Atlanta Thrashers

Atlanta-Thrashers

Jets’ scoring woes creating frustation

SUNRISE, Fla. — The lack of offense by the Winnipeg Jets, again evident in a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Friday night, has been a concern for most of the season. Now after the Jets wasted a chance to get to within one point of first place in the Southeast Division, it’s starting to show on head coach Claude Noel.”Alright, the comment on the game for me is, I don’t think our team right now can’t give up 20 minutes of free friggin’ play and expect to be able to win the game,” said Noel, who cut right to the chase before the media could get in its first question. “And don’t ask me the same dumb question again, ‘Are you concerned about the one goals?’ Do I like the one goal we get every game? No. Would I like to see it change? Yes. Do I coach that way? No.”That’s what we have, but there’s still a way to win the games. If we had played the first 20 minutes, there’s the one goal they got, there’s the difference and i…

Sunshine State swing nets Jets two of four points

The Winnipeg Jets leave Florida with two of a possible four points – not the ideal situation, especially considering the two points they picked up were in a 2-1 overtime win against Southeast Division rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning. Rather than significantly close the gap on the Florida Panthers (to whom they lost 2-1 in regulation on Friday night) and Washington Capitals – both in their division and both ahead of the Jets – Winnipeg only managed to cobble together enough to keep things close in the race for the final couple of playoff spots.

It’s tough to gain any momentum when your team can’t put the puck in the net, something the Jets have been struggling with as of late. Snipe Evander Kane continues to sit out with a concussion, although he had been ice cold in his last ten or so games in action. The team only has six goals in the last five games, a number that won’t win you many games (although, miraculously, the team won two of those five)….

Panthers edge Jets, 2-1

Sean Bergenheim scored the go-ahead goal in the second period Friday night as the Florida Panthers recorded a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

Kris Versteeg also scored a goal for Florida, while Scott Clemmensen stopped 20 shots.

Bryan Little scored for Winnipeg, and Chris Mason made 28 saves.

Winnipeg lost for the ninth straight time when playing the second of consecutive games. The Jets have been shut out twice and outscored 36-7 in those.

The Jets tied the game 1-1 on Little’s goal at 11:29 of the second. Little grabbed a loose puck and fired a wrist shot from the left circle between Clemmensen’s pads.

But Florida regained the lead about three minutes later. Marcel Goc passed the puck from behind the net to Bergenheim, who was waiting in front of the crease. His wrister got past Mason at 14:27.

The Panthers had taken a 1-0 lead on Versteeg’s power-play goal in the first period. Versteeg took a pass from Mikael Samuelsson at the left circle, and his slap shot got between Mason’s right skate and the post at 15:46, for his team-leading 20th goal of the season.

Versteeg now has six goals and two assists in the past three games against Winnipeg. He returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game against the Capitals with the flu.

Panthers 2, Jets 1

Sean Bergenheim scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and the Florida Panthers beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 Friday night.

Kris Versteeg also scored a goal for Florida, while Scott Clemmensen stopped 20 shots.

Bryan Little scored for Winnipeg and Chris Mason made 28 saves.

Winnipeg lost for the ninth straight time when playing the second of consecutive games. The Jets are have been shut out twice and outscored 36-7 in those.

The Jets tied it at 1 on Little’s goal in the second. Little grabbed a loose puck and took a wrist shot from the left circle. The puck went between Clemmensen’s pads at 11:29.

Florida regained the lead about three minutes later. Marcel Goc passed the puck from behind the net to Bergenheim, who was waiting in front of the crease. His wrister got past Mason at 14:27.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead on Versteeg’s power-play goal in the first period. Versteeg took a pass from Mikael Samuelsson at the left circle. His slap shot got between Mason’s right skate and the post at 15:46, for his team-leading 20th goal of the season. Versteeg now has six goals and two assists in the past three games against Winnipeg. Versteeg returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game against the Capitals with the flu.

NOTES: Winnipeg D Dustin Byfuglien played in his second consecutive game since missing 16 games due to a knee injury. … Florida W Marco Sturm, who missed 14 games before returning to the lineup last Wednesday, is out with a lower body injury. … Samuelsson has a three-game points streak.

Bergenheim lifts Panthers over Jets

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sean Bergenheim scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and the Florida Panthers beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 Friday night.

Kris Versteeg also scored a goal for Florida, while Scott Clemmensen stopped 20 shots.

Bryan Little scored for Winnipeg and Chris Mason made 28 saves.

