Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-shut-out-blues-4-0-464837583.html

Jets get their revenge by shutting out Blues 4-0

By: Jason Bell

Similarly impressive performances by the within a 24-hour span produced very different results, but such is life in the NHL's ultra-competitive Central Division.

The Jets outplayed the St. Louis Blues for the second time in as many days and were justly rewarded Sunday with a convincing 4-0 home-ice victory.

Adam Lowry and Patrik Laine broke open a scoreless game with second-period goals, while and Josh Morrissey added third-period tallies for the hosts.

Coming off a 2-0 shutout to the Blues despite doing plenty of good things Saturday in St. Louis, the Jets (19-10-5) rebounded with a dominant effort, outshooting the visitors by another wide margin, this time 46-24.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck registered his second shutout of the season as his club snapped a two-game losing streak and is 4-4-1 in the month of December.

"We kind of deserved this one because (of the loss the day before). I thought we were the better team," said Hellebuyck.

"It's very satisfying and I think it's better for the guys in this room because now they know that they did play the right way (Saturday) and they continued to play the right way."

Blake Wheeler, who sounded like he’s still battling the cold he’s had for more than a week, said the Jets shook off the frustration of firing four-dozen pucks at Blues goalie Carter Hutton the night before and coming up empty, remained focused and played the same dogged style of hockey to grab two well-earned points.

"Credit goes to every guy for just staying in the fight and saying the right things and staying engaged, and we finally broke through there and were able to take control of the game in the second period," he said, noting it showed tremendous character to maintain that level of consistency against the powerful Blues (22-11-2) in the second half of the back-to-back, home- and-home series.

"You leave that game (Saturday) and you don't really know what happened. You play half as well sometimes and you score five, and then you play as hard and as well as you can expect a team to play and you come out with nothing," he added. "It's frustrating for a team that's used to scoring goals and likes scoring goals. That's why it was great to have guys say the right things before the game, not down on the fact that we didn't results last night, but motivated and a little bit p——- off."

Winnipeg is three points behind St. Louis and Nashville (21-7-4) in the division, and five up on fourth-place Dallas (18-14-2).

Call it the 63rd time lucky for the Jets, who finally scored on their 15th shot on goalie Jake Allen after taking 48 the night before at Scottrade Center.

Allen had no chance on the Lowry's fifth of the year, the game opener. Jets winger didn't just take a hit to make a play, he got squished by a pair of Blues after winning a foot race deep and then leaving the puck for Andrew Copp, who found Lowry alone in front at 4:32.

"That’s what (Tanev) does, he takes hits, he blocks shots, he’s great on the forecheck, so (it was a) great play by him and then (Lowry) is in the right spot and I was able to get it through a hole and he buries it. It was nice for our line to be rewarded," said Copp, who also drew an assist on Mark Scheifele's 15th goal in the third period.

Copp said finally getting that first goal allowed the team to breathe a little easier.

"We’ve been really good with the lead, too, so I think getting the lead was important because it seems like other teams try to open the game against us," he said. "It's that snowball effect, kind of what happened last year, but in the opposite way where we’d get down and then we’d try and open up the game."

Allen was beaten cleanly on Laine's bullet, his league-leading 10th power-play marker, at 15:13 of the middle frame after a nifty pass from Mathieu Perreault.

Josh Morrissey closed out the scoring with his fifth of the year less than two minutes after setting up Scheifele.

The Scheifele-Wheeler-Kyle Connor line was extremely effective, generating a number of terrific scoring chances while digging deep in their own end to shut down Blues' stars such as Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko.

There was no quit by the unit, despite the irritation of misfiring on many good opportunities Saturday and then botching some early opportunities in the rematch, said head coach Paul Maurice.

"They put up 17 shots last night and came away without anything, and it’s frustration, but they didn’t change their game. That’s the fear that you have when you have an offensive group that isn't getting results, final results — goals and assists — that they will start playing perimeter games or look for a different kind of offence," Maurice said. "They didn’t do that and they were rewarded.

"From a coaching point, more in terms of quality of play, if the puck doesn’t go in the net for them, it’s not the end of the world because their play is right."

The Jets have scrapped a scheduled practice Monday and will head out later in the day for a three-game road trip prior to Christmas, with matchups against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, the Boston Bruins on Thursday and the New York Islanders in Brooklyn, N.Y., Saturday. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/welcome-back-thorbs-464827193.html

Welcome back, Thorbs Fans roar for former Jet

By: Jason Bell

Same double-twos on his back, same long, black hair jutting out of his lid, same grit and tenacity.

Same Chris Thorburn, just a different jersey.

The ex-Jets right-winger made his return to Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, admitting he needed some help from new St. Louis teammate Brayden Schenn finding his way to the opponents' dressing room while visiting town with the rest of the Blues.

But he was pretty excited to be back at the downtown rink in the city his family called home for six NHL seasons.

"I was telling my trainer it's a cool experience. Not many people get to experience this, as far as playing for an organization for a long period of time and then leaving and then coming back," said Thorburn, who chatted with reporters prior to the game.

"I'm just going to try and embrace it and have fun with it."

Hockey fans at Bell MTS Place gave him a warm Winnipeg welcome back. Thorburn, a fan favourite for his dogged play and willingness to drop the mitts, received a nice cheer when he was shown on the big screen during the anthems and then got a standing ovation when he was officially greeted during a stoppage of play midway through the opening period.

The Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise leader for regular-season games played (709) from 2007 to 2017 was signed by the Blues on July 1, the opening day of the NHL's free-agency period. The two sides agreed on a two-year, US$1.8 million contract, meaning he stayed in the Central Division.

The battle with his former Winnipeg teammates — the teams' second in as many days — was the 34-year-old forward's 21st contest of the 2017-18 campaign. Coming into Sunday's contest, he had three assists in a familiar fourth-line role.

Thorburn said the butterflies were flapping prior to Saturday's battle in St. Louis — a 2-0 triumph for the Western Conference powerhouse Blues.

