Sunday 1 October 2017

Jets - Pre-Season News


Nic Petan isn't letting it consume him. He knows that after 15 days of putting his best foot forward, he's done all he can to prove he belongs.  
"I'm just trying to work hard every day and earn my spot," he said. "Hopefully I've done enough. I want to put everything I have into this one last game here and see what happens after that."
Petan skated on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler at Friday's practice, and could very well get a look there in Saturday's preseason finale against the Calgary Flames. Head Coach Paul Maurice did caution that with some "health issues" to Matt Hendricks and Adam Lowry, the forward lines could look a bit different at this time tomorrow. Neither Hendricks nor Lowry took part in Friday's workout, but are expected back on the ice tomorrow and could factor into the lineup as the 2-3-1 Jets look to finish the exhibition campaign with a victory in the Stampede City.
Regardless, if Petan does line up in that spot come Saturday, he couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.
"Anytime anyone gets to play with those two, [it shows] you've done something right so far," he said.
"I'm just going to keep playing the way I know I can."
Petan had a goal and set up the game-winner from Marko Dano in Wednesday's comeback win over the Senators, and has four points in as many preseason games, putting him fifth in team scoring behind only Patrik Laine, Dustin Byfuglien, Nikolaj Ehlers and Scheifele.
In 80 NHL games, the 22-year-old has three goals and 19 points over two seasons with the big club, but nearly his entire pro career has spent in the middle, often centering the Jets' fourth line in more of a depth role.
Now on the wing, and alongside two of the league's best, he's counted on to produce offensively.
"I'm just playing the game with a lot more confidence now," Petan said. "I'm carrying the puck more and I'm calmer with it, but my quick decision-making as always been there. Obviously I've had some good linemates in these preseason games as well, but it's been good so far."
On Wednesday, Petan played almost 15 minutes, had three shots and was a fixture on the top power-play unit, where he did a great job distributing the puck on the half wall. He also saw plenty of Ottawa's top guns including Kyle Turris and Winnipeg native Mark Stone, who got the upper-hand early with a second-period goal that helped the Sens open up a two-goal lead, but got the last laugh with a beautiful feed on the game-winning goal with only 6:48 to play.
"Anytime you get moved up in the lineup, you want to bring your 'A' effort and make it work," Petan said. "I felt really good. I felt like I belonged there and could play against those guys. Even though I'm a smaller player, I still feel stronger out there. I had a big summer of (training) and came into camp feeling stronger, and it's being proven."

The Winnipeg Jets announced last week they have assigned defenceman Jan Kostalek to the Manitoba Moose. The Jets now have 19 forwards, eight defencemen and three goaltenders remaining at training camp.



Andrew Copp's versatility was on full display in the Winnipeg Jets' 5-2 preseason win over the Calgary Flames. The third-year pro finished with 18:21 of ice time, with 2:25 of it coming on the power play, and 4:43 on the penalty kill.
That suits the 23-year-old just fine.
"I feel like that's part of my game, being able to play in any situation," said Copp. "So it was nice to get that opportunity and take advantage of it with the goal late and being a good screen in front. The more I can play, the more I'm going to like it."
After Adam Lowry left the game with a lower-body injury (which Maurice said the team doesn't think is "significant") Copp was put into a net front role on the power play. He provided the screen for Dustin Byfuglien's goal with 2:43 remaining in regulation. It's not a spot he's used to playing much, even dating back to his days with the University of Michigan.
"I was on the half wall (there)," Copp said. "We were a rotational group, so I ended up at the net-front. My net front game has just gotten better just working on it in practice and what not. It's not really something I've tried out in a game, and it worked out okay for the first time."
While the Jets power play was red-hot - converting four times on five opportunities - the penalty kill was equally impressive, keeping the Flames off the scoreboard on five chances. Copp was paired with Brandon Tanev in most penalty killing situations, and that's where Maurice feels an opportunity lies for the Michigan native."The penalty killing is the area of the first opportunity for him. I thought he and Tanev tonight, there was some real nice chemistry on the penalty kill together," said Maurice. "As good as our power play was tonight, we still are (trying to) develop penalty killers. A goal saved is as valuable as the ones we put in. Andrew is trying to get his teeth into the PK as much as he can."
Over his 142 NHL games, Copp has played on every line from the fourth to the first, and Maurice had him on the right wing tonight in an effort to further increase the forward's versatility. That would make the left-hander capable of playing every forward position, including centre, the position he originally came into the league playing.
"I feel like being able to play with any sort of player in any sort of game is going to help me increase my role on the team," Copp said. "I think it's going to help me get more ice time, whether it's defensive zone face-offs late in the game, or a shut down line against the other team's top line. If push comes to shove and I end up on the power play I feel comfortable doing that. I feel like it's an important piece for me to get more playing time."




