy with his own defensive play last night. None more glaring than the Toews goal when he went around Ellerby like he wasn’t even there.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets-Hawks summary. Some of the pertinent facts from the game including droughts, faceoff woes, dominance by Hawks, the other Kane is very able and up next.

Winnipeg Free Press: No more pizza giveaways. Interesting comments by Oduya to the fan base preaching patience.

Winnipeg Sun: Safe to say there are acres between Hawks and Jets. Credit to the Jets for maintaining the pace with the defending Stanley Cup champs for a bit but it is clear which team is geared for a long race and which is more of a sprinter. Paul also looks at the less than stellar play of the goalies, Toews takes on HelmetPardy, Ladd’s play and Little’s advice to Scheifele.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets not in same league. Those Hawks are something else. Many times when it was even strength it appeared that Chicago was on a power play. The talent on display last night was remarkable.

Winnipeg Sun: Hawks score three times in third period to down Jets 6-3. Things looked good for Winnipeg as they controlled play for the first couple of minutes in the final frame but then it all went awry. The ice tilted back against the Jets and it was almost all Chicago for the rest of the period.

CTV News: Prime Minister takes in Winnipeg Jets game. It is quite remarkable seeing the Prime Minister sitting amongst the rest of the fans in the crowd. Of course he wasn’t entirely alone as he was surrounded by RCMP, both in plainclothes and on the cat walk high above the MTS Centre, as well as some fellow Conservative Members of Parliament. During each intermission Stephen Harper posed for 100s of pictures with fans.

Hockey’s Future: Prospects mixing promise with adversity in early stages of 2013-14 season. Taking a look at some of the prospects in the system.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Blackhawks 6 Jets 3:

Winnipeg Jets: Ondrej Pavelec, Keaton Ellerby and Andrew Ladd.

Chicago Blackhawks: Coach Q, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford.

Coach Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Chicago.

Post-game podcast from the Press box. Host and Analyst Richard Pollock breaks down the Jets play solo tonight against the Hawks.

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

Click to read more...

 

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November 4th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Welcome back Wings, it’s been too long. Coincidentally we just saw and honoured Nikolai Khabibulin in the last Jets game and on his heels comes the team many remember him being the ‘â€Bulin wall†against back in those 96′ playoffs.

Winnipeg Free Press: Like a Rock. So much easier to say and so much more difficult to put into practice. While many understand and agree with the notion of staying the course and building over time, that generally requires a lot of losing, which isn’t easy to swallow. Also it is easier for a GM, who has years left on his contract, to preach patience versus a coach who very much is judged on what he is doing presently.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets recall Redmond from IceCaps. Some of the players hadn’t heard the news but when informed he had been recalled were happy to hear he was coming back to Winnipeg. Redmond is a very well liked player and his contributions in St. John’s apparently didn’t go unnoticed by the Jets brass.

Winnipeg Sun: Best defence really is a good offence. Coach Noel in his presser yesterday address this idea but still adheres to a defence first mentality.

Winnipeg Sun: Ellerby set to make Jets debut. Raised in Calgary, he is excited to start playing for an NHL team in a Canadian city and that opportunity is going to come tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.

Globe and Mail: Toews returns home to Winnipeg, where his dreams began. Always a worthwhile read, Roy MacGregor was in the Peg’ over the weekend to cover the return of our favoured son and he penned this really good article about Captain Serious.

Edmonton Journal: Short shifts. In this column, which takes a look around the NHL, the Jets get a couple of blurbs including a mention of Coach Noel's possible availability and Enstrom turning down the Swedish Olympic team.

NHL.com: Jets lift spirits of Winnipeg. A long read about the city of Winnipeg and our connection to NHL hockey but well worth spending some time reading.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel presser. Kane update. What does he expect from Ellerby? Thoughts on pulling Pavelec. Expectations on Zach Redmond. Talk about the Red Wings.

Illegal Curve: Player audio from MTS Centre. After practice audio from the newest member of the Jets Keaton Ellerby as well James Wright and Zach Bogosian.

Opposition (Red Wings) news:

Detroit Free Press: Red Wings look more ‘professional’ in 5-0 win over Edmonton. Big debut for Darren Helm, the pride of St. Andrews Manitoba, who scored in his return for the Winged Wheel.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 4th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Little hopes to give fans ‘something to cheer about’ tonight. The team is clearly aware of the precariousness of their situation if they continue to lose.

Winnipeg Sun: Montoya gets the call for the Jets. Ken gives you some insight into tonight’s game.

CBC: 5 things to watch for in Jets date with Detroit. Jeff gives us five topics before the game including new blood in the blue line, pressure on Pavelec, back at the Helm, Red-hot Wings and doing all the Wright things.

Illegal Curve: Canada Post and Winnipeg Jets looking for Most Passionate Jets Fan. For fans who want to show their passion and win some Jets prizes, Canada Post and the Winnipeg Jets are teaming up and here is the release from the Jets

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel pre-game presser. Thoughts on the Red Wings. Focusing on the process. Evander Kane’s status (questionable, lower body injury). Going with Montoya. Thoughts on Redmond.

Illegal Curve: Player pre-game audio from MTS Centre. After practice audio from Bryan Little, Olli Jokinen and Zach Redmond.

Illegal Curve: Game day set-up. Ez sets up tonight’s action between Jets and Wings.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers. If you missed any of the news this AM we have you covered.