Winnipeg lost for the ninth straight time when playing the second of consecutive games. The Jets are have been shut out twice and outscored 36-7 in those.

The Jets tied it at 1 on Little’s goal in the second. Little grabbed a loose puck and took a wrist shot from the left circle. The puck went between Clemmensen’s pads at 11:29.

Florida regained the lead about three minutes later. Marcel Goc passed the puck from behind the net to Bergenheim, who was waiting in front of the crease. His wrister got past Mason at 14:27.

Jets D Byfuglien headed to trial for boating while impaired

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will likely go to trial for boating while impaired last summer in Minnesota, his attorney said Thursday.Mitch Robinson wasn’t able to strike a deal with prosecutors, forcing Byfuglien to attend a hearing on April 19. The case could go to trial in June.Byfuglien is accused of boating while intoxicated and other charges stemming from an incident on Lake Minnetonka on Aug. 31.The 26-year-old has six goals and 19 assists in 36 games for the Jets this season.

Peter Tessier: Is Blake Wheeler the best Jet?

Blake Wheeler did what many Jets seem to have trouble doing with any sort of consistency, going to places where goals are scored. Wheeler did just that last night to open the scoring for the Winnipeg Jets but he also did it again in overtime by freezing out Garon with a stutter move to send Kyle Wellwood the puck with a yawning net for the game winning goal. The goal gives Wellwood 10 on the yea…

Panthers look to expand division lead, face Jets

Tune into FOX Sports Florida at 7 p.m. to watch the Florida Panthers take on the Winnipeg Jets. NHL Panthers territory.

The Florida Panthers returned from the All-Star break to reclaim the Southeast Division lead.

Now, the Panthers will try to expand it by beating the Winnipeg Jets for the second time in less than two weeks Friday night when the division rivals meet at BankAtlantic Center.

The Panthers (23-15-11) returned from a week off Wednesday, and showed little rust in a 4-2 win over Washington, moving ahead of the Capitals in the division race.

Florida, 12-5-7 at home, leads the Southeast by one point over Washington and is three ahead of third-place Winnipeg (24-22-6).

“It’s good to start off on a good note after a little break here, coming back,” right wing Mikael Samuelsson said. “At the same time, we have to concentrate on the next game pretty much right away because it’s so tight and we need the wins.”

Samuelsson has provided unexpected offensive punch for the Panthers, scoring three goals in two games after netting two against the Capitals. He also scored the decisive shootout attempt in the seventh round of a 4-3 win at Winnipeg on Jan. 21.

Five of the past six games against the WinnipegAtlanta franchise have gone beyond regulation, and Florida is 3-0-3 in that stretch – 2-0-1 this season.

Kris Versteeg has five goals and two assists in the last two meetings with Winnipeg, leading the Panthers to wins in both. That includes two goals and one assist versus the division rival two weeks ago.

The left wing’s status, however, is in question after flu-like symptoms sidelined him Wednesday. Another absence would leave Florida without its leading scorer, who has 19 goals and 43 points. He’s two goals shy of his total from last season with Toronto and Philadelphia, and three off his career high set with Chicago in 2008-09.

Tomas Fleischmann might help pick up the scoring slack if Versteeg isn’t available. The left wing had two assists Wednesday after scoring a goal in a 3-2 shootout loss to Philadelphia on Jan. 24 before heading into the All-Star break.

Fleischmann was limited to one shot by the Jets on Jan. 21 after getting three goals and four assists in the previous three meetings dating to a win at Atlanta on Dec. 10, 2010.

Winnipeg may be prepared if another matchup with the Panthers going beyond regulation after winning its last two games in that fashion.

The Jets beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in overtime Thursday, two days after a shootout victory by the same score at Philadelphia.

“We had a lot of energy, and I think we were willing to play 65 minutes if we needed to, plus a shootout if it had to go that far,” said right wing Blake Wheeler, who scored in the second period and assisted on Kyle Wellwood’s goal 3:14 into overtime Thursday. “I think we’re just dedicated right now.”

Winnipeg has split the first four games of this stretch of six in a row on the road, and is in position for its first three-game winning streak as the visitor since Dec. 4-13, 2010.

Nik Antropov has three goals and four assists in the past seven games, netting two of those goals against the Panthers last month. The center added two assists in the other two season meetings, including one in a 4-3 shootout victory in Florida on Oct. 31.

Antropov has scored only one of his eight goals on the road.

The Jets conclude their road stretch at Montreal on Sunday.

Jets 2, Lightning 1, OT

Kyle Wellwood scored 3:14 into overtime to lead the Winnipeg Jets past the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night.

