Week of January 21st - 27th: Sunday Papers (Stay tuned following game)

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Sunday, January 27th Jets and NHL news

Note: Stay tuned to IC for all the post-game audio from coach Noel and the Jets/Islanders dressing rooms.

Note II: Be sure to stay tuned to @illegalcurve as we will be bringing you all the latest from the MTS Centre as the Islanders visit the Jets. During the game you can win IC Gear by participating in our twitter 50/50 and Game Winning Goal contests. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess by hashtaging (#) our 50/50 contest or the Game Winning Goal (GWG) contest. (i.e. #IC5050 $42,375 or #ICGWG Kane.)

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: The cost of love. True North and the Jets are receiving some very favourable tax breaks to ensure the long term viability of this franchise. Does this grind your gears or are you fine with breaks for this corporation?

Winnipeg Free Press: Antro quietly contributing. If you listened to coach Noel last week he was gushing over the play of the Jets big forward. While it hasn’t translated into points, he is certainly doing the intangibles that coaches seem to love.

Winnipeg Free Press: Kane not paid to pass. What we are seeing is an important aspect of the sniper’s development and Jets fans should be very happy to see that the previously shoot first young gun, has added some crisp passing into his repertoire.

Winnipeg Free Press: Hainsey 13th in THN’s top 100 influential hockey people. Many expect that when his hockey career is over, he will move on to NHLPA management.

Winnipeg Sun: Out to avoid letdown against Islanders after big win. The Jets cannot take this Islanders team lightly and certainly cannot afford to have a letdown tonight. Hopefully the crowd will be just as into the game on a Sunday night as they were on Friday evening.

Winnipeg Sun: Al Montoya waiting for the call against Islanders. Will tonight be the night that the Jets backup finally gets his first start? Will Montoya get a chance to play against his former team? Coach Noel has played his goalie choices close to the vest but we will be sure to let you know after the pre-game skate.

Winnipeg Sun: Dale Hawerchuk gets Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal. This is awarded to Canadians who have made an impact on the country and fans across this Province would agree that Ducky has continued to make his presence felt since that day he was drafted back in 1981.

Winnipeg Free Press: Noel keeps mum on lineup against Islanders. While the coach may not be speaking it hardly seems likely that he will change his lineup after an impressive come from behind victory over the Penguins. As with the goalie situation we will let you know from after the pre-game skate if there are any changes.

Jets affiliate and prospect news:

TSN: Crunch down IceCaps in game that features goalie fight. Unfortunately for the IceCaps they don’t award points for fighting. Even when you let your goalies get involved (video on site).

University of Michigan Wolverines: U-M succumbs to Western Michigan. First round pick in 2012 Jacob Trouba made his impact felt on the boxscore but it was with his fists in the loss last night. He finished with 1 assist, 4 shots on goal and -1.

Swift Current Broncos: Broncos suffer tough loss to Warriors. Adam Lowry finished with 2 assists and was voted 3rd star of the game.

NHL news:

Illegal Curve: Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland on Illegal Curve Hockey Show. He spoke about: The increase in scoring coming out of this seasons lockout. The similarities of the retirements of Yzerman and Lidstrom and how they effected the team. How the recently retired Tomas Holmstrom was such an effective player. Taking the time to fully develop a player. The evolution of Mike Babcock as a coach. Lengthening overtime. Playing games outside of their own time zone.

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Redden makes his Blues debut. And what a debut it was. The Blues won and he scored his first goal since March 18th, 2010.

Chicago Sun-Times: Hawks tie franchise best start with win over Jackets. Helped that a big portion of the crowd in Columbus appeared to be cheering for the Hawks.