"It was strange. Even hearing their voices calling for pucks and stuff like that. It was fun, it really was," he said. "I got a bump on (Jets blue-liner) Benny Chiarot early, and it's always nice to bump Benny. It was an exciting game, Obviously, the biggest concern for us was we were coming off two games with losses, so rebounding was huge."

Thorburn's route to employment with St. Louis was intriguing, to say the least.

A pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), he was a surprise selection of the Vegas Golden Knights during the June expansion draft; his name was called as the result of a trade in which Vegas steered clear of several unprotected Jets, including defenceman Toby Enstrom.

Instead, the Golden Knights took Thorburn and acquired Winnipeg's first-round (13th overall) pick in the NHL Draft just days later and a third-round choice in the 2019 draft. The Knights shipped their 24th overall pick in the 2017 draft to Winnipeg.

Thorburn, who scored 24 goals and chipped in 32 assists as a Jet, said those were some wild summer days.

"It was cool, just to be drafted twice in my career. Not many people can say that, especially me," he said, laughing. "It was a weird day because we were headed to Michigan Adventure, which is an amusement park in Michigan, and I kind of got tipped off. I didn't even know I qualified (for being taken by the Golden Knights) because I was a UFA, so I didn't even know I was in the mix.

"I was told that I'd be getting drafted, so panic immediately set in. But once I got to understand the whole process I was a UFA no matter what, we had fun with it."

Ultimately, the Blues were the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Sault St. Marie, Ont., product's third team in about 10 days. He was targetted by St. Louis after the club traded rugged Winnipegger Ryan Reaves to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I was just honoured to have other teams interested... to realize there are still teams that need my services," he said.

Blues head coach Mike Yeo said Thorburn's work ethic and veteran presence have been appreciated in the dressing room and on the ice.

"First off, he’s a fantastic teammate. He’s a great pro. He’s a guy that comes to the rink and brings a great energy," said Yeo. "His play on the ice, he brings momentum, he brings energy and he’s a guy that’s tough to play against."

Thorburn, who skated for four seasons with the Thrashers and six more with the Jets, said the thought of finishing his career with Winnipeg had crossed his mind.

"There was that thought, but we knew there's kids pushing. They've got a good farm system, they drafted well. The organization's strong right now," said the father of a seven-year-old son and 13-month-old daughter.

"For me, I felt I still had some hockey left in me, it just wasn't going to be here. But at the same time this place holds a big part in my heart and my family.

"They're a first-class organization. It was almost mutual... it was a good breakup. Winnipeg's doing great this year, as well as St. Louis, so it's working out for both sides."

He's well aware his time as the franchise leader in games played is nearly done.

"Bryan Little's right behind me (706) so I have to hurry up and get him traded or he's going to pass me quick here," joked Thorburn, who played on a line with centre Kyle Brodziak and winger Scottie Upshall.

"It's something I'll probably think about more when I'm done, but at the same time, to be able to play in one organization for that long... I'm very honoured." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/manitoba-moose/winning-streak-has- manitoba-moose-sitting-atop-ahl-standings-464830663.html

Winning streak has sitting atop AHL standings

By: Mike McIntyre

The Manitoba Moose have re-written their own history book with a incredible weekend sweep through Ontario that leaves them alone on top of the Standings.

Manitoba beat the Toronto Marlies 5-1 Sunday, setting a new franchise-record by going 14 consecutive games without a regulation defeat. The 13-0-1 run has left the Moose 21-5-3 overall on the season, which is the best in the 31-team AHL. They have a goal differential of plus-51 over their 29 games, by far tops in the league.

It's quite a turnaround for a team that was well out of the playoff picture in the first two seasons since returning to Winnipeg.

The Moose also beat the Marlies 2-1 on Saturday, and kicked off the three-games-in-three-days run with a 7-3 victory in Belleville on Friday night.

Goalie Michael Hutchinson stole the show on the road. He stopped 39 of 40 shots Saturday against the Marlies — who actually began the weekend as the only team ahead of the Moose in the AHL standings — then followed that up by stopping 27 of 28 on Sunday. Eric Comrie played in Friday night's game, making 24 saves.

Hutchinson now has an 11-1-2 record this season. His 1.71 GAA is second-best in the AHL, while his .950 save percentage leads all goalies.

Captain Patrice Cormier continued to lead by example with four goals and two assists over the three games including the winning goals on Friday and Saturday. He's now matched the 13 goals he scored in 69 games last season, accomplishing it this year in just 28 games.

Buddy Robinson scored twice and added five helpers over the span, while rookie Mason Appleton had a goal and three assists in Ontario. Appleton is now in the Top 10 in AHL scoring and is second-best among all rookies.

Moose coach Pascal Vincent was named Sunday evening as the head coach of the Central Division squad that will play in the 2018 All-Star Game, to be held Jan. 28-29 in Utica, N.Y.

The Moose have a 13-point lead in their own division over Iowa and Rockford, who are tied for second-place.

Special-teams have played a big role. Manitoba has the league's third-best power play at 22.5 per cent and the second-best penalty killing unit at 89.1 per cent. Throw in balanced scoring across four lines and some stellar goaltending, and you have the recipe for a magical season.

Manitoba will look to keep the good times rolling when they host the San Antonio Rampage at Bell MTS Place for a pair of games on Thursday and Friday night to close out their pre- Christmas schedule.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-blank-blues-in-rematch

Jets blank Blues in rematch

By Ken Wiebe

It turns out the Winnipeg Jets had good reason to believe if they put forth a similar effort to the one the night before they would come away with a different result.

Whatever natural frustration the Jets were feeling after outshooting, outplaying but not outscoring the St. Louis Blues in Saturday’s 2-0 loss was quickly erased by a 4-0 triumph on Sunday in the return match between Central Division rivals.

After peppering Carter Hutton with 48 shots on goal in St. Louis, the Jets fired another 46 at Blues goalie Jake Allen on Sunday at Bell MTS Place, only this time they were not blanked by a hot goalie.

For a Jets team that had earned only one victory (1-4-1) during the past six games, some folks were wondering if they might be on the verge of a downward spiral.

