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Home , Anders Lee, Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Patrice Cormier

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-get-revenge-with-4-2-victory-over- islanders-467231393.html

Jets get revenge on Islanders Bounce back from 5-2 loss in New York even without

By: Mike McIntyre

Mark Scheifele’s absence was certainly felt by the on Friday night, but not in the way many feared.

Shawn Matthias, inserted into the lineup for the first time in nearly a month to fill the empty roster spot, scored on his first shift of the game. The new-look top line of centring Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor struck for a pair of goals. And got a power- play tally on the revamped No. 1 unit. It all added up to an impressive 4-2 victory over the at Bell MTS Place.

You couldn’t have scripted a better start as the Jets played their first game without Scheifele, their No. 1 centre and second-leading scorer who is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with an upper-body injury.

"I think a lot of guys stepped up and are going to need to. He’s obviously a huge part of what we do here, Mark. So I think all around the team we have to step up and elevate our game," said Connor, who finished the night with a and assist.

It might not have mattered if not for goalie , who had one of his finest performances of an already impressive . Hellebuyck made 42 saves, many of the "how in the world did he do that" variety, to preserve the win.

Winnipeg improves to 22-11-6, while New York drops to 20-14-4.

"I think pucks were just hitting me and I was seeing it well. The guys were in the right spots. I like our effort. I like how we were able to put four (goals) against them because they’re not an easy team and it feels good," said Hellebuyck, who recorded his 20th win of the season.

Hellebuyck had to be sharp right off the opening faceoff. The Islanders appeared certain to open the scoring, as former Jets had a glorious chance on a two-on-one rush in the first minute, but Hellebuyck somehow made an acrobatic split save to keep it scoreless, then robbed with another great stop just seconds later.

"I think those saves are what I’m here for and that’s what I’ve been working for," said Hellebuyck. "I don’t love having huge saves like that because that means usually you make a mistake and you have to cover for yourself, but once in a while it feels good."

Matthias, who had been a healthy scratch for 20 of the past 21 games including 11 in a row, put the Jets on the board just 2:32 into the game. He went hard to the net and knocked home a loose puck for his first goal of the season. Matthias had been severely snake-bitten in his 18 previous games this year, so you knew this one felt good.

"It was awesome. It’s a testament to guys being good teammates, staying with it and staying in the fight. It’s probably the least enjoyable part of this job, when you’re out of the lineup, you’re working out every day, you’re getting skated and sometimes it seems like the end (of being a healthy scratch) is nowhere in sight," Wheeler said following the game. "But you can tell those guys work really hard at it. That’s the payoff right there, a guy jumps back in the lineup and scores a big goal for us."

The teams were trading plenty of chances early, and the revamped top line struck with just over three minutes left in the opening frame. Laine fed Connor, who made a perfect pass to Wheeler for the one-timer. It was the 10th goal of the season for the captain, and gives the Jets five players with double-digit goal tallies.

"We did a good job. Unfortunately (Scheifele) is not coming back anytime soon, so we’ve got to rely on the guys in the room. Everyone takes responsibility in that, everyone has got to step their game up a little bit. Do a little bit more, do a little bit better. So far, so good," said Wheeler.

Defenceman Ben Chiarot was one of those, coming to Hellebuyck’s rescue in the final minute by blocking a with his foot that seemed destined for an open net.

The Jets got some bad news to start the second, as forward Brandon Tanev was ruled out of the game with a lower-body injury. He is considered day-to-day, coach said following the game.

Joel Armia moved up to take Tanev’s spot on an effective checking line with Lowry and Andrew Copp. Lowry made his presence felt when he crushed with a good clean hit later in the period.

Tavares got some revenge a few minutes later when his shot was tipped by linemate and past Hellebuyck with just over five minutes left in the second.

Winnipeg began the third on a power play thanks to an Eberle faceoff violation but again couldn’t cash in against the league’s second-worst penalty kill unit. However, they did seem to generate some momentum which paid off when Laine fed Connor for the rookie’s 12th of the season just over three minutes into the period.

The Islanders didn’t get their first shot of the third until it was halfway done, but Hellebuyck made an outstanding leg save on Ladd once again.

"Poor Laddy. (Hellebuyck) made a few big ones on him and that changes everything. You start the game off like that (with a goal against), it’s a here we go again type of thing, to when we played in their building," Wheeler said of last week’s 5-2 loss, in which Winnipeg surrendered two goals on the first two shots of the game. "To keep that goose egg on the board, to get going a little bit, that’s what changes the game. You can’t say enough about it, it makes all of the difference in winning and losing."

Lowry capped a great game by tipping a shot on the power play late in the period, with Wheeler drawing the other assist. Lee finished off the scoring with just over three minutes to play when he roofed a rebound for his team-leading 24th of the year.

"That’s kind of playoff hockey right there. You lose to a team, you want to come right back and show them ‘you didn’t beat us, you got lucky,’" said Hellebuyck. "Especially at home when we want to give our fans a good game and I think that’s what we did."

Winnipeg now hits the road for two games, including a New Year’s Eve tilt in . https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/kulikov-wants-bad-back-behind-him-467228543.html

Kulikov wants bad back behind him Blue-liner eager to prove himself after rough, injury-plagued season in Buffalo

By: Jeff Hamilton

Before pulling the trigger on Dmitry Kulikov, a player the Winnipeg Jets felt could shore up the left side on defence, head coach Paul Maurice spent hours poring over film to be sure they were making the right decision.

"I watched every shift he took last year and I saw an injured player," Maurice recalled after his team’s morning skate on Friday, ahead of a game against the visiting New York Islanders. "And then even at times when he got healthy, the effect of that injury changes the way you play defence."

When Maurice, who is in his 17th season as an NHL head coach and fourth with the Jets, looked deeper, what he saw from Kulikov as he skated up and down the ice with the were glimpses of what made him stand out during much of his seven seasons with the .