San Jose Mercury News: Patrick Marleau scores 2 more goals. He accomplished something that hadn’t been done since 1917, and that was score 2 goals in each of the first 4 games to start a season.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

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Monday Papers

Monday, January 21st Jets and NHL news

Note: Don’t forget to participate in the Illegal Curve #ICGWG contest (by sending us an @ tweet @illegalcurve) as the Winnipeg Jets take on the Boston Bruins. It is a matinee game at 12 pm cst in the U.S. as they are celebrating Martin Luther King Day.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Brainstorming on how to win away from home. Just as there is no guarantees that this team will play well at home, similarly there is nothing etched in stone that will ensure that this team cannot win on the road. This is not last year, and there are new pieces to the puzzle that will hopefully see Winnipeg get over the inability to win on the road.

Winnipeg Free Press: Claude the Chemist. You really see the detriment of no exhibition games as coach Noel is unable to tinker with his lines in the same manner that he would if he had a number of pre-season contests.

Globe and Mail: Winnipeg’s honeymoon with Jets gets a little frosty. While I would hardly agree that the callers into local radio programs are representative of the entire population, fans were right to be upset with the game they witnessed on Sunday. Winnipeg is not required to be in the “aww shucks, let’s just be happy we have a team back†phase for the next 5 years. Expecting a Stanley Cup might be unrealistic, but fans expect to see a decent effort put forth by the players on this team every game, especially considering the money they spend to support the Jets.

TSN: Jets set to face Bruins on TSN Radio 1290. Brian will be down in Boston covering the game today on TSN Radio 1290 for anyone who is unable to watch it on TV. Looks like the lines will remain the same for the Jets today.

Winnipeg Sun: Seeking the road to success. Last season the Jets were simply dreadful on the road and it cost them a chance at the playoffs. If they hope to have any chance of making the post season then they need to show the rest of the East that they can win away from the friendly confines of the MTS Centre.

Winnipeg Sun: Coach Noel staying the course. While the season is accelerated, it is hardly time to start panicking in Winnipeg. While the Jets cannot afford to lose many games, especially early on, they have simply played 1 game and everyone needs to chill before they start suggesting fire sales.

TSN: Jokinen, Stuart as alternate captains. Somewhat surprised that Jokinen was given the ‘A’ so quickly into his tenure in Winnipeg although he has shown some good leadership qualities since his arrival in the city. Stuart is the quiet type leader in the dressing room who is more likely to lead by example as opposed to challenging players verbally.

Illegal Curve: Jets on a Deadline. If you missed any of the stories, post-game audio from the coaches and the Jets players, video highlights from the game and the 3 stars, we have you covered.

Jets affiliate and prospect news and notes:

- The IceCaps split another weekend series as they bounced back to win Saturday’s game. Spencer Machacek scored the lone goal of the game and Eddie Pasquale had his 3rd shutout of the season. The IceCaps did take 3 of 4 points since the loss on Friday was in the shootout.

- 3rd round pick in 2011, Adam Lowry had his 21 game point streak (21G,16A) come to an end on Saturday night.

- 1st round pick in 2012 Jacob Trouba was shut out in the loss Michigan suffered to Lake Superior State on Saturday.

NHL news:

Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Harding is rock-solid in ‘tryout’. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the Minnesota Wild goalie went out and showed what he was made of with a gutsy performance, earning a shutout of the visiting Dallas Stars.

Edmonton Journal: City closer to downtown arena deal with Katz Group, councillor says. Now that he has resolved the lockout situation, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is turning his attention to helping get this arena mess fixed in the City of Champions.

Toronto Star: Maple Leafs know only way to win back respect is by winning. The Leafs have become the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL in that they “don’t get no respect!â€. Of course they have done little to earn any and coach Randy Carlyle will go a long way to change the culture of this team.

NHL.com: NHL returns to strong TV ratings. Wow a 19.4 mark in Pittsburgh. While I have no idea what that translates to it is clear that hockey is back as we suspected it would be.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

Illegal Curve Hockey Show Replay:

Part 1: Show introduction. Atlantic Division Preview. Northeast Division Preview. Southeast Division Preview (Excluding the Winnipeg Jets). Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions. Central Division Preview. Northwest Division Preview.

Part 2: Pacific Division Preview. Western Conference Playoff Predictions. Winnipeg Jets Forwards Preview. Winnipeg Jets Defense & Goaltending Preview. Interview with James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen. Winnipeg Jets Over/Under. Interview with Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail. Cheers & Jeers.