But after playing what was arguably their best road game of the entire season, the Jets duplicated the effort but were simply sharper around the net.

“We liked the way we played (Saturday) night, but at the same time, you’ve got to get results in this league,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, who had a goal and an assist. “We wanted to come out and do a lot of those same things, bear down a little more on some of the chances we got, but keep staying within our system and our structure that made us successful the night before. Our compete level was right throughout the game and that was a big bounce-back win for us.”

It was also an example of the Jets believing that when they play to their identity, they can have faith the results will take care of themselves.

“Well, it’s hard to do, especially when we just haven’t had success doing it like that. We haven’t had many playoff seasons, haven’t had much success in the playoffs,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “But the teams that make the playoffs every year and the teams that have success when they’re in the playoffs are teams that do that over and over again, even when it’s hard or you may not feel well or you’re not scoring goals, you just stick with it. So, credit goes to every guy for just staying in the fight and saying the right things and staying engaged, and we finally broke through there and were able to take control of the game in the second period.”

During that second period, it was a hard-working shift from the checking line that broke a scoreless drought that reached 63 shots before the Jets found the back of the net.

Brandon Tanev drew a pair of Blues defencemen (Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson) to him behind the net, took a hard hit to make a play and Andrew Copp found Adam Lowry for a tap-in at 4:32 of the second period.

Just like that, the Jets were able to take a deep breath and stop pressing for a goal that was probably beginning to feel like it might never come again.

“We’ve been really good with the lead, too, so I think getting the lead was important because it seems like other teams try to open the game against us,” said Copp. “So if we’re doing all the right things and coming back, then we get turnovers and that’s when we get more rushes and get that snowball effect.”

Patrik Laine whistled home his league-leading 10th power-play goal and team-leading 16th tally of the season before the period was over and the Jets got goals from Mark Scheifele and Morrissey to round out the scoring as they improved to 19-10-5 and pulled within three points of the Blues and Nashville Predators in the chase for top spot in the Central.

“It’s a good division. I like our team just as much as when we were winning nine of 10,” said Wheeler. “I think that throughout the course of the season you’re going to hit bumps in the road and it’s the teams that stay in the fight, stay with it consistently all year long. There are no off nights in our division and I think that’s the way you want it, though, because when push coms to shove and you’re in games that really mean something, then you’re groomed for it, you’re used to it.”

Between the pipes, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck did his part, making 24 saves to record his second shutout of the season.

“We kind of deserved this one,” said Hellebuyck, who improved to 17-4-4. “I thought we were the better team.”

The Jets close out the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule with a three-game road trip that begins Tuesday against the Predators and continues with games against the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders, all teams that currently occupy a playoff spot.

It will still be another week or so before we can accurately determine whether or not the Jets have fully turned the corner.

For the time being, the Jets earned the right to relish the fact they passed another test during a season that figures to be full of them.

“We have a good understanding — maybe better than people around us — that this is going to be real tight and right to the wire,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “This division is just too good. The next five spots in the playoffs are going to be Central Division teams. It’s going to be a real fight for (those) spots and it’s not going away.

“This is going to take right until April.”

By playing more games like the ones they played this weekend, the Jets don’t figure to be going away anytime soon. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/morrissey-moving-forward-smooth-blue- liner-keeps-getting-better

Morrissey moving forward: Smooth blue-liner keeps getting better

By Ken Wiebe

The evolution Josh Morrissey has undergone is nothing short of impressive.

Chosen 13th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2013 NHL Draft, Morrissey came out of junior hockey as an offensive defenceman who was working hard to round out his all-around game.

But following his first pro season as a member of the Manitoba Moose, Morrissey not only earned a job with the Jets, he started the season on the top pairing with Dustin Byfuglien.

“I’ve never seen a player take what we would have said were his challenges to make it to the NHL and make it his strengths, seemingly over the summer,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said in a recent interview. “He came to the first training camp as a real smooth, puck-moving defenceman. An offensive guy.

“He’s so good with that stick and he’s got some good inside physicality. He hasn’t cheated for the offence at any point, but his numbers now are starting to creep up a little bit. It’s all been very quiet.”

Now in just his second NHL season, Morrissey has spent the bulk of the 2017-18 season on the shutdown pairing with Jacob Trouba, playing against the top offensive players almost every time he’s out on the ice.

“You know what, it’s just your evolution as a player,” said Morrissey, who had a goal and an assist in Sunday’s 4-0 win over the St. Louis Blues. “You get drafted at 18, you’re pretty young and you go back and play a couple of more years of junior. As I’ve grown into being a pro and the pro style of game, my game has evolved to be better defensively. That’s something I really take pride in. Through the coaching staff and through experience, they’ve really helped me improve in those areas.

“For me, the biggest thing is stick position and body position and having that compete level up. If I have those things going, then you use your mind to try and read the play and to try and get ahead of the play.”

There wasn’t a watershed moment for Morrissey when the light bulb went on and things started to come easier when it came to his work in the defensive zone.

“It just sort of gradually got better throughout my year in the minors,” said Morrissey. “Then last year, as the year went on, it got better as well. It’s something you have to work on every day.”

Morrissey’s emergence from a complementary player to one of the most consistent players on the back end, has been interesting storyline to monitor through the first 34 games.

“He’s grooming himself into becoming one of those No.1 type of defencemen,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “How well he plays defensively is just tremendous. When you draft a guy like that, I don’t think that’s what they expected necessarily. I remember when he came into camp early on, when he was in junior, a power-play guy, a little guy, a quick guy, makes nice plays. I certainly never saw that coming, the level of defence he can play. He’s gone against the best players in the world and taken them out of games sometimes, so what a player.”

What does Morrissey think of his personal growth?

“I’m pretty happy with how it’s been going,” said Morrissey. “More importantly, our team has been going well. Individually, throughout our lineup, we’ve had lots of guys starting to evolve in their games. Everyone gets a little bit older and you start to mature as a player. You’re starting to see that throughout our entire lineup.