Hindered by an injury to his lower back that kept him out for three long stretches, Kulikov finished the 2016-17 campaign with just five points in 47 games. But while he wasn’t producing on the score sheet, where he was making improvements, Maurice said, was with his speed and decision-making with the puck.

"Where he was at his best… is he could get a puck off the wall — a rimmed puck — handle the puck off the wall and get it to somebody’s stick very quickly. His first-pass instincts were quite good under pressure," the Jets coach said.

"When you got a bad back and you can’t turn and you can’t get to that puck... you never get to the point where you’re touching it under pressure or right when a guy gets to it — you’re always second to the puck. So now you spend the whole time defending, trying not to get beat and you come off doing things with the puck. I’m not talking going coast to coast, but we think he can pull it across the line, we think he can shoot it and — this is something we’d like to see all our backend do a little bit more of — creating that shooting lane up top. We’re starting to see the quickness in his game and he’s having bouts of stronger and stronger blocks of hockey."

When the Jets signed Kulikov to a three-year, US$13-million deal on the first day of free agency in July, they knew they weren’t getting a scoring threat on the blue line. Kulikov has never reached 30 points in a season, with his highest total coming in his third year in the NHL, in 2011-12, when he registered 28 points in 58 games.

It’s a high price tag for a player who was expected to slot in on the third pairing in his first season with the Jets — behind and Toby Enstrom on the left side — but one who has, at age 27, still plenty of good years ahead of him to move up the depth chart.

"What we like most about Dmitry is he’s constantly looking like he’s getting back to the game in Florida and then some," Maurice said. "His quickness is coming back, his touches with the puck and now some physicality coming back in. Especially off the rush we find he’s getting quicker and confidence is a big piece of that."

Regaining that confidence after suffering the back injury — which occurred after he was checked into an open bench door — remains a work in progress. In fact, Kulikov said that even though he played 473 games with the Panthers, fans in Florida rarely got to see the kind of player he believes he is.

It helped that the Jets had already made the decision that Kulikov would start the season with Tyler Myers as his partner, so they could build a connection right away. It wasn’t by design that Myers had gone through a similar situation the year before, when he was limited to just 11 games because of a series of injuries, but it did help bring the two closer together. Kulikov wasn’t about to suggest the two were playing with a chip on their shoulders, but they both knew, individually, they had something to prove.

"When you’re missing most of the year with an injury, you feel like your game might slip a little bit or you might not be the same player as you were before," Kulikov said. "When you start going and feeling good, you get that feeling back, get that confidence back and really stop thinking about the injury and just focus on hockey. For him and for me, I bet you it’s the same feeling — that it’s just good to play hockey and get that confidence back, know that you’re a good NHL player."

Comfort between the two has steadily improved in recent weeks thanks to an increase in playing time. With and Enstrom — the Jets’ second pairing — currently out of the lineup, Kulikov and Myers have jumped an entire step in the pecking order. Where Kulikov used to hover around 17 minutes per game on most nights, he’s often eclipsing the 20-minute mark now.

Not all has been perfect this year — rarely is it ever for a player on a new team and in a new system — and Kulikov knows he must continue to improve to earn his playing time. But there’s an excitement he has for his game, on a team he believes is just around the corner from, like him, taking the next step.

"I knew that we had a good team here, but when I signed, I thought that this team was not only on the verge of making the playoffs, but were on the verge of winning the ," he said. "We’ve proved that this year, that we can play against top teams in the league and that we are one of the top teams in the league. There is an excitement to being on a winning team, and I’m here to show what I’m capable of." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/Draft-of-2015-a-turning-point-for-Jets-Moose- 467213943.html

Draft of 2015 a turning point for Jets, Moose

By: Mike McIntyre

Draft and develop. It’s the mantra Winnipeg Jets fans have been hearing about, virtually non- stop, since the day the NHL returned to River City. And it’s one that, for many loyal supporters, was beginning to grow a bit old.

Just when exactly was this all going to start paying off?

After all, the Jets have but one playoff appearance to show for their six completed seasons so far — a four-game sweep at the hands of the . And the , supposed to be the breeding ground for the next wave of talent, were putrid in the team’s first two seasons in Winnipeg after moving from St. John’s in time for the 2015-16 season.

Well, it appears the future has finally arrived. And is likely here to stay for a while.

The Jets look like the real deal this season, holding their own with the NHL’s heavyweights. And the Moose are certainly mighty, occupying the top spot in the AHL standings, which suggests the organizational success can be sustained thanks to plenty of depth.

So how did they get here?

There’s no denying the Jets hit the jackpot in 2016 when the ping pong balls fell in their favour and landed them a franchise-changing player in Patrik Laine. The Finnish sniper will be a cornerstone of the team for years and delivers the type of offensive threat most rivals can only dream of.

As valuable as Laine is, he’s still just one player. And that’s why the most important development for the long-term growth of the organization may have actually happened a year before Laine was selected with the lucky lottery pick at No. 2.

The 2015 NHL draft, held in Sunrise, Fla., marked a major turning point, even if nobody really realized it at the time. Incredibly, it happened with the Jets coming off their most successful regular season and only playoff appearance, meaning they were drafting much lower than in previous seasons.

Winnipeg made eight selections that day and, in the process, restocked their rather empty shelves in a major way. Just two years later, six of those players are playing pro and making major contributions.

"If you get half-a-dozen players in a draft, you are hitting it out of the park, you are hitting for the cycle," says Craig Button, the former NHL executive turned TSN analyst. "To me, if you get three players that are legitimate prospects into your system... to have six from one draft, you’re nailing it."

Shane Malloy, host of Hockey Prospect Radio on the NHL network and an expert in scouting and analytics, says the Jets now have "one of the best prospect pools in the business" and what transpired two years ago played a major role.