 

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Tuesday Papers

Tuesday, January 22nd Jets and NHL news

Note: Don’t forget to participate in the Illegal Curve #ICGWG contest (by sending us an @ tweet @illegalcurve) as the Winnipeg Jets take on the Washington Capitals tonight starting at 6 pm cst.

Note II: Game day preview with updated Jets lines. The Winnipeg Jets face the Washington Capitals tonight in the American Capital and in the second game of back-to-back road games. The Jets picked up one point on Monday afternoon against the Boston Bruins but failed to capitalize on two power plays in the overtime period as the Bruins stole the extra point in the shootout.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Noel shuffles players as Jets take on Capitals. Even though the season just began, being able to get some new energy into the lineup could prove helpful, especially in the 2nd game of a back-to-back.

Winnipeg Free Press: Not just happy to be there anymore. Hanging with the big boys means being able to go into their barn and coming out with some points. Coach Noel pulled out all his tricks in the 3rd period in an effort to win the game.

Winnipeg Free Press: Spotlight on Mark Scheifele. An assessment of the 2011 first round pick and what they liked and didn’t like about his game.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets bear down. While it is difficult to celebrate a single point, the Jets played a solid road game yesterday in Boston.

TSN: Second point was there for the Jets’ taking. While the Jets might have only left Massachusetts with a single point, fans can take solace in the fact that the team put forth a much better effort that they saw in Saturday’s home opener. The team had more jump and the chemistry is starting to show. Of course Winnipeg is going to need to put forth another solid game against a Capitals team that is waiting for them in Washington for their home opener.

Winnipeg Sun: Kyle Wellwood had big opportunity, little ice time. Perhaps coach Noel wanted to get bigger against a big Bruins team. Wellwood, Jokinen and Kane looked good out there in the 2nd period but coach Noel obviously had his reasons for making the switch.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets will face their road woes and back-to-back breakdowns against Capitals. The dreaded 2nd game of a back-t0-back. Of the 6 back-to-back’s the Jets will play this season, I believe 5 will be on the road. Will the Jets road troubles combine with their difficulty in back-to-back’s or will a new season bring new results? The answer should begin to be known tonight around 10 pm.

Winnipeg Sun: ‘Relief’ after Paul Postma posts 1st point. The Postma and Post jokes are going to be having fans groaning at the already tired word play. Congrats to the young blueliner on his first NHL assist. Illegal Curve will keep you posted (couldn’t resist) on his success in tonight’s game against the Capitals.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets have a lot to be happy about in road opener, but … The Jets seemed to play the Bruins in close games last year and that tradition continued into the 2013 season. Yesterday’s game was a tough one to lose. The powerplay is looking woeful already this year as they have scored just once in ten chances.

CBC: Facing off against old demons. I never really thought to add afternoon games to the Jets struggles but this is definitely something they will need to overcome, considering they have to play 9 more afternoon affairs this season.

Illegal Curve: Jets on a Deadline – Bruins 2 Jets 1 in SO. If you missed any of the stories, video highlights from the game and the 3 stars, we have you covered.

Jets affiliate & prospect news:

IceCaps official site: IceCaps pull through with third period comeback. The parent club was unable to get the win versus the Senators, but the farm team had no such trouble, as they came back from behind to dispose of the baby Sens.

Reporter Herald: Colorado Eagles ready to show off Northern Colorado. The Eagles were awarded the All-Star game for the ECHL and the format is quite different. Their entire team takes on 21 of the stars from around the league.

NHL news:

Toronto Star: Ducks’ Teemu Selanne still scoring at 42. And only in Winnipeg will a bar full of people cheer a player from a team that is not the Jets. The love affair with Teemu was in full display on Saturday night as we took in the Canucks and Ducks game and every time Teemu scored, people took notice and cheered.