Opposition (Red Wings) news:

Detroit Free Press: Wings anticipate fun game against Jets. Will Darren Helm's mom boo her son? Probably not but you can tell the Wings are excited to be in a new NHL city to them.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 5th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Montoya holds hot hand in Jets’ net. There is no denying that he stood up to a solid Wings team and made the saves his team needed him to make.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets need Wings to take flight. Another example of playing up to their competition?

Winnipeg Free Press: Zach’s back but Jets won’t rush him. While he did have success in St. John’s it was only in two games, so rather than throwing him into play right away, it makes sense to get him some practice time with the Jets first.

Winnipeg Sun: Where have those Jets been? Paul wonders where have these Jets been all season? In addition he look at a potential goalie controversy, quick start, Scheifele shines, power outage and a quick tilt to start game.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets make a statement to remember in win over Wings. It was certainly not what many were expecting following a disheartening loss to the Hawks on Saturday. But these Jets rose to the occasion and played a fairly complete hockey game last night.

Illegal Curve: Canada Post and Winnipeg Jets looking for Most Passionate Jets Fan. Enter for your chance to win great Jets prizes.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Jets 4 Wings 2:

Winnipeg Jets: Montoya, Scheifele, Frolik, Bogosian and Clitsome.

Detroit Red Wings: Coach Babcock, Helm, Tootoo, Zetterberg and Kronwall.

Coach Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Detroit.

Post-game podcast from the Press box. Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Michael Remis break down the Jets play against the Wings.

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

 

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November 5th

Note: Once again the Illegal Curve team will be getting behind this worthwhile cause. This year Ezra and I will be joined by Richard in growing our mustaches to help raise awareness. If you would like to donate to the team, here is a link.

Note II: Tune into a special edition of NHL Mid-Week from 6-8 PM tonight on TSN 1290 Winnipeg as we break down all the latest news from around the NHL. The show has moved from Wednesday to Tuesday as the Jets are playing in Chicago tomorrow night. Guests: Rick Peckham (Lightning play by play man) and Tyson Nash (Coyotes analyst).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Win boosts Jets’ confidence heading into Chicago. When your team is tied for last in the division, and second last in the conference it is probably a good thing the Jets are getting swollen heads. Having said that if they can re-create the game plan that they demonstrated against the Wings tomorrow night in Chicago, they are likely in line for a better result than what they were on receiving end of last Saturday.

Winnipeg Sun: Kane to travel with Jets to Chicago. While the Jets pulled off the win last night sans their sniper, they probably wouldn’t win many more without the young gun in the lineup.

Winnipeg Sun: Redmond feels blessed to be back with Winnipeg Jets. This was a late article that I missed in the AM papers. Redmond is clearly quite happy to be back in the NHL and should be seeing action pretty soon.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel scrum. Evander Kane status. How can the team bottle last night’s effort? More about process than results? How’s Scheifele handling the ups and downs of pro hockey? Happy with Mark’s defensive game? Start of Bryan Little. How did his team control the puck last night? Reinforcing for players to see what can happen when implementing his system.

Illegal Curve: Player audio from IcePlex. After practice audio from Al Montoya, Mark Scheifele, Andrew Ladd and Matt Halischuk.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers. If you missed any of the news this AM we have you covered.

IceCaps news:

AHL.com: Chiarot a big plus for IceCaps. He is logging big minutes on the farm and this merited a call-up to the big club last weekend.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 6th

Note: Following today’s Jets Papers, you can ensure you are up to speed with our game set-up written by Ezra Ginsburg. Prior to the game we will have audio from the players and coach Noel following the pre-game skate. After the game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.

Note II: For away games we have our #ICGWG contest. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Ladd).

Winnipeg Jets:

USA Today: Is Coach Noel on the hot seat? In our poll, 54% of you think he will still be coach by season's end whereas 46% believe there will be a coaching change. Kevin Allen of USA Today breaks down some of the fundamental problems.

CBC: 30 Thoughts. The Jets are covered in three points namely (13 - Noel, 14 - Scheifele, 30 - playoffs).

Winnipeg Free Press: Montoya might have earned himself another start in net. We debated this on last night’s show. My guess is coach Noel will stick with the hot goalie, especially considering the fact that Montoya would be getting an opportunity to play in front of family and friends in his hometown.

Winnipeg Free Press: Big night serves as a reminder. Mark Scheifele has great vision. That was evident when he slowed down and made a laser beam pass to Michel Frolik against the Wings. His defensive play also was very impressive as he continues to gain more and more confidence. Personally I thought it was his best game this season since the the Habs contest.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets have new standard. When you demonstrate potential such as this team did on Sunday, people are going to hold you accountable to play up to this level each and every night.

Winnipeg Sun: Bryan Little keeps coming up big. Consistency is what he is bringing night in and night out. Another word you could use would be finish. Unlike last season where he wasn’t burying pucks in the back of the net with the same alacrity as this year (seven goals in 48 games vs. eight goals in 16 games).

Globe and Mail: Young Jets ready to win now. Such is the conundrum when you preach long term vision. While fans will find the wait simply unbearable, it is difficult to sell to players, especially ones who have dealt with too much losing in young careers, to accept same for a bit longer.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel scrum. Evander Kane status. How can the team bottle last night’s effort? More about process than results? How’s Scheifele handling the ups and downs of pro hockey? Happy with Mark’s defensive game? Start of Bryan Little. How did his team control the puck last night? Reinforcing for players to see what can happen when implementing his system.