"They are building a win-maximization team through the most intelligent and cost-effective strategy, the NHL draft," Malloy says. Statistics show the average NHL team gets 1.62 NHL players per draft. By his calculations, the Jets are on target to blow that away from the Class of 2015.

"There is a possibility that they could have three, or maybe four, players play more than 200- plus NHL games each. Now that would be impressive," he says.

General manager and director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier are not prepared to declare the 2015 draft their finest work. But they can’t completely hide their glee as they speak in depth with the Free Press and provide some insights into how things transpired that weekend.

"The draft day is a very important day for every organization in the league, because the way teams have to be built in the salary-cap era and the way players contracts work, you need to have that constant influx of players. Whether it’s a first-round pick or a seventh-round pick, right after their name is called the hard work begins," says Cheveldayoff.

Kyle Connor, taken with the Jets’ own 17th overall pick, certainly got the party started on the right foot. The talented Michigan native — coming off a season in which he led the USHL in scoring and was named the player of the year — was someone they believed would be long be gone when it was their turn to hit the podium.

"From our perspective, he fell into our lap at 17," Cheveldayoff admits.

Connor, with 11 goals and 10 assists so far this season with the Jets, has been a great fit in the top-six forward group.

Hillier says their other first-round pick at No. 25, acquired in the blockbuster trade earlier that year, also involved some good fortune as Jack Roslovic was — also a surprise — still available. Roslovic (15G, 20A) is currently tied for second in AHL scoring in his second season with the Moose and is on the cusp of pushing for full-time work in the NHL.

"Both Connor and Roslovic we had rated quite a bit higher than we got them. There’s always a little luck involved, too. Unless you’re picking No. 1 you can only pick from who’s left. So you have to be a little lucky when teams below you passed on guys you like and a player kind of falls into your lap," says Hillier. "We obviously thought we had a really good start to that draft."

As solid as those top two picks were, things really took off in the later rounds.

Sixth-rounder Mason Appleton (12G, 19A) is leading AHL rookie scoring and in the Top 10 among all skaters. He looks like an absolute steal in that spot. Same goes for seventh-rounder Sami Niku (4G, 16A) who is tied for the AHL rookie defencemen scoring lead and in the Top 10 among all blue-liners.

"They were players we had discussions on all year long. There was some passion on those players all year. With Appleton, one thing there is he needed to gain a step on his skating, his skills were still a little raw; that’s probably why he fell down to the sixth round. But the one thing we liked was his hockey sense, how he processed the game," says Hillier.

The knock against Niku was his frame, standing six feet tall but weighing in at just 170 pounds.

"It was easy to see the skill set there, but he was a pretty slight, under-developed body. At the time, even a couple years ago, there wasn’t as much room, or the thinking, to draft a small defenceman. But the rules and the way the game is being played is really changing rapidly right now. There’s more room for the smaller defencemen and the smaller player in general," Hillier says.

"We wondered if he was going to be big enough, strong enough. He has gotten quite a bit bigger and stronger, but that’s still a work in progress as he’s developing now. But you couldn’t deny his skill."

Cheveldayoff recalls plenty of spirited draft meetings, beginning in January 2015, where they eventually created a list of between 75 and 100 players they had their eyes on.

"You tell the scouts this is your list. It’s your job, if you like this guy then you put him on a spot where you can fight for him," he says.

"There are certain guys inside the meetings where scouts will say, ‘I really like this guy, I’m going to step up and put this guy on my list.’ Those create conversations within the room. One scout may like them more, one may like them less, you have to find that happy medium.

"We only want to draft players that we want in our organization. If we’re going to step up and do this it’s because we have a strong feeling of what they can become."

Teams such as the used to thrive in those later rounds, finding hidden gems who would become key parts of the organization. Cheveldayoff says it’s a lot more difficult to pull that off now.

"Like anything in this game, it has evolved immensely, the process of scouting, the way video is used now. Scouting back 15 years ago was much different. The world is much smaller now, and the hockey world is much smaller now," he says.

"At the end of the day, scouting is an art, it’s not a science. For these guys it’s their careers, their livelihood. Year after year after year, they continue to grow and get stronger by having more knowledge and history of the game. I’m very proud of our scouting staff and the work they’ve put in."

Fourth-round pick Michael Spacek (4G, 7A) and second-round pick Jansen Harkins (2G, 6A) are also off to fine starts in their rookie seasons with the high-flying Moose and still have plenty of upside.

The Jets also have third-round pick Erik Foley tearing it up with Providence in U.S. college play. The power forward has 21 points in 16 games to lead his team and was named Hockey East player of the month for November.

"He’s definitely in our plans and on our radar. So it does look like the majority of the picks will be on our development path moving forward," Cheveldayoff says.

The final selection of that draft, seventh-rounder Matteo Gennaro, was never signed by the team and is playing his final season in the as an over-ager.

"We really worked hard on the amateur side, we listened to our area scouts, we listened to everybody’s opinions, going through multiple meetings a year where we want our area scouts to be passionate in their opinion about the players, especially these late round guys," says Hillier. "We think these late round picks are just as important as the higher picks. But obviously it’s more of a bonus when you can hit on some of these later guys."

However, Hillier cautions that plenty of hard work remains.

"These guys (aside from Connor) aren’t playing in the NHL yet, and that’s the ultimate goal. A player hasn’t really reached his peak until he’s in the NHL," he says.

"When you see guys like Niku and Appleton that were sixth- and seventh-round picks having the success they’re having at the AHL level in their first year, you think that’s pretty encouraging for the future. This has been a great development year for them so far and we think their future is bright. We think they have a good chance of being future Jets."

Strong drafting is only part of the battle.

"The Winnipeg Jets do as good a job as anybody drafting and developing. Those are mutually inclusive, not exclusive. It is imperative that those two things go hand in hand," says Button.

Malloy says even the best prospects can still flop if critical mistakes are made after draft day.