“I’ve been happy with how I’ve been playing. I do have a very high expectation and goals for where I want to be as a player. So, you’re always working towards how you can get better and how you can improve. I guess if you’re looking on a track of where I want to get to as a player, I’m happy with the track that I’ve been on.”

Morrissey’s enhanced role isn’t a big surprise to a fellow product on the Jets roster.

“I played against Josh for a long time in the and I remember when he came in, he had a lot of talent and a lot of offensive skill,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry. “He’s really worked hard defensively and now he’s become one of our better defensive defencemen and that’s a really big compliment to him. He’s worked at his game.

“He’s a tremendous skater and as he’s become comfortable in this league, we’re going to see more offence in his game. You’re going to see him jumping up in the rush. He’s able to become that fourth forward up in the play, create odd-man rushes and still get back (defensively). He and (Trouba) have done a tremendous job of matching up against the other teams top lines. That’s a D pair we’re hopeful will be together for a long time.”

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff couldn’t agree more and it will be up to him to supply contract extensions for both pending restricted free agents before next season.

Canadian Press https://www.chrisd.ca/2017/12/17/connor-hellebuyck-24-saves-jets-blank-blues-split-home- home-set/#.Wjfrg1WnFhE

Connor Hellebuyck with 24 Saves, Jets Blank Blues to Split Home-and-Home Set

By Judy Owen, The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG – Connor Hellebuyck was happy to have a hand in some payback.

Less than 24 hours after Winnipeg was shut out 2-0 in St. Louis, Hellebuyck made 24 saves as the Jets ended a two-game losing skid with a 4-0 win over the Blues on Sunday.

“We kind of deserved this one because (of Saturday’s loss). I thought we were the better team,” said Hellebuyck, who sat out the loss in favour of backup Steve Mason.

“It’s very satisfying and I think it’s better for the guys in this room because now they know that they did play the right way and they continued to play the right way.”

Hellebuyck recorded his second shutout of the season and eighth of his career.

Carter Hutton had been in net for the St. Louis victory, stopping 48 Winnipeg shots. Mason made 28 saves.

It was starter Jake Allen who faced 46 shots on Sunday, turning aside 42 in the losing cause for the Blues (22-11-2).

“Too many shots against. That’s not us,” St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said. “We’re typically one of the top teams in the league for shot suppression and chance suppression. A little bit too easy to play against the last couple games.”

Patrik Laine scored his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Adam Lowry, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey also had goals for Winnipeg (19-10-5). Morrissey added an assist and Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba each had a pair of helpers.

The win was a boost for the Jets, who are now 2-4-1 in their last seven games.

Defenceman Alex Pietrangelo was back in action after the Blues captain missed four games with a lower-body injury. He logged just over 21 minutes of ice time.

Winnipeg’s total of 94 shots in the two weekend games was a concerning stat, he said.

“We’ve got to control the pace of the game a bit more,” Pietrangelo said. “I don’t think we really had much control. I don’t think we played in the offensive zone enough tonight to kind of tire them out.”

The game was scoreless after the first period and Winnipeg led 2-0 after two.

Winnipeg forward Brandon Tanev sacrificed his body for Lowry’s goal at 4:32 of the second period.

Tanev skated behind the St. Louis net with the puck and was crushed by two Blues players. The puck popped loose, Copp picked it up and sent a pass to Lowry in the crease.

Laine used a wrist shot on Allen’s blocker side to record his 10th power-play goal of the season at 15:13 while Pietrangelo sat in the penalty box for cross-checking. Laine became the first NHLer to score 10 power-play goals this season.

Scheifele picked up his 15th goal of the season when he re-directed Morrissey’s shot from near the top of the circle at 11:54 of the third.

Morrissey then made it 4-0 less than two minutes later with his wrist shot from the high slot.

Winnipeg went 1 for 4 on the power play while St. Louis was 0 for 4.

Jets coach Paul Maurice was glad the tables turned.

“They’re a little frustrated things didn’t go their way (Saturday). They handled it the right way,” Maurice said. “It’s always a very fine line. You need to stay in the game, the style of game you play best and they did that.”

The Jets head out on a three-game road trip, starting Tuesday in Nashville. The Blues play the second game of a four-game road trip in Calgary Wednesday.

The Athletic Winnipeg https://theathletic.com/181601/2017/12/18/mark-scheifele-an-all-consuming-passion-for-hockey/

Mark Scheifele: An all-consuming passion for hockey

BY ERIC DUHATSCHEK

On the first Saturday of December 2017, it was a good day to be Mark Scheifele. For the first time since the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Manitoba from Atlanta in 2011, they held down first place in the NHL’s Western Conference – and were tied in points atop the NHL standings with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Hockey Night in Canada,” the program Scheifele watched religiously as a child growing up in Kitchener, Ont., was in town, serendipitously choosing this weekend to feature Winnipeg on its weekly Hometown Hockey segment. Practice was optional that day, which gave Scheifele extra time to go out to The Forks, a popular gathering place, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet and “Hockey Night” was taping a fan segment. By January, the rivers have usually frozen over to create the Red River Mutual Trail, which according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the world’s longest natural skating trail.

But today, it was unseasonably mild, above zero, and so Scheifele was dressed lightly for his interview on the state of the Jets with the host, Tara Slone. The interview would run the next night on the national television broadcast, which turned out to be an overwhelming 5-0 Jets’ victory over the visiting Ottawa Senators, keyed by Scheifele and his long-time running mate, Jets’ captain Blake Wheeler.

This was a redemptory moment for the Jets, who tend to fall under the radar in Canada, and they had laid an egg the last time they were featured so prominently on national TV, an opening night loss to Canada’s team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. That same day, Scheifele had been notified by Jets’ staff that, as a result of his work on and off the ice during the calendar year of 2017, he’d been chosen as The Athletic Winnipeg's 2017 Person of the Year, something he described as a “huge honor.” Scheifele was chosen ahead of Wheeler and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ exceptional running back Andrew Harris, partly because of his full-on devotion to his sport. It is a passion he will freely admit is all-consuming.