Illegal Curve: Player audio from IcePlex. After practice audio from Al Montoya, Mark Scheifele, Andrew Ladd and Matt Halischuk.

St. John’s IceCaps News:

The Telegram: IceCaps’ first big road trip receives passing grade. Catch up with the latest from the Jets farm club.

Opposition (Hawks) news:

ESPN Chicago: Khabibulin’s Struggles Hurting Hawks. Unless the Bulin wall can figure his problems out quickly there is a good chance his Chicago reunion could be over soon.

CSN Chicago: So far, so good for Pirri on second line. Breaking down ten points about the Hawks 15 games into their season.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 6th

Note: After the game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.

Note II: For away games we have our #ICGWG contest. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Byfuglien).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Montoya gets the start for the Jets in Chicago tonight. Montoya, a Chicago native, will be pumped up for a game in his hometown.

Winnipeg Sun: Montoya gets call once again. Fans are likely going to be happy to see coach Noel riding the hot hand.

USA Today: Is Coach Noel on the hot seat? In our poll, 54% of you think he will still be coach by season's end whereas 46% believe there will be a coaching change. Kevin Allen of USA Today breaks down some of the fundamental problems.

CBC: 30 Thoughts. The Jets are covered in three points namely (13 - Noel, 14 - Scheifele, 30 - playoffs).

Opposition (Hawks) news:

Chicago Tribune: Byfuglien, Blackhawks trash-talk it out. You could see Buff was giving it to his former team mates on Saturday and they can probably expect more of the same tonight.

ESPN Chicago: Frolik’s return to Chicago is special. From the way their penalty kill has gone from tops last season to last in the NHL, it looks like they may want to see him back wearing a Hawks uni.

CSN Chiacago: Five Things. Tracy gives you Five Things to Watch for in tonight’s Jets-Blackhawks game.

Jets & Hawks audio:

Evander Kane – Is he playing? How close to 100% is he? Does he feel good enough to help team win? Specific injury question. Watching Wings game from press box, what did he like from his team?

Jonathan Toews – Thoughts on trip to D.C. What does he expect from the Jets? Going up against former team mates (i.e. Buff). How special was it to have all the friends and family at the MTS Centre on Saturday?

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 7th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Paying for their mistakes. You simply cannot make mistakes against an upper echelon team like the Hawks and hope to survive for very long. They thrive on taking advantage of your errors and the Jets saw this reality last night.

Winnipeg Free Press: Buff talks a good game. While he isn’t the biggest talker with the media, you can see that Buff likes to yap with his teammates, apparently current and past.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets not even close. One team won the Stanley Cup last season while the other was on the outside looking in. Wasn’t difficult to figure out which team was which last night.

TSN: Mistakes prove costly as Jets fall to Blackhawks. Dennis breaks down the game action as he saw it from his broadcast booth.

CBC: Did you see that? Fan tries on Adam Pardy’s helmet. Not sure Adam Pardy appreciate the safety conscious fan ripping his helmet off and trying it on. Of course the beer he then had subsequently dumped on his head probably wasn’t too well received either.

NBC Sports: Frolik saluted by Blackhawks fans on ‘special’ night. Classy move by the Hawks organization to honour a member of their past Stanley Cup championship team.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Hawks 4 Jets 1:

Coach Claude Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Chicago.

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

 

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November 9th

Note: Join us for today’s Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN 1290 Radio starting at noon. Guests: David Pollak (San Jose Mercury News) and Jason Arnott (former NHL player).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Sharp Jets prey on Predators. It was a great 1st period of action. Perhaps the best starting period the Jets have played as they dismantled the Predators in the opening twenty minutes. They put it into cruise for the remaining forty, which wasn’t a big shocker.

Winnipeg Free Press: Game breakers. Couple of things that turned the game in the Jets favour, specifically the play of Bryan Little and Ondrej Pavelec.

Winnipeg Free Press: Ex-Jet Housley remembers close-knit squad in return to city. I remember when we had him on the radio back when it was announced that the Jets would be returning and he was incredibly excited for the return of the NHL to a city he remembered so fondly.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets, Buff get monkey off their backs. While Buff believed he had finally scored a goal we originally (and correctly it turns out) thought Tangradi had tipped the puck past Hutton. Either way it was funny to see the big man react to finally ‘breaking’ his scoreless drought. Instead he adds another assist to his total.

Winnipeg Sun: Kane should have taken high road, not pouring fuel on fire. He clearly wants to play and that is his motivation but it would have been an easy answer to deflect from the media and instead he chose to make it bigger. Paul also looks at winning cures all, a fan in coach Trotz, Olli’s best game and Little as MVP.

Winnipeg Sun: Kane says he was a healthy scratch in Chicago. As coach Noel has often said, players will always say they are healthy and ready to play but he has to think of the long term ramifications of sending out a player before they are ready to return to the game.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: IceCaps unseat Monarchs. Was it the fancy new third jersey on display that helped St. John's overcome the 1st place Monarchs? Probably not, but the team looked spiffy nonetheless in the new duds.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Jets 5 Predators 0:

Winnipeg Jets: Olli Jokinen, Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Ondrej Pavelec.

Nashville Predators: Coach Trotz, Viktor Stalberg, Shea Weber and Seth Jones.