Sportsnet: Twitter reacts over MacLean’s doppelganger. Originally it was thought he was escorted from his seats but turns out the ushers were taking him for an interview. Gotta love the creativity of hockey fans.

Chicago Sun-Times: Blackhawks players already comparing team to 2010 Stanley Cup champs. Which goes to show you that you should never doubt the wisdom of our own Ezra Ginsburg who before the season began predicted that the Hawks could win the Stanley Cup (18:14 minute mark) on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN Radio 1290. Of course 2 games into the season it may be a tad premature to be anointing the Hawks cup champs just yet.

CBC: Hockey Night in Canada kicks off in record fashion. Nice to see that the Winnipeg and Ottawa game helped set a record for afternoon ratings.

Toronto Star: Lockout anger hard to find as fans pack rinks. While I don’t anticipate being called Nostra-dave-ous for suggesting this all throughout the lockout, I am really puzzled why people are acting surprised at what we are seeing from fans.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

 

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Wednesday Papers

Wednesday, January 23rd Jets and NHL news

Jets news:

Coach Noel presser – Team came off road trip healthy. Keeping things in perspective. Status of Miettinen. Wellwood’s status. Will Wellwood be moved as a result of success of Wheeler/Kane. Byfuglien’s playing minutes and consistency. What has changed in Buff’s game? Talks about the Capitals. Three games in how confident is he? Response when lineup changes work out? Jokinen/Kane/Wheeler – bona fide 1st line? Antropov/Little/Ladd line success. Importance of keeping emotional balance. Assessment of Jokinen’s play. Play of Paul Postma. Thoughts on Mark Scheifele. Preparation for Penguins.

To listen to the above click here.

ESPN: On the road to recovery. Pierre LeBrun takes a look at what the two recent wins mean for this team.

CBC: Showing muscle on the road. He is correct in saying that many pundits and fans looked at this road trip and realistically considered that the Jets could return to Winnipeg to face the Penguins 0-3.

Winnipeg Free Press: Victorious Jets savour flight home. The Jets handed the Capitals their first home opener loss in over a decade and deserve a lot of credit for playing an excellent road game. There is still room for improvement but overall coach Noel has to be pleased with the effort by this team.

Winnipeg Free Press: Winnipeg shows grit, better effort on road. Regardless of the results, if the Jets put in that type of effort, fans will be happy to support this team.

Winnipeg Free Press: Wild Winnipeg welcome. There is a reason the license plate says ‘friendly Manitoba’. The media like to swarm new players because the appetite in Winnipeg is so voracious for information on new players.

Winnipeg Sun: Winning Southeast realistic goal for Jets. Oh boy. We’ve gone from the ‘sky is falling’ to possibly winning the Southeast. Well at least the Winnipeg Jets are keeping things interesting for the writers and their readers. Not a earth shattering revelation but we will have a much better idea of where this team will be come playoff time likely by the middle of February. For now, they just need to continue building on the successes.

Winnipeg Sun: Toby Enstrom off to flying start. You have to imagine that a healthy Tobias Enstrom coupled with Dustin Byfuglien will be racking up points on the Jets blueline this season. While last night’s 3 point effort was important, Enstrom adds stability to the defensive corps.

Illegal Curve: Jets on a Deadline – Jets 4 Capitals 2. Game recaps, coach Noel post game, video highlights and the NHL.com 3 Stars of the night.

NHL news:

ESPN: Nino Niederreiter wants trade. Not happy with his status on Long Island, despite the fact that the Islanders brass have told him they have future plans for him, and wants a trade elsewhere.

Globe and Mail: NHL hockey returns with huge U.S. TV ratings. Many anticipated that the ratings in the United States would fall due to the absence of hockey for a long period of time, but the fans have held strong and are continuing to support NHL hockey.

Globe and Mail: ‘No truth’ to rumours of Gretzky becoming Maple Leafs president. You always had the feeling that Toronto would do whatever they could to sign Gretzky. Wayne G might be the ‘Great One’ but he hasn’t shown this as an executive and regardless of the speculation, as of right now there has not been any confirmation that any offer was made.