“That’s just the way I am – the person I am, and the fascination I have with hockey,” Scheifele says. “I’m in love with the game. I enjoy watching in on TV. I enjoy being at the rink. I enjoy working out. I enjoy all facets of it.”

In 2017, Scheifele enjoyed an exceptional 12 months. Though the Jets missed the playoffs last spring, Scheifele finished seventh overall in NHL scoring. In the fall, as the Jets soared in the first third of the season, he and Wheeler were in lockstep, both consistently producing offence that kept him in — or near — the top-10 in scoring. Scheifele is all-consumed by hockey, and thus is sometimes described as a hockey nerd by former junior teammates such as the Florida Panthers’ Aaron Ekbald, but that not’s an entirely accurate assessment. No matter how the term has evolved over time, “nerd” still conjures up an image of someone who is the antithesis of an elite-level athlete. ‘Savant’ might be a better description, though savant doesn’t completely reflect Scheifele’s commitment to incrementally getting better, day after day.

Some of what makes him one of the NHL’s top players is his God-given talent. He has a good hockey frame. At 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, he is big enough to win physical battles and quick enough to keep pace in this hyper-speedy era.

But he has also invested thousands of hours, rigorously studying and training, to get to this point in his evolution. For years, he’s worked with a skills coach separately from the Jets’ staff — Adam Oates, the Hall of Famer, who is No. 7 on the all-time assists list and was the player most responsible for helping Brett Hull score 741 NHL goals. Oates previously coached in the NHL with New Jersey and Washington and now works as a consultant, helping players individually with their skill development. Oates was a cerebral player – slow even by the standards of his era – who forged a 19-year NHL career because of a high hockey IQ.

Most players limit the work they do with their skills coaches to the off-season, but Scheifele says he and Oates speak almost every day.

“Whether it’s about hockey, or just about random stuff, we’ve really bonded over the last few years, since I’ve met him,” Scheifele says. “He’s just a good human being. It’s turned into a pretty sweet friendship. Obviously, I respect him so much. He’s helped my game grow everywhere — defensive zone positioning and what to do in certain areas, or what routes to take. Things to think about in the neutral zone. How to handle an offensive zone face-off. Pretty much anything you can name. He studies the game a ton. He’s probably the most knowledgeable hockey guy I know. Any question I have, about what I can work on in my game, he always has an idea or a drill that I can work on, to make me better.”

But Oates wasn’t the first Hockey Hall of Famer to influence Scheifele’s development. In 2009, when he was a 16-year-old playing for the Kitchener Jr. Rangers, Scheifele was the 134th player chosen in the OHL priority draft by the Saginaw Spirit. Scheifele played the 2009-10 season for the Kitchener Jr. B team and was considering a scholarship offer to Cornell University when the OHL’s Barrie Colts traded for his rights in the middle of August 2010. Dale Hawerchuk, the former Jets’ star, was Barrie’s coach at the time.

“He was kind of a gangly kid,” Hawerchuk says. “You could tell he had really good hockey sense, really good hands, a good shot. His skating was a little suspect but I wasn’t worried about that. But what I remember most about in our first meeting is that he knew our roster inside out. At 17, he was saying things like, ‘I know it would be a good situation for me because I would probably fit in as the second-line centre right behind (Alex) Burmistrov.' He knew all our guys, the type of players they were. In fact, he knew the whole league already. That first year, whenever there was a question in our dressing room about a scouting report, he’d be the first guy to say, ‘well, that guy likes to do this, so you’ve got to watch for that.’ It was always him and another kid named Eric Bradford. They’d challenge each other, each of them thinking, ‘I know more than you.’

“We had a rough year that year. It was a total rebuild. But whenever he walked into the rink, Mark had a big smile on his face – and he couldn’t wait to get to work. He had an extra pair of skates at home, so he could play in the outdoor rink. He just lived hockey 24/7.”

Philanthropy is part of the landscape for most NHL athletes these days, but it always interesting to discover why a player work with a specific charity. Scheifele works with KidSport Winnipeg and anchors two of their four major annual fundraisers. In June, he runs a golf tournament on their behalf and in August, he runs a two-day hockey camp. KidSport is a national charity, with different chapters all across the country, but the money they raise in Winnipeg stays in Winnipeg, most of it going to inner city kids. Christine Hoenisch, manager of KidSport in Winnipeg, estimates that in the three years Scheifele’s been involved, a total of $400,000 has been raised, $195,000 of that in calendar 2017. For a city the size of Winnipeg, it is a sum she describes as “incredible for us. That’s funded over 1,300 kids.”

Scheifele says he chose KidSport Winnipeg as his charity of choice because growing up, he was immersed in sports and they shaped his life and he wanted to help provide similar opportunities for children, especially those who would otherwise be prevented from participating in athletics because of family financial constraints.

“That’s the biggest thing,” he says. “If you affect just one person’s life, it’s all worthwhile.”

Scheifele was particularly struck by the story a young man told at last summer’s golf tournament, which began with an email to Hoenisch from a single mother that said her son’s participation in football, thanks to KidSport funding, essentially got his life back on the rails, when it was threatening to veer off into a world of drug use and truancy.

“That was the sort of story you love to hear — that some kid’s life could have gone in a whole different direction, and sport grounded him,” Hoenisch says. “It doesn’t mean a kid has to excel at that sport either — just that it might open a door for them, or alter the path of their lives. Once you’re on the field or ice with other kids, you learn about sportsmanship. There’s the camaraderie. You make friends. You’re bonding over something of interest to both of you. We see that quite a bit. Sports can have an impact on your life, even if you don’t become an NHL star. It can just allow you to learn something about yourself. Kids – and parents – see how hard Mark works, and that’s something else they can point to. No one is born just walking on the ice or scoring every time you’re out there. You have to work, work, work at it.”

Mark Chipman, the Jets’ executive chairman and governor, is a lifelong Winnipegger and a big fan of Scheifele’s values, on and off the ice.