Coach Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Nashville.

Post-game podcast from the Press box. Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the Jets play against the Predators.

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

 

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November 10th

Note: Following today’s Jets Papers, you can ensure you are up to speed with our game set-up written by Ezra Ginsburg. After the game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.

Note II: For home games we have both our #ICGWG and #IC5050 contests. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Ladd & #IC5050 $34,90.00).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets vs. Sharks game night. A little preview of tonight’s contest.

Winnipeg Free Press: .500 a way of life for Jets. Not if they want to be a playoff bound team it better not be.

Winnipeg Free Press: Media itching to know about scratch. Given the previous answers not unexpected that follow-up questions were asked about scratch-gate but clearly the message was sent by Kane and he is rightly no longer using media to send any more.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets can’t afford to take step back. The guys laid it out yesterday on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show. The next seven games (five of which are at home) are going to be critical in terms of earning a playoff spot in April.

Winnipeg Sun: Byfuglien takes losing first goal in stride. He is third on the team in total points so while the team would like to see him light the lamp, the 11 assists aren’t too shabby. Ted also looks at the reuniting the top line and a rest for goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel scrum. Wheeler status (Maintenance, should be ok). Top line’s chemistry. Not patting themselves on back too quickly. Consistency. Sharks talk.

Illegal Curve: Post-practice player audio. Hear from Byfuglien, Kane, Pavelec, Tangradi and Jokinen.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: IceCaps drop heartbreaker to Monarchs. A shorthanded goal with 14 seconds left to go in the 3rd period is a heartbreaking way to lose a game. A bright spot for St. John’s is the play of Eric O’Dell who added two more assists to give him five in the two Caps games this weekend.

Opposition (Sharks) news:

San Jose Mercury News: Sharks need to get to work. A little soul searching from an upper echelon team after a loss.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 11th

Note: Just a note to remind our readers that today is Remembrance Day.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Plucky, physical Jets win three out of four.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets follow their leader to win.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets Snapshots: Back-and-forth action gives Jets fans plenty of bang for buck.

Winnipeg Sun: Setoguchi has nostalgic night.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Jets 5 Sharks 4 in SO:

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd, Grant Clitsome, Evander Kane and Ondrej Pavelec.

San Jose Sharks: Coach McLellan, Joe Thornton, Tommy Wingels, Dan Boyle and Marc-Édouard Vlasic.

Coach Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against San Jose.

Post-game podcast from the Press box. Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Michael Remis break down the Jets play against the Sharks.

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

 

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November 12th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Power Plague. The only positives is that it seems like they are getting better chances and controlling the puck more effectively during their power play opportunities. Of course one goal (on a 5 on 3) isn’t anything to write home about as the Jets are clicking at a paltry 8.8%.

Winnipeg Free Press: Ladd a shootout wizard. It appears the Jets captain has come a long way since his first attempt back in his Chicago days. A stellar 4/4 this season you know if Winnipeg is hitting this time in a game, #16 will be one of the three players getting the call from coach Noel.

Winnipeg Free Press: Notebook. Some notes on the team including a moment to reflect, riding a high, attack shows spark and Chevy a stats guy.

Winnipeg Free Press: Observing a moment of silence at morning practice. Too often in the hustle and bustle of our day to day lives we forget to take a moment to reflect. Coach Noel chose to take a minute to pay his respect to the memory of the sacrifice that many made for the peace we enjoy today.

Winnipeg Sun: Preparing for the Wings. Ken takes a look back at where the Jets were before looking ahead to tonight’s game against the Red Wings.

Winnipeg Sun: A work in progress. Fans have to be encouraged by the two wins this past weekend but will really only truly start to breath easy when the team’s continued consistency gets them above the playoff line in the incredibly tough Western Conference.

Winnipeg Sun: Hoping for repeat performance in Detroit. When I read that headline I immediately thought back to the December 10th, 2011 appearance for Winnipeg in Detroit when the team got spanked 7-1. Of course the above references the Jets defeat of the Wings last week but as someone who spent some time in Michigan, I can tell you that Joe Louis Arena is not an easy place to get a victory. Paul also touches on the hot start of Bryan Little, the team doing the little things, the nightmare of a PP and a moment of silence.

ESPN: Puck Central. LeBrun notes that the Jets had two big wins this weekend but will need to maintain some consistency if the team wants to compete in the West with the likes of Chicago, St. Louis and Colorado.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel post-practice scrum. Assessing his team and what kind of mindset they need heading into Detroit. What things have they changed to suddenly have success? Fixing the power play. What winning does to the locker room. The play of Andrew Ladd. The play of Bryan Little.

Illegal Curve: Players audio post-practice. Hear from Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Grant Clitsome and Devin Setoguchi.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: IceCaps’ result doesn’t reflect the effort. Not a concept Jets fans are unfamiliar with.

Opposition (Red Wings) news:

Detroit News: Johan Franzen back in lineup, but struggling Daniel Cleary might be benched. With the return of Mule to the ice, it looks like the veteran Cleary, who wore a grey jersey in practice, could be a healthy scratch.

Detroit Free Press: Howard talks goalie fighting and what he’d do if Ray Emery came after him. Not really related to tonight’s contest with the Jets but an entertaining comment from the Wings netminder.

For the latest Jets, IceCaps and Wings news, click here.