"For the most part, there are three aspects that make the whole scouting and developing process work. The first aspect is the amateur scouting department’s ability to evaluate and project talent, which may be the most challenging of all. Next, the organization’s player development department must try to mold the prospects by giving the players tools to strengthen his talents. Perhaps most importantly is the prospect’s’ responsibility to pay the price and sacrifice, which requires a tremendous work ethic. If anyone of these aspects fails, then the likelihood of a prospect having a long NHL career becomes remote," says Malloy.

Hillier says the organization’s first pick in the summer of 2011 set the stage for what was to come.

"We told Chevy from the start, before we picked (Mark) Scheifele, that we could probably get a player who’s a quicker fix, a guy that might help us in the short term more than Scheifele. But if you want a better player long term, we’re going to have to take our time but Scheifele’s the guy," says Hillier. "There was a lot of pressure on that pick, being the first in the organization, but I think Chevy really showed faith in us with that pick and showed us that he was serious on the draft and develop model and that the amateur scouting was really important to the organization. And we’ve really gone from there."

Cheveldayoff says the work Jimmy Roy and Mike Keane do on the player development side is invaluable, as they become the focal point for prospects.

"From the moment that we draft them, we congratulate them, they get their jersey, they get their picture taken and head up to our suite at the draft. One of the first people they meet is Jimmy Roy, and that development process starts right there," says Cheveldayoff.

Moose coach Pascal Vincent and his staff appear to be pushing the right buttons with their young prospects on the farm.

"I know we’re winning now and it’s great, it’s awesome. That’s what we want to build, a winning culture and everything. But the mission stays the same. We’re here to develop players. And the final results of the games are important to us, because it tells us where we are compared to the other teams in the league. But at the end of the day we’re here to develop individuals," says Vincent.

He calls Appleton the most pleasant surprise to date.

"We had no expectations other than the pro scouts and the amateur scouts telling us what his potential could be and what he had done in the past. He came here at camp just to make the team, and he showed up in great shape. When I think about Mason Appleton I think about his compete level, I think about his hockey sense and his ability to adjust his game," says Vincent. "He’s becoming a pretty complete player who is competing hard and is pretty smart with his routes. And he’s very consistent in his effort, very mature, intelligent. He’s got this confidence about himself that is really good. A very positive confidence, he knows he can get the job done and he’s doing it."

Appleton admits some surprise about how deep he went in the draft. But he quickly shook it off and began to focus on what he needed to do to take the next step.

"It was maybe a tad later than I thought. That’s kind of how drafts work, they’re kind of a little crapshoot in that aspect. So you never really know. Obviously I was thrilled to get drafted at all. Regardless of what round I was taken in obviously I was super excited," he says. "The draft was three years ago. I’m a lot different player than I was then. A lot stronger, a lot faster, heavier shot. I don’t even really think of it as I’m a sixth rounder any more. Once you’re kind of a pro, you’re just all in kind of that same pool and your draft spot doesn’t really matter anymore."

And now the next phase of his progression, Appleton says, is becoming a more consistent player and eventually pushing for NHL work.

"I think everyone’s timeline is different. It’s not something that I’m focused on. If that opportunity ever comes I’m hopefully going to jump on it and do the best I can. But for now, obviously getting better every day at this level, obviously it’s a great hockey league. I’m here every day to just work as hard as I can and just be the best player I can be," he says.

Roslovic is quick to hand out praise to his coaches for helping his sophomore season be even better than his terrific rookie campaign. He says the Class of 2015 will often talk about how far they’ve come in such short time.

"We’re all equals in the dressing room. I think it’s cool that we’re all the same age. Obviously we get that as a common ground. The fact that we’re all contributing is just a testament to all the coaches and the brass," says Roslovic. "I think they’ll be happy about that year."

So how does 2015 compare to other years for the Jets?

Scheifele and Adam Lowry are the only players who panned out from the 2011 draft. The other five are long since gone and forgotten.

In 2012, Jacob Trouba and Connor Hellebuyck were strong picks, while a third, goalie Jamie Phillips, is in the ECHL. The other three never made an impact.

The 2013 draft might be the second-best for the team. Josh Morrissey, Andrew Copp and are all with the Jets, while Eric Comrie and Nic Petan are key players with the Moose. J.C. Lipon and Jan Kostalek are also Moose regulars, meaning seven picks have had an impact at the pro level. Three others that year did not with this organization.

Nikolaj Ehlers was the star of the 2014 draft for the Jets, but there are questions after that. Chase De Leo and Nelson Nogier provide some depth on the Moose, while four other picks have yet to turn pro and it remains to be seen what, if any, impact they might have.

It’s much too early to say how the 2016 draft — Laine aside, of course — and the 2017 one will play out. However, Hillier thinks there could be more late-round gems on the way such as goalie Mikhail Berdin (6th round, 2016) and forward Skyler McKenzie (7th round, 2017).

"You can obviously gamble a little more than when you’re in the sixth or seventh round than in the first round. But there’s got to be something about that player that (scouts) think there’s NHL skill there. They aren’t going to have a lot of those skills, because if there are they’d be higher picks. But there has to be one thing that sticks out to them that we think there’s enough there that this can be developed into something better down the road," says Hillier. "When we started with Winnipeg, we were told amateur scouting was going to be the lifeblood of this organization. And it was going to take some time to draft and develop. We were going to go through some hard times but this is the way we had to build the team."

Button says patience is a key, something the Jets appear to have plenty of. And as they continue to build depth by stockpiling talent, that allows for a smooth navigation through things like injuries, free agency and salary cap concerns.

"You have to be patient. For every Patrik Laine there’s a Jack Roslovic. That’s just the way it goes," says Button. To have both your NHL and AHL franchises clicking at the same time is a dream come true, he said. "All those elements are incredibly important, not just for success, but for sustained success. They’re in it for the long haul, not the short haul."