Detroit Free Press: Tomas Holmstrom retires (video). A great team mate for his fellow Red Wings, I had the pleasure of watching Holmstrom live a number of times and he brought such an important element to his team. His retirement ceremony was 15 minutes of hilarity.

Calgary Herald: Flames legend addresses the troops ahead of critical game. You know what Lloyd Braun would say “Serenity now, insanity laterâ€. Hopefully Lanny and his mustache are able to bring about some positive change for the Flames.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

 

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Thursday Papers

Thursday, January 24th Jets and NHL news

Note: While we usually promote the Illegal Curve Hockey Show every Friday, we are happy to announce that Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland will be a guest on the show this Saturday. As always stay tuned to TSN Radio 1290 from noon to 3 pm to catch all the latest NHL and Winnipeg Jets action.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Premature pronouncements. It is too early too anoint the Jets as playoff bound, but it is safe to say that early on we have seen some pretty nice signs from this team. Ed looks at the positives as well as where some question marks remain.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets leaders. A look at the leaders in categories like points, goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, shots as well as some on the bubble and on the mend talk.

Winnipeg Free Press: Tax breaks for Jets a winning bet — for now. Tax breaks for True North are hardly surprising and are simply a price to be paid to have a luxury such as an NHL franchise. Fair or foul?

Winnipeg Sun: Wheeler-Kane combination looks like a hit. If this line sticks together they will have speed to burn. Wheeler and Kane looked very good together and when you throw in Jokinen the Jets have themselves a bona fide 1st line.

Winnipeg Sun: Coach Noel happy with road trip. The coach was clearly enthused about the victory over Washington and the strong shootout loss against the Bruins but he was rightly not declaring himself a playoff success story just yet. As he pointed out during his presser, the Jets haven’t forgotten the home opener. He gave the team the day off on Wednesday and the guys will be back out on the ice today getting ready for the Penguins. Stick with illegalcurve.com as we will have audio from players and coach Noel following today’s practice.

Winnipeg Sun: Stuart, Hainsey lead Operation Shutdown. Remaining healthy (obviously) will be critical as the Jets cannot afford to lose any of these guys. While their play is not rewarded with goals or assists, the value these shot blocks contribute, while not quantified on a boxscore, is invaluable for team success.

ESPN: Jets on the road to recovery. If you missed this article, Pierre LeBrun took a look at the Jets after their short road trip to Boston and Washington. He discusses the importance of the defensive combo of Byfuglien and Enstrom as well as the play of Pavelec.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel presser. Team came off road trip healthy. Keeping things in perspective. Status of Miettinen. Wellwood’s status. Will Wellwood be moved as a result of success of Wheeler/Kane. Byfuglien’s playing minutes and consistency. What has changed in Buff’s game? Talks about the Capitals. Three games in how confident is he? Response when lineup changes work out? Jokinen/Kane/Wheeler – bona fide 1st line? Antropov/Little/Ladd line success. Importance of keeping emotional balance. Assessment of Jokinen’s play. Play of Paul Postma. Thoughts on Mark Scheifele. Preparation for Penguins.

Jets affiliate and prospect news:

IceCaps official site: St. John’s unable to muster any offence in 3-0 loss. Burnt by a former IceCap (Riley Holzapfel) and playing their fourth game in six nights, St. John’s just couldn’t get it done against WBS. The IceCaps remain in 13th in the Eastern Conference and continue their road trip in Hershey on Friday.

NHL news:

USA Today: Teams off to unexpected slow starts. Just staying healthy could be the biggest factor in teams making the playoffs and those that don’t in this shortened season.

National Post: 2014 Sochi Olympics next item of business for NHL. If the ratings for the World Juniors mean anything, you can bet that despite the time change, Canadians will be eager to watch Team Canada, represented by NHLers at the 2014 Olympics.

Edmonton Journal: City council takes leap of faith for new arena. Looks like the Oilers will have a new building by 2016, which seems like it will be around the same time this team could be challenging for a Stanley Cup based on the talented foundation they currently possess, which will have matured nicely by then.