 

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November 13th

Note: Tune into NHL Mid-Week from 6-8 PM tonight on TSN 1290 Winnipeg as the guys break down all the latest news from around the NHL.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Flyin’ Jets on spree of three. Aside from the PP the Jets are riding high as they enjoy their longest winning streak of the season. The play of Pavelec last night kept the Jets in the game.

Winnipeg Free Press: Enjoying run of better luck. When the bounces are going your way you just accept it and hope the roll doesn’t stop. Can the Jets maintain this hot streak?

Winnipeg Free Press: Young Scheifele yearned to be a Red Wing. He said that he had never seen a loss in ten games at the fabled Joe Louis Arena. Until yesterday that is.

Winnipeg Sun: Ladd deadly in shootout. The captain has been automatic this season going 5 for 5 already this season. Ken also looks at a first for Mark Scheifele and the Jets might have been a destination for DeKeyser.

Jets on a Deadline – Jets 3 Wings 2 in SO:

Coach Claude Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Detroit.

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

IceCaps news:

CBC: IceCaps pick Cabot Tower as symbol for new team jersey. The team pays homage to the city of St. John’s in their third jersey.

For the latest Jets and IceCaps news, click here.

 

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November 14th

Note: Don’t forget that the Illegal Curve team are participating in Movember. This year Ezra and I have been joined by Richard in growing our mustaches to help raise awareness. If you would like to donate to our team, here is a link.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Playoff contenders or pretenders? The Jets have put themselves more firmly in the conversation but they are still aways away from overcoming their poor start to the season. Ed looks at trends to like (Bryan Little’s game, shootout magic times three) and trends to concern (penalty kill, injuries, faceoffs) as well as most significant problem (PP) and on the rise (play of Pavelec, Ladd, Wheeler, Ladd and Jokinen).

Winnipeg Free Press: Heisinger gets call from Hockey Canada. Nice personal accolade for the Jets Assistant General Manager.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets get ‘C’ grade for first quarter. Hard to give a team on the outside looking in anything higher and Ken breaks down his grades for the goalies, defence, forwards, coaching and management. Where do you see the Jets at the quarter pole?

Winnipeg Sun: Notebook. Ken empties his notebook for your perusal as the Jets ride their three game win streak.

TSN: Power Panel talks longshot for Team Canada (video). It was a trifecta of votes from the panel in favour of Jets captain Andrew Ladd but you suspect that they are just picking him on that list.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: IceCaps rally to reel in Sharks. Sounds a lot like a Jets win but as Samson acknowledged, you don’t always deserve the two points but a team will take them nonetheless.

The Telegram: Mouillierat starting to hit his stride. Always good to see a prospect starting to heat up.

NHL news:

Buffalo News: It’s back to the future for Sabres as LaFontaine, Nolan return to fix a broken team. Quite an exciting little Wednesday in Buffalo. I’m happy to see Coach Nolan return to the NHL.

For the latest Jets and IceCaps news, click here.

 

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November 15th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: As goes Ladd, so go the Jets. Clearly more a lead by example type leader he does the little things on the ice to demonstrate his will to win.

Winnipeg Free Press: Half good is never enough. In this league there is no reward for being on the outside looking in and the Jets know to get themselves above the line they are going to have to maintain and improve upon their play of late.

Winnipeg Free Press: Notebook. A Kane rumour that I was unaware of and an injury update. Regarding the Kane talk, on yesterday’s Rona Roundtable, Rick had on Dennis Bernstein to discuss Jets and Evander Kane talk. You can listen to their conversation here.

Winnipeg Free Press: Notebook II. Power-play revisited and OT tinkering were the subject of conversation.

Winnipeg Sun: No breaks for Jets in wild West. As fans well remember the worst thing that can happen to you in this league is having your fate decided by what other teams do. The strong play of the Western Conference teams means the Jets are going to have to kick up their play even further to get past the line and be able to determine their own fate.

Winnipeg Sun: Pavelec welcomes idea of longer overtime. Despite his better play of late in the shootout, the Jets goalie would prefer to see another 5 minutes of time added to the extra frame, rather than have the game decided by a shootout.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel post-practice scrum. Status of Wheeler & Enstrom (Maintenance, expected to play). On Ladd’s captaincy. When Ladd goes, the team goes, why? Significance of getting above .500 hockey. Watching out for complacency. PP problems. What needs to change? Slow starts. OT talk. How big an advantage could Buff be in a modified 3 on 3 OT? How aggressively would he want his players to play 3 on 3? Where does Evander Kane play get generated? Expectation of Philly. What kind of game do they play?

Illegal Curve: Jets player audio. Hear from Pavelec, Montoya, Byfuglien, Ladd and Jokinen.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: IceCaps looking for consistency in rematch with Sharks. There is that ‘c’ word that Jets and IceCaps fans are so familiar with.

Opposition (Flyers) news:

Philly.com: Q&A with Flyers captain Giroux. Frank with a good 1 on 1 chat with the Flyers captain.

Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Top line indicative of team’s recent success. While it is important to have your role players contributing, clearly there is no substitute for your top players playing at the maximum level.

For the latest Jets and IceCaps news, click here.

 

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November 15th (afternoon links)

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Flyers game to confirm if Jets have found keys to success. Nobody really knows what to expect when these two teams battle tonight. Will it be a low scoring or high flying affair? Personally I’m expecting a 5-4 type of game.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets ready for tilt with streaking Flyers. Both teams will have three game winning streaks on the line when the puck drops at the MTS Centre this evening.