Wellwood scored from in close off a left-circle pass from Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler also scored for the Jets, who had lost seven straight games at Tampa Bay dating to the team’s days in Atlanta. Ondrej Pavelec finished with 30 saves.

Victor Hedman scored and Mathieu Garon stopped 22 shots for the Lightning, who snapped a season-best five-game winning streak. Garon fell to 5-1 overall against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise.

Hedman tied it 1-all at 10:34 of the third from the low left circle after taking a nifty neutral zone touch pass by Martin St. Louis. The defenseman snapped a personal 25-game goal drought dating to Oct. 22 against Buffalo.

St. Louis has 10 assists and 13 points during an eight-game point streak. The right wing has at least one assist in all eight games during the stretch.

Wheeler skated down the slot and put the Jets up 1-0 with 15.2 seconds to go in the second on the rebound of Jim Slater’s shot from the top of the left circle. Wheeler hadn’t scored a goal in his previous seven games.

Garon made a pad save on Bryan Little’s low slot shot, while Pavelec had a similar stop on an in-close shot from NHL goals leader Steven Stamkos during a scoreless first.

Stamkos hit the outside of the post on the rebound after Pavelec stopped St. Louis’ shot midway through the second. The Lightning outshot Winnipeg 15-7 in the second.

Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was back in the lineup after missing the previous 16 games because of a knee injury and assisted on Wellwood’s goal. Jets center Alexander Burmistrov also returned after sitting out two games with concussion-like symptoms.

Notes: Stamkos assisted on Hedman’s goal. … Tampa Bay D Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) and RW Adam Hall (torn forearm muscle) both have resumed practicing. … Slater stopped a 26-game stretch without an assist … Lightning rookie RW Brett Connolly, who has gone pointless in 16 consecutive games, was a healthy scratch. … With the trade deadline nearing, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Dallas, Montreal and Detroit were among the teams with scouts present.

Bolts’ five-game win streak snapped vs. Jets

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Wellwood scored 3:14 into overtime to lead the Winnipeg Jets past the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night.

Wellwood scored from in close off a left-circle pass from Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler also scored for the Jets, who had lost seven straight games at Tampa Bay dating to the team’s days in Atlanta. Ondrej Pavelec finished with 30 saves.

Victor Hedman scored and Mathieu Garon stopped 22 shots for the Lightning, who snapped a season-best five-game winning streak. Garon fell to 5-1 overall against the AtlantaWinnipeg franchise.

St. Louis has 10 assists and 13 points during an eight-game point streak. The right wing has at least one assist in all eight games during the stretch.

Garon made a pad save on Bryan Little’s low slot shot, while Pavelec had a similar stop on an in-close shot from NHL goals leader Steven Stamkos during a scoreless first.

Stamkos hit the outside of the post on the rebound after Pavelec stopped St. Louis’ shot midway through the second. The Lightning outshot Winnipeg 15-7 in the second.

NOTES: Stamkos assisted on Hedman’s goal. … Tampa Bay D Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) and RW Adam Hall (torn forearm muscle) both have resumed practicing. … Slater stopped a 26-game stretch without an assist … Lightning rookie RW Brett Connolly, who has gone pointless in 16 consecutive games, was a healthy scratch. … With the trade deadline nearing, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Dallas, Montreal and Detroit were among the teams with scouts present.

Byfuglien’s boating case appears headed for trial

An attorney for Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien says it appears his client will be going to trial in a boating while impaired case in Minnesota.

Attorney Mitch Robinson said Thursday that he and a prosecutor were ”miles apart,” and unable to agree. The next hearing is April 19, and Robinson anticipates the case will go to trial in June.

Byfuglien is accused of boating while intoxicated and other charges stemming from an Aug. 31 incident on Lake Minnetonka. He was stopped because the boat’s navigational lights weren’t on.

Byfuglien, a Minnesota native, was on the Chicago Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup in 2010. He was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in a salary dump, and the franchise was relocated to Winnipeg in the offseason.

Dustin Byfuglien likely to go to trial on impaired charges in Minnesota

Here is the latest news in the Dustin Byfuglien case. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
WINNIPEG — Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will probably go to trial on charges that he operated a boat on a Minnesota lake while he was impaired.

The NHL player’s defense lawyer, Mitch Robinson, said today he was unable to reach a plea agreement with the prosecutor in the case.

“We discussed what a fair resolution would be and we were miles apart,” Robinson said.

Byfuglien did not appear in court. He was with his team in Tampa Bay, where he was expected to return to the ice after a knee injury in December.