Globe and Mail: Return of hockey a boon to restaurants. The return of hockey will see restaurants filling up again as fans either come for dinner before the game or choose to watch the games at establishments that cater to the hockey crowd.

Globe and Mail: What exactly would The Great One do for the Maple Leafs? So basically this is much ado about nothing. It appears there is no room for The Great One and not much need for his services in T.O.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

 

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Friday Papers

Friday, January 25th Jets and NHL news

Note: We are at the conclusion of the sixth week of the Team Illegal Curve Beard growing competition as Ezra and Drew help support the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba in conjunction with the Festival du Voyageur in the 31st annual beard growing contest. Every Friday we will be giving readers an update on the beard progress and here is Ezzy and Drew’s growth from Week 5 to Week 6:

Note II: Tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN Radio 1290 from noon to 3 pm on Saturday as the guys discuss all the latest Winnipeg Jets and NHL news. Guests: Ken Holland (GM, Detroit Red Wings), Anthony SanFillipo (PhiladelphiaFlyers.com) and Ben Kuzma (Vancouver Province).

Note III: Be sure to stay tuned to @illegalcurve as we will be bringing you all the latest from the MTS Centre as the Penguins visit the Jets. During the game you can win IC Gear by participating in our twitter 50/50 and Game Winning Goal contests. Following the action, Dave and Ez will have post game reactions from the Winnipeg and Pittsburgh dressing rooms.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Crosby ready for Jets fans barbs. Ok fans it is time to bring your A game. When the best player in the world asks for you to bring it, it is time to bring it. Make some ruckus and remind the NHL why this is known as the loudest building in the game.

TSN: Crosby walks to MTS Centre for a taste of winter. Well if it was a taste of winter he wanted, he sure received that in the 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Winnipeg Free Press: Fearsome Pens a bit test tonight. The Jets are going to see how they measure up against one of the most formidable teams in the East tonight.

Winnipeg Free Press: Big Buff carrying heavy load early this season. With Bogosian out it is on Big Buff to shoulder much of the workload and provide a significant portion of the offence from the blue line. So far he has been excellent in providing what the Jets have needed.

Winnipeg Free Press: Glass returns to ‘Peg as rival. You always got the impression that Glass preferred anonymity once the game ended. He will likely find that in Pittsburgh but does give a nod to being part of something special last season.

Winnipeg Sun: Kyle Wellwood finds riding the pine tough to swallow. Will we see a new Kyle Wellwood in tonight’s game? Will we even see Kyle Wellwood in tonight’s game? We will let you know as Dave will be at practice and will bring you all the latest news via the @illegalcurve twitter account.

Winnipeg Sun: Looking forward to seeing old friend Tanner Glass. It might not be as unlikely as Kirk thinks. In fact Thorburn and Glass fought back on December 10th, 2009 when Chris played with Atlanta and Tanner was with the Canucks. Fans declared that Glass was the winner. So will you be chanting GST if Glass, Slater and Thorburn end up on the ice at the same time?

Winnipeg Sun: Scheifele’s time with Winnipeg Jets growing short. The writing is on the wall. If you heard coach Noel’s presser the way he talks about Scheifele it seems pretty clear that after the Islanders game he will be sent back to Barrie. This is not a condemnation of his game but recognition that there are areas that he still needs to improve upon before he is ready for the NHL.

Winnipeg Sun: Sidney Crosby making first NHL visit to the MTS Centre and Jets are ready. For hockey fans who have waited a long time to see Sid the Kid playing at the MTS Centre in an NHL game, they are finally going to get that opportunity. Of course, the question is what chant will the fans come up with to greet him when he finally gets on the ice?

Winnipeg Sun: Team defence will be put to the test by Crosby and company. The most firepower the Jets have faced early this season, we shall see how they fair when up against the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Neal and Letang.

Metro: Manitoba underhanded by allowing Jets a casino says AMC. Was the Province wrong in the way this was handled?