TSN: Pavelec faces Mason as Jets host Flyers. Brian breaks down the upcoming game action following practice today.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel pre-game presser. Up against an equally hot team in Philly. Injury update (Stuart – aways away. Trouba – more than a week). What’s Philly been doing right? Team consistency. What has the team done to help themselves? Getting players not in the lineup into a game?

Illegal Curve: Player pre-game audio from MTS Centre. After practice audio from Blake Wheeler, Zach Bogosian, Ondrej Pavelec and Mark Stuart.

Illegal Curve: Game day set-up. Ez sets up tonight’s action between Jets and Wings.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers. If you missed any of the news this AM we have you covered.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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Note: Tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show today on TSN 1290 Winnipeg from noon until 3 pm. The guys have an action packed show including a breakdown of last night’s Jets win over Flyers, a look ahead to the game Sunday against the Wild and all the rest of the news from across the NHL. Guests: Jay Feaster (GM of the Calgary Flames), Alan Strachan (Has a new book on Wayne Gretzky) and Mike Greenlay (color commentator for Minnesota Wild television broadcasts).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Just gotta love these shootouts. At least Pavelec is consistent about his disdain for the shootout. Despite riding a three game SO win streak within their four game winning streak, Pavelec still maintains his dislike of the format for ending tied hockey games. Of course with the Jets sudden prowess perhaps they should just embrace this means of winning.

Winnipeg Free Press: Pavelec takes the weight, Jets take the wins. When your the #1 guy you sometimes get the call to step up and last night was an example.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets win in shootout again. Ken examines the entire game from start to finish. I was a fan of Buff’s two goal celebrations, both the bow & arrow shot as well as the jig he danced at centre ice.

Winnipeg Sun: Snapshots – Shootouts are the Jets’ best friend. The Jets have suddenly become experts at this form of ending contests. Paul also looks at Buff’s centre ice dance (I called it more of a jig), the Jets fast starts, Flyers targeting Kane, Zoomie’s guy and Redmond parked upstairs.

TSN: Jets stay hot in shootout with win over Flyers. Dennis gives you his insight from up above as he saw the game.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: Sharks swim away with shootout win over IceCaps. The Jets farm club also went to a SO but didn’t have the same success as the parent team.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Jets 3 Flyers 2 in SO:

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler and Ondrej Pavelec.

Philadelphia Flyers: Coach Berube, Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell and Steve Mason.

Coach Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Philadelphia.

Post-game podcast from the Press box. Host Michael Remis and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the Jets play against the Flyers.

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

 

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November 17th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Trouba closer to return. While he remains aways away the sooner he can get back the better for the Jets decimated D-core.

Winnipeg Free Press: Bogo a no-go against Minny. It did not sound good and coach Noel did little to allay fears that this wouldn’t be longer than a game or two.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets’ PP starts rising, PK starts falling. Probably better to have them both somewhere in the middle than on either ends of the spectrum.

Winnipeg Sun: Redmond set to replace Bogosian on blue line. Coach Noel spoke about wanting to get Redmond into some game action but I’m sure it wasn’t at the expense of losing one of his top blueliner.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel scrum. Injury update – Bogosian will not be a player in the game (longer than day to day), Stuart and Trouba not available for game vs. Wild (Stuart can have contact).

Illegal Curve: Player audio. Hear from Olli Jokinen, Zach Redmond and Jacob Trouba.

IceCaps news:

The Telegram: IceCaps fall to Sharks in shootout again. Perhaps they need to come see what the Jets are doing in the SO, because whatever they are doing down on the farm isn’t working.

Opposition (Wild) news:

Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Winning a must for Wild to stay afloat in Western Conference. Jets fans can more than empathize with their Wild brethren as they too watch their team win and barely make a dent in the Western Conference standings.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 18th

Note: Following today’s Jets Papers, you can ensure you are up to speed with our game set-up written by Ezra Ginsburg. We will have pre-game audio from the players and coach Noel. After the final whistle, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.

Note II: For home games we have both our #ICGWG and #IC5050 contests. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Clitsome & #IC5050 $34,660.00).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Grit, gimmicks stifle Jets, fans. The anthem move was well played as the team decided to sing the Canadian national anthem in French to try to avoid fans being able to pay homage to the Jets ownership group with the standard ‘True North’ yell. Unfortunately for our southern brethren they must be unaware that Manitoba is quite bilingual and fans rolled with the change and yelled ‘True North’ during the appropriate time. Paul also looks at the Jets central troubles, Buff rolling along, Ellerby stepping in and who is up next.

Winnipeg Free Press: Bogo’s time on shelf extended. When coach Noel moves from day-to-day to week-to-week fans know it is a more serious concern.

Winnipeg Free Press: Trouba closer to return. While it doesn’t sound like it will be imminent, the Jets couldn’t be happier to see the young rookie making continued progress. While they would have needed him in the lineup regardless, they especially would like to see his return sooner rather than later due to the decimated D ranks.

Winnipeg Sun: Streak snapped by Wild. While the Jets have been playing well of late they came up against a team playing even better. Goalie Josh Harding was great when he needed to be and the Wild capitalized on a mistake late in the game to snap the four game Jets win streak.

Winnipeg Sun: Keaton Ellerby fitting in nicely with Jets. Ellerby seemed to relish the opportunity to take on the heavy minutes that coach Noel gave him.