Robinson said the case is to be back in Hennepin County court on April 19, and he expects a trial date will be set for June.

Peter Tessier: Jets Game Day and Advice from the Past.

Click this-@teddier you’ll like it.

Are you tired of Evander Kane yet? Well heâ€™s probably at the point where heâ€™s tired of hearing his name in the media some more but that didnâ€™t stop Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun to dig up some old memories with his column of advice from former Winnipeg Jet Keith Tkachuk. First, I know of stories directly from participants in Tkachukâ€™s â€˜back i…

Keith Tkachuk Knows What Evander Kane Is Dealing With

from Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun, If anybody can identify with Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane, it’s former Jets star Keith Tkachuk.

“I kind of feel for what he’s going through,” Tkachuk was saying from his home in St. Louis, Wednesday. “It’s definitely overwhelming.”

Tkachuk has been reading about the attention Kane has attracted since moving here with the Atlanta Thrashers. And if he sees some similarities to his own days as a Jet, well, it’s because there are a few.

A thick, power forward with a heavy shot and soft hands, Tkachuk joined the Jets from Boston University just before he turned 20, in 1992.

It didn’t take long before the goals and the money were piling up — along with the rumours.

“Being in the spotlight, I definitely wasn’t ready for that,” Tkachuk said. “And sometimes I took advantage of it. But you forget that all eyes are on you.”

Simply put, Tkachuk had a reput…

Bolts face Jets, look for eighth straight home win

Tune into Sun Sports at 7 p.m. to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Winnipeg Jets. NHL Lightning territory.

After falling to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning are back in the playoff conversation thanks to a season-high five-game winning streak.

A home game against the Winnipeg Jets could help their postseason push.

Stamkos looks to lead the surging Lightning to an eighth straight home victory over the Winnipeg franchise Thursday night.

The All-Star break didn’t seem to curb the momentum Tampa Bay (22-23-4) built last week, as it returned to the ice Tuesday with a 4-3 overtime victory over Washington. Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 33rd goal at 2:45 of the extra session to help the Lightning earn their 10th point in five games immediately following a season-worst seven-game skid.

“We just want to win games right now and we’ll take them any way we can get them,” said the two-time All-Star, who has 17 goals and seven assists in his last 20 games. “We’re certainly not complaining that we gave Washington one point. We got to catch some other teams, as well.”

Winnipeg (23-22-6) is one of those. The Jets sit four points ahead of the Lightning, but Tampa Bay has played two fewer games and seems to be in good position to cut the deficit in half Thursday.

The Lightning have outscored the Winnipeg franchise 27-11 in winning the last seven meetings at the Tampa Bay Times Forum since a 4-3 shootout loss March 21, 2009. It’s the Lightning’s longest active home winning streak against any opponent.

Stamkos has been instrumental to the run and has given the Jets fits regardless of the arena. Since the start of the 2009-10 season, he has compiled an astounding 14 goals and 10 assists in 14 games against WinnipegAtlanta.

During the home winning streak, Stamkos has tallied six goals and four assists. In the first meeting of the season in Tampa on Oct. 29, he assisted on Vincent Lecavalier’s power-play goal in a 1-0 win.

Stamkos had a goal and an assist in Winnipeg on Nov. 14, but it wasn’t enough as the Lightning lost 5-2, snapping a 12-game overall winning streak in the series.

Mathieu Garon is in his first season with the Lightning but was also a thorn in the side of the Thrashers. He hasn’t started yet against Winnipeg, but he has a 0.80 goals-against average and three shutouts in winning all five career starts against the franchise.

He stopped 26 shots Tuesday and has posted a 2.23 GAA in winning his last four outings.

The Jets returned from the break Tuesday with a 2-1 shootout victory at Philadelphia to snap a three-game losing streak and complete January at 4-8-1. Bryan Little had the only shootout goal and forward Chris Thorburn scored in regulation – his first goal in 50 games this season.

“We found a way to win, and it’s a huge two points for us,” said Ondrej Pavelec, who stopped 27 shots. “We played a pretty good game. It wasn’t easy for us, but we found a way to win.”

The Jets now try to win back-to-back games for the first time since closing December with three consecutive victories.

Pavelec has been between the pipes for both games against the Lightning this season, making 30 saves in the victory. Captain Andrew Ladd had a goal in that contest.

Ladd ranks second on the team to Evander Kane with 16 goals, but Kane remains out with a concussion. Standout defenseman Dustin Byfuglien hasn’t played since Dec. 23 due to a lower-body injury, but he could be nearing a return.

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