Cheveldayoff says the cream will always rise to the top, regardless of where a player is selected. That’s why a true evaluation of a draft is fluid,

"It doesn’t really matter if you’re a first round or a seventh rounder, if you’re gonna play you’re gonna play, you’re gonna find a way to play," he says. "If you’re a seventh rounder, don’t ever take that and say I’m only a seventh round pick. At that point in time you’re a Winnipeg Jet, and we need to develop you to the best ability that we can."

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/hellebuyck-stars-as-jets-beat-islanders

Hellebuyck stars as Jets beat Islanders

By Ken Wiebe

Connor Hellebuyck did exactly what he’s paid to do — and then some.

As the Winnipeg Jets entered a lengthy stretch of games without injured top-line centre Mark Scheifele, they made it quite a ways down their to-do list in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders.

But without the goaltending provided by Hellebuyck, none of the rest of the items would have mattered much.

Thanks to a 42-save effort that gave Hellebuyck 20 wins in 29 starts, the Jets earned a 4-2 triumph in a game that was a lot closer than the score may have indicated.

“You don’t want to give them any momentum, which I ended up doing later because I made a little mistake,” said Hellebuyck, referring to the second goal of the game for Islanders forward Anders Lee, which came after a juicy rebound. “But I think those saves are what I’m here for and that’s what I’ve been working for.

“I don’t love having huge saves like that because that means usually you make a mistake and you have to cover for yourself, but once in a while it feels good.”

The Jets, who improved to 22-11-6, open a two-game trip on Sunday against the .

Two of Hellebuyck’s best saves came against former Jets captain Andrew Ladd, including a point-blank on a two-on-one rush with Jordan Eberle in the opening minute of the contest.

“Poor Ladd. (Hellebuyck) made a few big ones on him and that changes everything,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “You start the game off like that (with a goal against), it’s a here- we-go again type of thing to when we played in their building. To keep that goose egg on the board, to get going a little bit, that’s what changes the game. You can’t say enough about it, it makes all of the difference in winning and losing.”

The Jets opened the scoring 2:32 into the contest after Shawn Matthias won a puck battle along the wall and banged home a rebound for his first goal of the season on what was his first shift after being a healthy scratch for 11 consecutive games and 20 of the past 21.

“It’s a testament to guys being good teammates and staying with it,” Wheeler said. “It’s probably the least enjoyable part of this job, when you’re out of the lineup, you’re working out every day, you’re getting skated and sometimes it seems like the end (of being a healthy scratch) is nowhere in sight. That’s the payoff right there, a guy jumps back in the lineup and scores a big goal for us.”

The Jets also got a pair of goals and six points from the reconfigured top unit of Wheeler (one goal, one assist) at centre between Kyle Connor (one goal, one assist) and Patrik Laine (two assists).

Centre Adam Lowry provided a perfect redirection for a power-play goal (as he fills in for Scheifele on the Jets top unit) to round out the scoring.

After getting blown out 5-2 by the Islanders last week in the final game before the Christmas break, the Jets were determined to respond and that’s precisely what they did — with one major caveat.

“Overall, really well. I think Connor Hellebuyck had a big piece of that early and really held us in that so we didn’t start almost the same way in the last game. And then we got better, so our overall game after that (was) pretty good. They’re the second-best offensive team in the league and you know why,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “We gave up way more than I’m comfortable, so I’m not saying it was a perfect defensive game by any means, our goalie had to be a big piece of that, but overall there were lots of really good things.”

The Jets played the final two periods of the game with only 11 forwards, as Brandon Tanev was injured late in the first.

Tanev was on the receiving end of some friendly fire, as he took the brunt of the blow as Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey tried to lay out Islanders defenceman Scott Mayfield with a hard check.

Tanev took one more shift late in the period, received a pass along the boards and grabbed his right side as he made his way to the bench after getting the puck over to Jacob Trouba.

It looked like a groin or abdominal issue, though Maurice said following the contest Tanev was simply day-to-day with a lower-body injury and he didn’t rule him out of Saturday’s game.

If Tanev is sidelined, the Jets will look to recall at least one forward from the Manitoba Moose of the .

The Jets also have Marko Dano as an extra forward, though he has been limited to six games (no points) this season.

Whether another change is required or not, the Jets began the process of putting together what their game will need to look like if they want to survive the loss of Scheifele.

With one notable change — while they have plenty of confidence in Hellebuyck, the Jets know they’ll need to tighten things up defensively moving forward.

“We did a good job. Unfortunately (Scheifele) is not coming back anytime soon, so we’ve got to rely on the guys in the room,” Wheeler said. “Everyone takes responsibility in that, everyone has got to do a little bit more, do a little bit better.

“So far, so good.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/matthias-draws-in-but-can-he-stay-in

Matthias draws in, but can he stay in?

By Ken Wiebe

Shawn Matthias has waited patiently for the type of opportunity that has finally been arrived.

Now it’s up to the veteran forward to show what he can do with it.

With top centre Mark Scheifele on the shelf for six to eight weeks, Matthias drew back into the Winnipeg Jets lineup on the fourth line against the New York Islanders on Friday at Bell MTS Place.

“It’s been different, I’ve never gone through anything like that before,” said Matthias, who had two assists in 18 games but had been a healthy scratch for 20 of the previous 21 games. “But the team was winning, the guys were buzzing and we were putting hard work in after practice and trying to stay at game speed. You’ve got a responsibility to your teammates, to yourself, to the coaching staff to be a good pro. And being a good pro is not coming to the rink and moping and being down. I’ve worked extremely hard.

“I just need to keep my game simple. I haven’t played in a while.”

Matthias started the contest with Matt Hendricks and Joel Armia and scored on his first shift, making his words earlier in the day sound prophetic.