“He’s the son everybody wants to have,” Chipman says. “He is an unbelievable young man, and if you ever wonder why, all you have to do is spend 30 seconds with his parents. If there’s such a thing as an all-Canadian young man, in my opinion, he is it. He also has a bonafide reverence for great play and great players, a humility that’s really remarkable and that manifests itself in a lot of ways – as a teammate, in what he does off the ice, in the way he treats people, in the way he looks you in the eye and shakes your hand, all of that. To me, he’s the kind of guy that makes being in this business good.”

Not every pro athlete is as committed to their sport as Scheifele is to his – and in fact, many go the other way and like to leave their work behind once they exit the rink.

To Hawerchuk, the value hardcore types such as Scheifele has is that “their attitudes are infectious to your whole team. As soon as they walk in, the other guys are saying, ‘if he knows all that, why do I not know all that?’ It almost makes them more that way, too. Maybe they do want to get away from it all, but then when they get home, they start to think, ‘I better check the highlights on the team we’re playing next’ so when I’m talking to Scheifele tomorrow, I’ll know what I’m talking about.' Those things, they’re important – to have leaders like that.”

Scheifele was the first ever player chosen by the Jets in their Winnipeg incarnation. When he was handed a jersey on stage at the draft in St. Paul, Minn., it had an NHL logo on the crest. The Jets’ uniform and colors were still a work in progress. For many of the years that followed, the same could be also said of the team – and its first ever draft choice. Right from the start, the Jets were cautious with their prospects and erred on the side of giving them too much seasoning rather than not enough.

In Scheifele’s case, it meant he was twice sent back to junior at the start of his career, at a time when lots of other organizations were pushing their 18-year-old prospects into their NHL lineups. Winnipeg’s patient philosophy was at odds with the NHL’s evolving win-now zeitgeist. Matters were further complicated by the fact that many draft experts saw Scheifele as a bit of reach at seventh overall — he was projected as a middle first rounder on most draft boards. Many believe it was the connection to Hawerchuk, the long-time face of the Jets’ franchise, that acted as the tipping point in Winnipeg’s decision to roll the dice on Scheifele, but Hawerchuk said that wasn’t true.

“They only ever called me once about him and it was maybe two days before the draft,” Hawerchuk says. “They said, ‘we just interviewed Mark Scheifele and this kid just blew us away in the interview – and is he really like this all the time?’ and I said, ‘yes he is.’ He’s just so into it.' ”

According to Hawerchuk, the smartest decision the Jets made was sending Scheifele back to junior during the NHL’s abbreviated 2012-13 lockout season, “even though there was a loophole where he could have played in the American League. But Winnipeg let him come back to junior where he could dominate because they wanted him to be a dominating player in the NHL.

“At 19, it’s hard to dominate the AHL, but at 19, he had a shot at doing it in the OHL – and he did,” Hawerchuk says. “Which was a great move by them. Now you see the fruits of that one year – and letting him learn how to be a dominant player. To ask a guy to be a dominant player in the NHL if he’s never done it in junior is very difficult.”

Of the six players chosen ahead of Scheifele in 2011 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Huberdeau, Adam Larsson, Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad – none are contributing to their teams the way he is. The only two challenging Scheifele for best player from his draft class are Nikita Kucherov, chosen 58th overall by Tampa, and Johnny Gaudreau, who went 104th to Calgary.

Scheifele played on the same World Cup team as Gaudreau in September 2016, part of Team North America, or the NHL’s young stars, which were by far the most entertaining entry in the tournament. For that event, Scheifele played on line with fellow Canadian Connor McDavid and American Auston Matthews. Previously, he’d represented Canada twice at the senior world championships and once at the world juniors, gold in 2016, silver in 2014 and bronze in 2013.

Had the NHL opted to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, he would have been an easy choice to crack what might have been Canada’s deepest roster of forwards ever – and probably would have been slotted in as the right winger on a line with McDavid and a who’s who of potential candidates to play the left side on the line. Scheifele says he tries not to think too much about the NHL’s decision to forgo the Olympics in 2018 because it’s too depressing.

“It would have been awesome to go to the Olympics,” he says. “It is crazy how much talent there is in Canada. You could probably play anyone with anyone. You could probably have 50 different combinations of players that would work. That’s a cool thing for a hockey nut like me to think about – what guys would mesh together? What threesomes would mesh together? What duos would mesh together?

“It could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was disappointed by the decision not to go. I was pretty rattled by it. I definitely try not to think about it too often. You’d just drive yourself nuts.”

Much of Scheifele’s recent NHL success has come playing on the same line as Wheeler. The two make a point of getting together every summer to catch up and talk hockey. At the NHL’s highest levels, consistency is how you separate the really good from the truly great.

When asked if consistency was something you could learn, or if it just gradually happened as he became acclimated to the NHL, Scheifele answered: “I think it’s a little of both. Part of it is experience. But there’s also a lot of learning involved. You have to hone your skills to be consistent each and every game in each and every season. That’s something the best players in the world – the Sidney Crosbys, the Patrick Kanes – do. You know what you’re getting from them each and every night and that’s what makes them star players. Also, every team needs players with different elements because that’s how chemistry is built and how teams are built. Pittsburgh has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two very different players, but they’ve had success. Chicago has Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, two completely different players. There are so many different elements to hockey – and you need all of them on your team to succeed.”

What it tells Scheifele is that a team can get to its ultimate goal – winning a Stanley Cup – in many different ways. There is no one-size-fits-all path you need to follow. The Jets have only made the playoffs once in six years; and while they were steadfastly pumping young talent into their team, draft-and-develop is a slow-go philosophy. The new challenge is keeping increasingly giddy expectations in check — and about carefully building on what was shaping up as a long-awaited franchise turning point.

“For our team, the way we’ve played is how we got here and so the way we’ve played is how we’re going to stay here,” Scheifele says. “That’s the biggest thought that has to go through our team – that what we’ve done at the start of the season is what’s got us here, but there’s a lot of games left, and a lot of hard work ahead of us to stay up there.”