The Winnipeg Jets announced they have agreed to terms with defenseman Luke Green on a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $846,700. Green, 19, had 37 points (5G, 32A) in 60 games last season between Saint John and Sherbrooke of the QMJHL before he recorded one assist in four games for the AHL's Manitoba Moose. The native of Bedford, Nova Scotia has played three years in the QMJHL and has 108 points (21G, 87A) over 121 games. Green began this year at Winnipeg's training camp, but was returned to the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Sept. 21, 2017. Green was drafted by the Jets in the third round (79th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He's the third of the Jets' six selections from the 2016 NHL Draft to sign an NHL entry-level contract, joining forward Patrik Laine and defenceman Logan Stanley.

After playing six-and-a-half seasons with one team, the Florida Panthers, Shawn Matthias bounced around for a little bit in the National Hockey League. With stops in Vancouver, Toronto and Denver, Matthias is entering his second full season with the Winnipeg Jets and like every player is trying to get through a hectic preseason schedule.
"It's been good even though the exhibition games haven't gone our way," he said. "The guys have been working hard, skating hard, starting to get our legs back. "(We've been) spending lots of time in the weight room and guys are taking advantage of the treatment that's being given to them. Guys are feeling good, you can see it in the mood with fewer guys around (after Sunday's cuts), too, and it's starting to feel like a team again."
The Jets reduced their training camp roster by 13 on Sunday; 12 of which were re-assigned to the Manitoba Moose, including Michael Hutchinson, Julian Melchiori, Buddy Robinson, Cam Schilling and Mike Sgarbossa, who all cleared waivers.
Winnipeg now has 19 forwards, nine defencemen and three goaltenders remaining in camp.
Matthias, meanwhile, will skate on the left wing with Andrew Copp and JC Lipon this evening against the Calgary Flames at Bell MTS Place.
"I feel like I put some good work in preparing for (the) season," Matthias said when asked how his training camp has gone. "I'm expecting the best season of my career this year and I'm expecting our team to be competitive and to be in the playoffs come the end of the year."
Matthias' best season - statistically speaking - came with the Canucks in the 2014-15 campaign when he had 18 goals and 27 points over 78 games. What now has him believing he will have the best year of his career?
"I changed everything. Like, everything," Matthias said of his off-season training. "I changed skating coaches; just giving me a new perspective on the game. It helped me out. It's my second year with my new trainer and I think we really dialled it in this year. Diets, I went back to what I used to do in Florida, so I came to camp a lot lighter, a lot leaner. I did really well in fitness training. I truly believe it will be the best season of my career and it's needed because we are going for a push this year, and we need every single guy playing their best."
The Jets are winless thus far in the preseason and goal-scoring hasn't been a strength. The team is working on the defensive side of the game while trying to balance the crazy game-day schedules that they face in September as opposed to the regular season.
"It's definitely different, you're playing with different guys on a lot of the nights and travelling on day of the game which is tough," Matthias said. "Especially the time change, your meals are all messed up. A lot of us are talking about that after the games. You're eating your pre-game meal here [in Winnipeg] at 11 and that's ten o'clock [in Edmonton where the Jets played Saturday night] for a 7pm game. Not to make any excuses, but those are just the things you gotta dial into.
"I would expect a very good game out of our club tonight, to show the fans what to expect come the season. I think you'll get a better impression the next couple of games, but it starts tonight."

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