“I thought I was playing well the first 10 games of the year, had a ton of chances but just couldn’t get (a goal),” said Matthias, who had 16 shots on goal in his first 18 games of the campaign. “Obviously, guys were scoring and it made sense to me. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming when that day (he went to the press box) came. I knew I was in tough, when you hit posts and stuff like that and the numbers didn’t speak well for me.

“But this is a second chance here. If you look at the past, I’ve never really gone that long without scoring before, so I would think it’s going to come.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice explained why it was Matthias and not Marko Dano (who has no points in only six games this season) that got the first chance to draw into the lineup.

“Some of it had to do with the structure of their team (the Islanders) and the bottom-six forwards,” said Maurice. “He brings that size (six-foot-four, 231 pounds) and he’s played with Armia quite a bit. It was just a fit right now.”

LOWRY IN A FAMILIAR SPOT The loss of Scheifele also created an opening on the Jets top power-play unit and that will be filled by centre Adam Lowry, who will return to the net-front role he held for a good chunk of last season and the start of this one.

“It’s always nice to get back on the power play, but it’s tough to get back on there the way it happened,” said Lowry, who drew the primary assist on the goal by Matthias and scored a power-play marker in the third period to give him eight goals and 13 points in 29 games this season while averaging just over 15 minutes of ice timee. “You try to make the most of that opportunity. It’s going to be important to keep going with the power play. It’s been a key to our success.”

Maurice said the addition of Lowry on the top unit gives it a different look.

“When you take a player like Mark (Scheifele) out, you’re going to move the puck a little less often (on the power play), there are less plays being made,” said Maurice. “So we’d like to see all three guys at the top thinking shot first. We have a big strong man (in Lowry) who recovers the puck very well. It would be an area on our power play that we’d like to see us improve, with recoveries off the shots to the net. (Lowry) does that exceptionally well. We’ll put him there and try to get more pucks to the net and we’ll be expecting him to jump on those (rebounds).”

Lowry and Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov showed off their off-ice versatility on Thursday as they were part of The Nutcracker performance put on by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

“They asked if we wanted to be part of it and we jumped at the opportunity. I thought it would be fun to get on stage and try something new,” said Lowry, who enjoyed his non-speaking role in the skating scene at the start of the show. “We were better suited to be key pieces in the background. It was a lot of fun. We were on stage longer than I first expected. It was pretty cool to see the performance and all that goes into it. There are a lot of moving parts. The amount of work that’s going on backstage to make sure things are running smoothly is quite amazing.

“The skills and the time they put into their craft is impressive. To get to interact with some of them behind the scenes and see their passion for the arts and their job, you kind of relate it to the commitment we have here (in the NHL). It’s very similar and it gives you more of an appreciation for sure. They put in a lot of hours at the theatre and the dance studio to make sure they’re performing at the top of their craft.”

PULOCK FINDING HIS WAY Grandview product and former Brandon Wheat Kings captain Ryan Pulock has worked his way into a regular spot on the Islanders defence corps and he started Friday’s game on the top pairing with .

Pulock, chosen 15th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, has appeared in 24 of 38 games for the Islanders and has two goals and seven points after chipping in an assist on Friday.

“As I’ve been playing a little more, you start settling in and you feel more comfortable in all situations,” said Pulock, who played his second NHL game in his home province on Friday. “Hopefully, I can build on that going forward. Defensively, I’ve been a lot more stable. Now it’s time to take my offensive abilities and get some more offensive looks.”

Islanders head coach is happy with Pulock’s development curve.

“It’s been a really good year for him,” said Weight. “He’s worked on so many things and I’ve seen such an improvement. He’s so much better defensively, he’s moving better, his confidence is coming up in droves quickly. He’s been a big part of our success and to me, it’s exciting that he keeps getting better and better and has really grown into being a good defenceman.”

Canadian Press https://www.chrisd.ca/2017/12/29/blake-wheeler-kyle-connor-score-help-jets-double- islanders/#.WkefnVWnHIU

Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor Each Score to Help Jets Down Islanders

By Judy Owen, The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG – Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor each scored a goal and added an assist as a rejigged top line helped propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday.

Wheeler was playing centre in place of injured Mark Scheifele, with Connor on his left wing and new addition Patrik Laine on the right. Laine collected a pair of assists.

Shawn Matthias, a healthy scratch for 11 straight games, recorded his first goal of the season. Adam Lowry tipped in a power-play marker and also had an assist for the Jets (22-11-6).

Connor Hellebuyck made 42 saves for Winnipeg, which is 14-3-1 at home.

Anders Lee scored both goals for the Islanders (20-14-4), giving him 24 on the season. Jaroslav Halak stopped 33 shots.

It was Winnipeg’s first game without Scheifele, who’s out six to eight weeks with an undisclosed upper-body injury.

The Jets led 2-0 after the first period and 2-1 after the second.

Matthias got onto the roster, and the fourth line, with Scheifele’s absence and capitalized quickly. On his first shift, he scored off a Lowry rebound at 2:32. The veteran forward only played in one of the previous 21 games and his last goal was on March 8.

The new top line also clicked to make it 2-0.

Laine passed to Connor, who went to the net and then slid the puck across to Wheeler for his 10th goal of the season with 3:03 left in the first.

The Islanders outshot the Jets 19-12 in the opening period, which featured Hellebuyck making some key saves.

Lee tipped in a John Tavares one-timer to get his team on the board at 14:46. Tavares extended his point streak to nine games with four goals and 14 assists. also assisted, moving his point streak to 10 games with six goals and 12 helpers.

The Islanders also outshot the Jets 19-12 in the second.

Winnipeg restored its two-goal lead when Connor scored his 12th of the season at 3:01 of the third off a pass from Laine.

Jets forward hit the post in the third and former Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd was stymied by Hellebuyck.

Lowry tipped in Jacob Trouba’s point shot with just under eight minutes remaining to make it 4- 1, then Lee scored his second goal just over four minutes later.

Winnipeg plays in Edmonton Sunday and the Islanders travel to Colorado for a game the same day.