Hawerchuk was like Scheifele a generation ago – an Ontario kid who went west without any real knowledge of the city where he would forge his NHL career and who became an adopted son. Just last month, the Jets inducted Hawerchuk into the Winnipeg Hall of Fame. Others from the Jets’ past – including Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson – made it back for the occasion. The next day, at a luncheon, Hawerchuk had a chance to catch up with Scheifele, his former protégé, to see firsthand how things were evolving, for him and for the team.

“When you go to a city like Winnipeg or Calgary, with a community-based team, everybody knows you once you’re outside of the arena walls,” Hawerchuk says. “The guys that really love the game really love that. Even when I played, all we did was watch and talk hockey. That’s Mark Scheifele in a nutshell. He lives and breathes it all the time.”

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/st-louis-blues-winnipeg-jets-game-recap/c-294127468

Hellebuyck, Jets shut out Blues Goalie makes 24 saves one day after Winnipeg blanked by St. Louis by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves for his second shutout of the season to lift the Winnipeg Jets past the St. Louis Blues 4-0 at Bell MTS Place on Sunday.

Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the Jets (19-10-5) and Adam Lowry, Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele scored.

"We liked the way we played last night, but at the same time, you've got to get results in this league," Morrissey said. "We wanted to come out and do a lot of those same things, bear down a little more on some of the chances we got, but keep staying within our system and our structure that made us successful the night before. Our compete level was right throughout the game, and that was a big bounce-back win for us."

The win gave the Jets a split in the home-and-home series; The Blues defeated Winnipeg 2-0 in St. Louis on Saturday. The Jets outshot the Blues 94-54 in the two games.

"Too many shots against, that's not us," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "We're typically one of the top teams in the league for shot suppression and chance suppression. A little bit too easy to play against the last couple games."

Jake Allen made 42 saves for the Blues (22-11-2). It was the fourth time St. Louis has been shut out this season.

Lowry gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 4:32 of the second period. Brandon Tanev's rush drew two defensemen to him behind the Blues' net, allowing Andrew Copp to pick up the loose puck and find Lowry alone out for the tap-in.

Laine scored his 16th of the season and 10th power-play goal at 15:13 to make it 2-0. He had nine power-play goals in 73 games during his rookie season in 2016-17.

"We kind of deserved this one because (of Saturday's loss)," Hellebuyck said. "I thought we were the better team. It's very satisfying (to win) and I think it's better for the guys in this room because now they know that they did play the right way and they continued to play the right way."

Scheifele ended a six-game goal drought when he redirected a pass from Morrissey past Allen at 11:54 of the third period to give the Jets a 3-0 lead.

Morrissey made it 4-0 with his fifth at 13:45.

"They're good offensively, we know that," said Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who returned after missing four games with a lower-body injury. "We've got to control the pace of the game a bit more. I don't think we really had much control. I don't think we played in the offensive zone enough tonight to kind of tire them out. It seemed like we were running around in our end more than they were in their end, which is what our game is. Something we've got to take a look at."

Goal of the game Lowry's goal at 4:32 of the second period.

Save of the game Hellebuyck's blocker save on Vladimir Tarasenko at 11:41 of the first period.

Highlight of the game Laine's power-play goal at 15:13 of the second period.

They said it "It was emotional, it meant a lot. It was a great moment, one that I won't forget, just like my time here. A lot of good stuff happened to me here. My daughter being born here, a lot of ties, a lot of relationships and friendships. Winnipeg will be in my life and my family's life for the rest of our lives. It's a chapter that's over but at the same time it continues." -- Blues forward Chris Thorburn on his return to Winnipeg after playing 709 regular-season games with the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers organization

"There are no off nights in our division, and I think that's the way you want it, though, because when push comes to shove and you're in games that really mean something, then you're groomed for it, you're used to it." -- Jets forward Blake Wheeler

Need to know Blues forward Brayden Schenn hasn't scored a goal in four games. He had six goals in his previous four games. … Wheeler has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in his past 11 games. … Laine has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his past nine games. ... Blues forward Kyle Brodziak, who didn't play Saturday because of an undisclosed injury, returned to the lineup.

What's next Blues: At the on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; SN360, FS-MW, NHL.TV) Jets: At the Nashville Predators on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, TSN3, NHL.TV) https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-expect-heated-division-race/c-294131664

Jets expect heated division race until April Gain ground in Central after bouncing back against Blues by Tim Campbell @TimNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets get strong marks for getting into the Central Division race this season.

Staying in the race is going to require more of two things from the Jets: a measure of consistency they're starting to discover, and quick bounce-backs when things go off track.

The Jets displayed each in a 4-0 win against the St. Louis Blues at Bell MTS Place on Sunday.

Winnipeg (19-10-5) has 43 points, three fewer than the Blues (22-11-2), who share the top spot in the division with the Nashville Predators (21-7-4).

The Jets rebounded Sunday after losing 2-0 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Saturday. Winnipeg had enough chances to win that game, outshooting the Blues 48-30.

The Jets had a 46-24 edge in shots on Sunday, making the aggregate of the two games 94-54.

"The teams that make the playoffs every year and the teams that have success when they're in the playoffs are teams that are OK doing that over and over again, even when it's hard or (they) may not feel well or (are) not scoring goals," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "You just stick with it, so credit goes to every guy for staying in the fight, saying the right things and staying engaged.

"It's a good division. I like our team just as much as I did when we were winning nine of 10. I think that throughout the course of a season, you're going to hit bumps in the road and it's the teams that stay in the fight, stay with it consistently all year long that succeed."

Between Nov. 11 and Dec. 3, the Jets were 9-2-1. In their six games prior to Sunday, they were 1-4-1 with a particularly flat outing at home this past Thursday, a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"You have to be ready against every team in this division because it's a very good division," said Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, who had a goal and an assist, was plus-3 and was named First Star of the game Sunday. "For our team specifically, we saw a bounce-back. We went to St. Louis and into a tough building against a team that's been playing very well and we played a game that gave us a chance to win.