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel presser. His coaching manual. Look of his lineup. Wheeler’s game. Need to move Wheeler to Kane/Jokinen line. Play of Ron Hainsey. Play against the Penguins. Play of Antropov. (Gushes about Nik). Planning for Crosby/Malkin. Play of defence. Evaluation of Mark Scheifele (not a race to 5. needs to have better puck control). Won’t reveal tomorrow’s starter.

Illegal Curve: Jets player audio from practice. Ron Hainsey, Mark Stuart, Chris Thorburn, Kyle Wellwood and Mark Scheifele.

Jets affiliate and prospect news:

IceCaps official site: Next game vs. Hershey Bears. The 13th place IceCaps are playing against the 8th place Bears tonight.

- 2012 1st round pick Jacob Trouba and his Wolverine team mates are off to Kalamazoo for games on Friday and Saturday against in-state rival and 9th ranked Western Michigan.

- 2011 3rd round pick Adam Lowry and the Swift Current Broncos have a home double-header, first taking on the Regina Pats tonight and then the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. Jets fans will be happy to see that Lowry is leading the 5th place (in the Eastern Conference) Broncos in the big stat categories (goals, assists, points) and is 4th overall in the WHL.

NHL news:

Toronto Sun: Many empty seats at Phoenix Coyotes games. After making the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history the team was able to follow that up with a 119 day lockout which I’m sure did wonders for continuing any momentum this franchise might have achieved. It would appear that the writing is on the wall but we shall have to stay tuned to find out as the saga continues.

Globe and Mail: Social media sing with NHL lockout mood swing. Could you imagine being required to sift through tweets? Sounds awful.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

 

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Saturday Papers

Saturday, January 26th Jets and NHL news

Note: Tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show on TSN Radio 1290 from noon to 3 pm today as the guys discuss all the latest Winnipeg Jets and NHL news. Guests: Ken Holland (GM, Detroit Red Wings), Anthony SanFillipo (PhiladelphiaFlyers.com) and Ben Kuzma (Vancouver Province).

Note II: Big thanks to friend of the show and website Chris Barron who gave illegalcurve a shoutout on Fox News Redeye last night.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets keep their cool. The game could have easily descended to chaos but the Jets between periods 1 and 2 changed their focus and came out flying to take control of the game.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets show definite signs of progress. Without a big change in players, the Jets have a familiarity with each other that is proving to be very helpful this season.

Winnipeg Free Press: Good to see some defensive mettle. The team committed to playing a certain defensive style and that was not going to be a run and gun style which they felt cost them against the Pens last season.

Winnipeg Free Press: Islanders at Jets. Looking ahead to the Jets next game.

TSN: Jets answer the call with victory over Penguins. Some pundits felt that the Jets could be 0-4 with a number of tough opponents to start the season but instead they are 2-1-1. Especially after the poor home opener against Ottawa but instead this team has given fans a glimpse of what they can achieve in games against Boston, Washington and now Pittsburgh.

Winnipeg Sun: Here come the Jets 2.1. This is not last season’s Jets team. They may have folded in the face of a 2 goal deficit but instead they took command of the game. Kudos to the MTS Centre crowd which was simply amazing last night. Loud and boisterous.

Winnipeg Sun: Penguins made Tanner Glass an offer he couldn’t refuse. Perhaps just the tax savings alone was worth it. Was going to try and insert a GST joke but it didn’t work….or does it? Glass wasn’t very noticeable last night in the Pens loss but it still felt weird seeing him on the other side of the red line.

Pittsburgh Tribune: How Winnipeg changed my life. If you missed this yesterday, worth a read still.

For the Jets and NHL news click here.

Jets on a Deadline – Winnipeg 4 Pittsburgh 2:

Jets audio: Ondrej Pavelec, Evander Kane and Andrew Ladd.

Pens audio: Sidney Crosby and coach Dan Bylsma.

Coach Noel audio: Short but he was pleased with leadership group and the way they led. Pavelec was outstanding.

Jets on a Deadline: All the recaps, audio, video and 3 starts from the Jets game.