NewsDay https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/islanders-jets-1.15678414

Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck stymies Islanders

By Arthur Staple

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Scoring hasn’t been a problem for the Islanders this season, but on Friday night, they ran into Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped just about everything they threw at him in a 4-2 Jets win.

Hellebuyck made 42 saves to stymie the Isles, many of them of the eye-popping variety.

“We peppered ’em. [Helle buyck] was good tonight. I thought both goalies were good,” Islanders coach Doug Weight said. “We had some point-blank chances where we got good wood on the shots and he made some five-star saves at key times for them. When you get close to 50 shots, you can’t complain too much.”

Hellebuyck had 37 saves through 40 minutes as Winnipeg brought a 2-1 lead into the third period. The Jets got the lead back to two goals when Kyle Connor’s soft shot banked off Dennis Seidenberg’s skate and through Jaroslav Halak’s legs at 3:01. Blake Wheeler had a skate in the blue paint of the crease and Weight took a long look at the replay but decided not to challenge.

The Isles didn’t record a shot on goal in the third until the 9:40 mark, when Hellebuyck robbed Andrew Ladd from in close during an Islanders power play. The Jets salted it away at 12:03 of the third when Adam Lowry tipped Jacob Trouba’s point shot past Halak on the power play.

Anders Lee scored his second of the night and 24th of the season with 3:32 left. The regulation loss marked the first time the Isles haven’t gotten a point here since the became the Winnipeg Jets in the 2011-12 season.

Hellebuyck’s magic began in the game’s first minute as he stretched his right pad to stop Ladd’s try on a two-on-one. Jordan Eberle was denied seconds later from prime scoring territory.

The Islanders had a bushel of good chances in the first two periods. They recorded 19 shots on Hellebuyck in each of the first two periods but had only one get past him. John Tavares won a draw in the Winnipeg zone and sat back into shooting position as Josh Bailey retrieved the puck. Tavares whistled one that ticked off Lee’s leg and under the crossbar. That goal at 14:46 of the second brought the Islanders within a goal, but they got no closer.

The Isles fell into an early hole after being denied on those two good chances and seeing the Jets convert soon after. Shawn Matthias, a healthy scratch in 20 of the previous 21 games, worked the puck off and drove the net to chip a rebound past Halak at 2:32 of the first.

The Islanders pressed well the remainder of the period, but a couple of breakdowns gave the Jets a 2-0 lead. Steve Bernier could not reach a puck as it neared the Winnipeg line and the Jets turned the play back quickly, catching Ryan Pulock drifting up toward the play. The Jets blew past him for a three-on-one and Connor fed Wheeler for a tap-in at 16:57.

Despite pumping so many shots on goal, the Isles didn’t get much from their third line. Shane Prince, Nelson and Bernier struggled at times and could not sustain the sort of pressure and chances generated by the top two lines as well as the fourth line.

“If we do what we did tonight, we’re going to win a lot more games than we lose,” Lee said. “Their goalie was good and you tip your cap to him.”

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-islanders-winnipeg-jets-game-recap/c-294480190

Hellebuyck makes 42 saves in Jets win against Islanders Lowry, Wheeler, Connor each gets goal, assist for Winnipeg by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- Connor Hellebuyck made 42 saves to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-2 win against the New York Islanders at Bell MTS Place on Friday.

Adam Lowry, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist, and Shawn Matthias also scored for the Jets (22-11-6), who were playing their first game without center Mark Scheifele, who will be out 6-8 weeks with an upper-body injury.

"We did a good job," Wheeler said. "Unfortunately [Scheifele] is not coming back anytime soon, so we've got to rely on the guys in the room. Everyone takes responsibility in that, everyone has got to step their game up a little bit. Do a little bit more, do a little bit better. So far, so good."

Winnipeg moved into first place in the Central Division, one point ahead of the .

The Jets have 50 points in 39 games, the fastest since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011. They reached the 50-point mark in 43 games in 2014-15.

Anders Lee scored two goals for the Islanders (20-14-4), who had won two in a row. Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves.

"We're going to try not to be too frustrated but obviously we would have loved to have capitalized on some of those opportunities in all three periods," Islanders forward John Tavares said. "We generated most of them in the first two periods. Unfortunately, we didn't put in as many as we'd like and didn't have as strong a third."

Matthias ended a 21-game goalless drought with his first of the season at 2:32 of the first period to make it 1-0. Matthias had been a healthy scratch for 20 of the past 21 games.

Winnipeg's revamped top line in the absence of Scheifele combined to make it 2-0 after Connor's cross-ice pass found Wheeler for the tap-in at 16:57.

Lee made it 2-1 at 14:46 of the second period. Tavares and Josh Bailey each had an assist to extend point streaks, Tavares to nine and Bailey to 10.

"We knew we were going to see them come out hard and then respond to the way the game went a few days ago," Tavares said of New York's 5-2 win on Saturday. "The parity is so good, you can't take a team for granted."

Connor made it 3-1 with his 12th of the season at 3:01 of the third period.

"I think a lot of guys stepped up and are going to need to [continue]," Connor said. "[Scheifele's] obviously a huge part of what we do here, so I think all around the team we have to step up and elevate our game."

Lowry scored on the power play at 12:03 to make it 4-1. Lee made it 4-2 at 16:28 with his 24th of the season.

Goal of the game Connor's goal at 3:01 of the third period.

Save of the game Hellebuyck's save on Andrew Ladd at 9:36 of the third period.

Highlight of the game Hellebuyck's save on Ladd 59 seconds into the first period.