TSN: Jets win streak ends with loss to Wild. Dennis breaks down the game from his vantage point.

Opposition (Flames) news:

Calgary Herald: Keep your eyes on Sean Monahan and Andrew Ladd. Five things to watch for in tonight’s first meeting in Winnipeg between the two former Atlanta based teams.

Calgary Sun: Five burning questions for the Calgary Flames. Following a tough loss to the Oilers, some soul searching in Alberta has elicited these five questions.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Wild 2 Jets 1:

Coach Claude Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Minnesota.

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

 

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November 18th

Jets news:

CBC: 5 things to watch for as Jets take on Flames. Jeff covers home sweet home, back-to-backs, life without Bogosian, Olli Jokinen going up against his old team and Flames calder candidate.

Winnipeg Sun: Ken’s notebook. Off the plane and Ken unloads his notebook on last night’s game against the Wild and tonight’s contest with the Flames including a visit by former Oilers great and Team Finland GM Jari Kurri last night to watch some potential Finnish participants in Sochi, including Olli Jokinen.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel pre-game presser. Status of Stuart (remains aways away). How big a loss is it not having Bogosian in the lineup? Is team progressing? Challenge sticking to structure playing a younger/less structured Calgary team? Preventing one loss from becoming another. East vs. West talk. A poor Central Division record.

Illegal Curve: Player pre-game audio from MTS Centre. After practice audio from Zach Redmond, Keaton Ellerby, Mark Scheifele & Mark Stuart.

Illegal Curve: Game day set-up. Ez sets up tonight’s action between Jets and Flames.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers. If you missed any of the news this AM we have you covered.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 19th

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Players raise eyebrows at officiating. While you got the sense of skepticism in the room following the shootout loss at some of the calls (as well as the non-calls i.e. the basketball like pick which led to the Flames shorthanded goal) players are well versed enough to know what will and will not make them lighter in the pocketbook.

Winnipeg Free Press: Pavs to Czech out Sochi. As we get closer and closer to the Winter Olympics the chatter is only going to heat up. Not surprisingly both Pavelec and Frolik will be Czeching out the Olympics for their squad.

Winnipeg Sun: Dustin Byfuglien a major force all over the ice for Jets. It was one of those evenings when you could tell the Jets big man was taking the game over. He was everywhere last night, including a end of the 2nd period melee where he took on two Flames.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets and Flames go back to the future. Sometimes tedious sometimes exciting, last night’s game had it all according to Paul. He also looks at the Jets sell out streak, Trouba’s revelation and coach Noel’s foresight.

Winnipeg Sun: Resilient Jets still view shootout loss as point lost instead of point gained. While it may be a pessimistic way of looking at things, the reality is when you are leaving points on the table against Western Conference teams, you can’t really look at it any other way. One has to appreciate the candor with which Olli Jokinen speaks post-game.

Winnipeg Sun: Flames burn Jets in eight-round shootout. When will the shootout ever end? Unfortunately for Jets fans the 10-minute misconduct that Bryan Little was handed as OT concluded meant one of their better shooters was unavailable.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

Jets on a Deadline - Flames 5 Jets 4 in SO:

Winnipeg Jets: Al Montoya, Olli Jokinen, Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd.

Calgary Flames: Coach Hartley, Reto Barra, Lee Stempniak and Sean Monahan.

Coach Noel post-game. Coach Noel met with the media following the game against Calgary.

Post-game podcast from the Press box. Host Drew Mindell and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the Jets play against the Flames.

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

 

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November 20th

Note: Tune into NHL Mid-Week from 6-8 PM tonight on TSN 1290 Winnipeg as the guys break down all the latest news from around the NHL.

Note II: Once again the Illegal Curve team will be getting behind Movember. This year Ezra and I will be joined by Richard in growing our mustaches to help raise awareness. If you would like to donate to our team, here is a link. We will be hosting an event at the Chill Bar and Grill next Wednesday night. Join us to watch the Jets take on the Islanders, win some great prizes and help support a great cause.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Itchy trigger finger. Examining the goal drought of Evander Kane.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets will lament one that got away against Flames. Will the game against Calgary become this season’s back-to-back home losses to the Capitals last year? Probably not as bad because of where the Jets were positioned in the standings last season vs. this one.

Winnipeg Sun: From Flames into the fire. The Jets have two critical home games against central division opponents before heading out on quite a long east coast road trip. Paul also looks at Clitsome’s glass half-full outlook, Buff’s hot streak, one for the record books..almost and Scheifele’s scoring drought.

Winnipeg Sun: Pardy incident inspires Helmet Party. Let’s just hope we don’t see the first ever Jets hat trick.

TSN: A missed call on Lance Bouma’s goal. The NBA style pick and roll knocked Buff out of position and set up Calgary’s shorthanded goal. Former NHL ref turned TSN analyst Kerry Fraser gives his assessment as to what happened.

Illegal Curve: Defencemen on the IR. Remis took a look at the number of games the Jets D-core have lost to injury over the past three seasons.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 20th

Note: Tune into NHL Mid-Week from 6-8 PM tonight on TSN 1290 Winnipeg as the guys break down all the latest news from around the NHL. Guests: Adrian Aucoin (retired NHL defenceman) and Ben Kuzma (Canucks beat writer for Vancouver Province).