"We didn't bury on a few chances and they got a couple on the power play, but we were able to come back here tonight and basically duplicate that performance. I think that showed a lot about the courage on this team, and our resiliency, and we talk about going through tough stretches as a team and how you respond, that's cutting it off quickly."

Winnipeg's speed and attack were out of sync for some of the past 12 days, Wheeler said. He said he noticed it after the Jets shut out the Ottawa Senators in a 5-0 win on Dec. 3.

"There are no off nights in our division," Wheeler said. "I think that's the way you want it because when push comes to shove and you're in the games that really mean something, then you're groomed for it and used to it. I think our last game, we felt that way was against Ottawa and we were off our game for a few games after that. We had to fight to get back into it."

Jets defenseman Dmitry Kulikov also said he felt some of the misfiring.

"I felt like before the Chicago game (on Thursday), we were a little on a down slide and we were trying to find a way to play better, and these last two games against St. Louis, even though we lost the first one, I think we dominated," Kulikov said. "We outshot them, we played with the puck for most of the game, and right now I think we're on the rise again, feeling good about our game. We feel like we fixed what we needed to fix and feeling good about it."

Winnipeg is 6-3-1 against Central Division teams this season. The Blues are 6-2-1 and the Predators are 8-1-1.

Kulikov played his first eight NHL seasons in the Eastern Conference, seven of them with the Florida Panthers and one with the Buffalo Sabres. He said his move to the Central Division and Western Conference this season has surprised him.

"I started noticing right at the beginning of the season how much heavier the games are," Kulikov said. "By heavy, I mean that everybody's finishing checks and everybody's always on you and have good sticks and you don't have any easy nights in the Western Conference. The Central has some good teams and is very tight right now."

The Jets will find that out again Tuesday when they visit the Predators at Bridgestone Arena (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FS-TN, NHL.TV). That starts a three-game road trip, after which Winnipeg will have played 16 home games and 21 on the road.

Coach Paul Maurice believes the Jets will be through the most demanding phase of their schedule by the end of December, factoring in a 15-game month with the home-road imbalance.

Maurice believes the Central Division race is just getting started.

"I think we have a good understanding, maybe better than the people around us, that this is going to be real tight and right to the wire," he said. "This division is just too good. (I think) five spots for the playoffs are going to Central Division teams, and it's going to be a real fight for those spots and it's not going away. It's going to take us right to April." www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-blank-blues-to-split-weekend-home-and-home-set/c- 294129388

Jets blank Blues to split weekend home-and-home set Hellebuyck makes 24 saves for second shutout of the season by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - 'Awesome' and 'outstanding' were just two of the words used to describe the play of Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey in the team's 4-0 shut out win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

Morrissey had a goal, an assist, four shots on goal, and just over 21 minutes of ice time in the win, which he described as the exact effort the team wanted following the loss in St. Louis the night before.

But Morrissey was spreading the credit around after the game.

"(Blake Wheeler) and Mark (Scheifele), they're the drivers of this team," said Morrissey.

"In the pre-game meeting, while we were getting dressed, everything like that, you could tell Wheels and Scheif, just from what they were talking about, they wanted this game. They led the way from the beginning. That's what makes those guys great leaders."

Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves for his second shut out of the season, while Adam Lowry, Patrik Laine, and Mark Scheifele rounded out the offence for the Jets, who improved to 19-10-5 with the win.

"It was great to have guys saying the right things before the game. Not down on the fact we didn't get results last night, but motivated and a little pissed off that we didn't get them last night," said Wheeler. "Credit goes to every guy for staying in the fight, and saying the right things, staying engaged, and finally broke through there and were able to take control of the game in the second period."

After a scoreless first period that saw the Jets out shoot St. Louis 12-9, the Jets' persistence finally paid off in the second.

Adam Lowry opened the scoring with his fifth of the season, but it was the forecheck of Brandon Tanev, who took a big hit behind the net from Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson for his efforts, that started the play. Andrew Copp picked up the loose puck below the goal line, and slid a feed to Lowry at the top of the crease for his fifth goal of the season.

"That line had a major impact on what the other lines were able to do," said head coach Paul Maurice. "They're important to us. Especially at home, they've been great. They've kept good players off the board, and found also every once in a while, a way to generate offence."

Then with Alex Pietrangelo in the box for cross-checking, the Jets power play would increase the lead. Laine took a feed from Mathieu Perreault at the left wing face off dot, and ripped a wrist shot short side on Jake Allen, just under his blocker.

It was Laine's team-leading 16th of the season, and tenth on the power play, becoming the first player in the NHL to reach that mark this season.

The Jets would increase the lead to 3-0 with 8:06 left in the third, when Mark Scheifele drove to the net and redirected a Morrissey pass from the left wing side past Allen for his 15th of the season.

"There wasn't a whole lot of space out there in either game. They were games where a little mistake, either way, teams are going to capitalize. We were really talking about it like we were trying to play a playoff style game. Playing the right way, managing the game, and when you get your chances, trying to bury. That was a good game for us, and a big bounce back."

Morrissey would pot one of his own less than two minutes later. After sending a bank pass from the point down low to Wheeler, Morrissey found a soft spot in the Blues defence at the top of the circle. Wheeler hit the defenceman with a return pass in the high slot, and Morrissey wired it over Allen's glove to make it 4-0.

"He was awesome. He's grooming himself into being one of those 'number one' type of defenceman. How well he plays defensively is just tremendous," said Wheeler.

"The level of defence he can play, he's gone against the best players in the world and taken them out of games sometimes."

The Jets now head out on the road for three games, beginning Tuesday night in Nashville against the Predators.

That match-up on Tuesday closes out a four-game stretch against the Central Division.

"I think we have a good understanding, maybe better than people around us, that this is going to be real tight, and right down to the wire. This division is just too good," said Maurice.

"I think all of the next five spots are going to be Central Division teams. It's going to be a real fight for that spot, and it's not going away. This is going to go right to April." https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-55827903

POSTGAME | Paul Maurice

Head coach Paul Maurice on the win over the Blues, the playoff race in the Central Division, Josh Morrissey's development and more