They said it "We peppered them. [Hellebuyck] was good tonight in net, I tell you. I think both goalies were good tonight. We had some point-blank chances where we got a lot of wood on the puck. He was incredible. … They're a tough team to play here, obviously a good team, not just [the] goalie but tonight he was by far their best player. They capitalized on the chances when they had them." -- Islanders coach Doug Weight

"We just recently played them. That's kind of playoff hockey right there. You lose to a team, you want to come right back and show them that you didn't beat us, you got lucky." -- Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck

Need to know Jets forward Brandon Tanev left in the first period with a lower-body injury. He will be reassessed on Saturday. … Islanders forward Mathew Barzal had his five-game point streak end.

What's next Islanders: Host the on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; ALT, MSG+, NHL.TV) Jets: At the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; SN, NHL.TV)

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/cormier-moose-season-has-been-a-great-surprise- 1.955191

Cormier: Moose season has been a great surprise

Manitoba Moose Captain Patrice Cormier joins Andrew Paterson and Rick Ralph on the Afternoon Ride. They discuss the Moose’s impressive start to the season, the performances by the goaltenders, the impact of this season’s new additions, getting his own bobblehead, the weekend’s game vs. San Jose. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/hellebuyck-stands-tall-in-jets-win-over-islanders/c-294485824

Hellebuyck stands tall in Jets win over Islanders Jets win second straight backstopped by Hellebuyck's 42 saves by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - Facing the first test since the injury of Mark Scheifele, the Winnipeg Jets also had a chance at redemption against the New York Islanders Friday night.

Check, and check.

Shawn Matthias, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets, while Connor Hellebuyck was sensational in goal, making 42 saves in a 4-2 Jets win at Bell MTS Place.

But arguably no save was bigger than the stop Hellebuyck made on former Jet Andrew Ladd just under a minute in. Ladd took a pass on a two-on-one, and Hellebuyck kicked out his right leg, keeping the score locked at zero.

"It's huge. It's the difference between going down 1-0 or maybe 2-0," said Connor, who finished with two points in the win. "There were a couple chances they had there. He stood on his head, and we got our feet under us and started playing really well."

The win also moved the Jets to 22-11-6, the fastest the team has reached that mark since relocating to the Manitoba capital in 2011.

Playing in his first game since Dec. 3, and just his second since Nov. 14, Shawn Matthias made sure to make an impact early in this one.

After winning a puck battle on the boards, Matthias moved the puck to Adam Lowry, who tried to stuff one in the short side on Jaroslav Halak, and the rebound popped out to Matthias, who buried his first of the season.

It gave the Jets a 1-0 lead, and ultimately helped Winnipeg move to 17-1-4 when scoring first.

"It's a testament to a very long lay off, and how hard he's worked to stay sharp and stay right. I'm glad something good happened for him," said head coach Paul Maurice of Matthias, who played 7:01 in ten shifts.

"Sometimes it's just where the whistles go and how the other team runs their bench at home, I couldn't get him out there very much. He deserved to play more."

The Jets would make it 2-0 when the revamped line of Connor, Wheeler, and Patrik Laine pounced on a neutral zone turnover, and quickly turned it into a three-on-one rush the other way. Connor showed patience and slid a cross crease pass around a sliding Nick Leddy to Wheeler, who made no mistake for his tenth of the season.

"I thought we did a lot of good things. Those guys were really good tonight helping me," Wheeler said of his line mates during his move to centre. "They were strong on the wall, bumping pucks to the middle. I didn't have to stop a whole lot coming up the ice.

"If we do that, we can make some plays. We made a few tonight, and it was a good start."

But the Islanders would find a way to get one by Hellebuyck in the second, when shortly after winning an offensive zone face off, John Tavares found some open space near the top of the circle. He took a pass from Josh Bailey and ripped a shot that deflected off Anders Lee that found its way under the bar, cutting the Jets lead to 2-1.

The two-goal lead would be restored in the third, when the Connor, Wheeler, and Laine trio would once again create an odd-man rush. Connor's patience would pay off again, this time, he pulled up just in front of the net, circled, and sent a shot on goal that deflected off Dennis Seidenberg's stick and between Halak's legs.

"I think a lot of guys stepped up, and are going to need to. (Mark)'s a huge part of what we do here. Everyone on the team has to step up and elevate our game," said Connor, who said the line's success tonight started in the middle.

"I think it starts with Blake. He leads our team. He wears a 'C' for a reason. He leads by example and also vocally. He does so many things well… All three of us can play with some skill once we have the puck."

It was the 12th of the season for Connor, who Maurice said continues to make strides this season.

"I have a very high expectation level. The growth has been spectacular," said Maurice. "He's a completely different player. This is a great example of the growth mentally in a player. All of these guys come in (saying) 'I just need my chance to play.' Then they have to do a bunch of things before they get that chance to be effective. He's doing them now."

Adam Lowry made it 4-1 on a Jets power play with just under eight minutes left in regulation. He posted up in front of Halak to provide a screen, then deflected a Jacob Trouba point shot into the top corner.

Lee would get his second of the game with 3:32 left, when he jumped on a rebound in front of Hellebuyck, and lifted a backhand over the Jets goaltender's pad into the top corner.

But the Jets held the fort after that, and now look ahead to a two-game road trip that begins in Edmonton on New Year's Eve against the Oilers.

ICE CHIPS Brandon Tanev left the game with a lower-body injury in the second period and didn't return.

Maurice lists the forward as day-to-day, and wouldn't rule out the 25-year-old for Sunday's game in Edmonton. https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-56253303

POSTGAME | Paul Maurice

Head Coach Paul Maurice addresses the media following a 4-2 win over the Islanders https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--blake-wheeler/t-277437442/c-56253003

POSTGAME | Blake Wheeler

Blake Wheeler offers his thoughts on the 4-2 win over the Islanders https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--connor-hellebuyck/t-277437442/c-56252703

POSTGAME | Connor Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck speaks after making 42 saves in a 4-2 victory -- his 20th of the season https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--kyle-connor/t-277437442/c-56252103

POSTGAME | Kyle Connor

Kyle Connor reflects on a two-point night that help lead the Jets to a 4-2 win over the Islanders