Note II: Once again the Illegal Curve team will be getting behind Movember. This year Ezra and I will be joined by Richard in growing our mustaches to help raise awareness. If you would like to donate to our team, here is a link. We will be hosting an event at the Chill Bar and Grill next Wednesday night. Join us to watch the Jets take on the Islanders, win some great prizes and help support a great cause.

Jets news:

CBC: In the Room with Andrew Ladd. Mitch Peacock talks to the Jets captain about the pre-game music in the team’s dressing room.

Lethbridge Herald: Blomqvist traded to Victoria for a pair of draft picks. The young prospect is heading to a new home after being dealt today.

Winnipeg Free Press: Fans can’t bring helmets to Jet game, club says. Despite all the chatter with the players and coach Noel that went on at the MTS Centre today, all everyone is talking about is the helmet ban.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets ban helmets for #HelmetParty. Paul offers his take on the ban.

Chicago Tribune: Jets tell fans to leave their helmets at home. Even the Jets opposition are taking notice of the ban.

Illegal Curve: Jets issue a statement on Helmet Pardy. The movement has been quashed and we have the full Jets release as well as the audio from Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman & Governor of the Jets who spoke about the situation today following practice.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel post-practice audio. Assessment of the Hawks team. Have they shown some cracks? How eager is he to get Trouba and Stuart back in the lineup? Thoughts on Keaton Ellerby’s game. Redmond talk. Mark Scheifele’s confidence. Balancing his maturation with needs of the team in short term. Evander Kane’s drought.

Illegal Curve: Jets players post-practice audio. Hear from Jacob Trouba, Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd and Mark Stuart.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers. If you missed any of the news this AM we have you covered.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 21st

Note: Following today’s Jets Papers, you can ensure you are up to speed with our game set-up written by Ezra Ginsburg. Keep it locked to the site to get pre game audio from coach Noel and the Jets players. After the game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.

Note II: For home games we have both our #ICGWG and #IC5050 contests. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Frolik & #IC5050 $36,660.00).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Kane appears unfazed by recent dry spell. Jets fans have to hope that the young gun will break out of his slump soon as they need his scoring in order to get this ship on track.

Winnipeg Free Press: Career advancement. Another waiver wire pickup that seems to be working out quite well for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Winnipeg Free Press: D getting healthier, happier. If there wasn’t so much fallout from the #HelmetPardy the buzz for Jacob Trouba and Mark Stuart engaging in a regular practice would have been a lot more significant.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets slow out of gate in practice, can’t do same against Blackhawks. These Hawks will eat you up and spit you out if you take them too lightly. No slow starts tonight or the Jets will be way, way behind the eight ball.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets treat rookie Mark Scheifele with kid gloves. Which is why you had to think that some time in the AHL would have served the 2011 first round pick well. Having said that you can understand the need the Jets had for keeping him up with the big club.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets throw cold beer on helmet-wearing fans. Paul offers his take on the nixing of the #HelmetPardy.

Illegal Curve: Jets issue a statement on Helmet Pardy. The movement has been quashed and we have the full Jets release as well as the audio from Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman & Governor of the Jets who spoke about the situation today following practice.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel post-practice audio. Assessment of the Hawks team. Have they shown some cracks? How eager is he to get Trouba and Stuart back in the lineup? Thoughts on Keaton Ellerby’s game. Redmond talk. Mark Scheifele’s confidence. Balancing his maturation with needs of the team in short term. Evander Kane’s drought.

Illegal Curve: Jets players post-practice audio. Hear from Jacob Trouba, Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd and Mark Stuart.

Opposition (Hawks) news:

Chicago Tribune: Hawks confident of rebound. Last thing the Jets needed was a surly Chicago team coming into Winnipeg after being beaten up by Colorado on Tuesday night.

CSN Chicago: Antti Raanta’s trial by fire should continue in Winnipeg. Might the Jets be facing the backup this evening?

ESPN Chicago: Blackhawks recall Jeremy Morin. An update on the status of the team.

For the latest Jets news, click here.

 

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November 21st (Afternoon links)

Note: After the game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.

Note II: For home games we have both our #ICGWG and #IC5050 contests. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Frolik & #IC5050 $36,660.00).

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets take on division leader Blackhawks for third time. Will the third time be a charm for Winnipeg as they take on the big boys from Illinois.

Winnipeg Sun: Round 3 awaits. Ken gives you his five thoughts in a lead up to tonight’s Jets and Hawks game.

CBC: In The Room with Devin Setoguchi (video). CBC’s Mitch Peacock talks with Winnipeg Jets winger Devin Setoguchi about the game.

Hockey’s Future: Prospects mixing promise with adversity in early stages of 2013-14 season. Taking a look at some of the prospects in the system.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel pre-game presser. 3rd time a charm against the Hawks? Can they use anger at the previous losses? Injury status of players. Buff’s strong play. Has the process changed? Halischuk into the lineup.

Illegal Curve: Player pre-game audio from MTS Centre. After practice audio from Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler and Olli Jokinen.

Illegal Curve: Game day set-up. Ez sets up tonight’s action between Jets and Flames.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers. If you missed any of the news this AM we have you covered.

Hawks news:

CSN Chicago: Five things to watch. While trying to stay warm in chilly Winnipeg, Tracey penned these five things to watch in tonight’s game including the Hossa effect, where have the starts gone, will Crawford rebound, what lines will click and not taking the Jets lightly.

For the latest Jets news, click here.