Sports
0 Comment(s)
Winnipeg Jets' head coach Rick Bowness speaks with goaltender Connor Hellebuyck after he was pulled for the extra attacker at the end of Tuesday's Game 2. 'I don't think anyone expected this series to go four straight for either side, so here we are in Game 3,' Bowness says. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)
Resting on top of an audio speaker just inside the entrance to the Winnipeg Jets' locker-room sits a reminder of what the NHL team is fighting for.
A blue board, complete with team logo and Stanley Cup in the background, has plastic slots for 16 hockey pucks — one for each post-season victory. One slot was filled after Winnipeg split its first two home games against the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets will need to pick up their play on the road to make it a growing collection. "I don't think anyone expected this series to go four straight for either side, so here we are in Game 3," said Jets head coach Rick Bowness. "It's 1-1, we know we have to win another game in this rink." Bowness ran his players through a firm one-hour practice Thursday at Denver's Ball Arena. Winnipeg opened the best-of-seven series with a wild 7-6 victory but Colorado responded with a potent 5-2 win in Game 2. Colorado has some momentum entering Friday's Game 3 after converting on opportunities and using its forechecking prowess to prevent the Jets from building plays. The Avalanche posted a league-best 31-9-1 home record in the regular season, although two of those nine losses came to the Jets. "This is a team that finished ahead of us in the standings," said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. "We consider ourselves a pretty good team. We know how deep they are. You have to have a full team commitment in order to win and then you've got to go and play your best hockey at the key times, which is now. "Two games doesn't cut it. It might take seven and we have to be committed to doing that." Hellebuyck ready for 'big moments': Bowness There have been some surprises in the first-round matchup between clubs that were separated by just three points in the Central Division. Few hockey observers expected a combined 20 goals over two games or for Avalanche netminder Alexandar Georgiev to have had the edge on Jets goalie and Vezina Trophy favourite Connor Hellebuyck. "I never worry about his confidence," Bowness said of his number 1 goaltender. "He's very confident in himself. He knows he's an elite goalie. He wants the ball. He loves being in there in these big moments." While not in stone, the Jets are expected to bring defenceman Nate Schmidt back into the lineup after sitting as a healthy scratch. Schmidt skated with Dylan Samberg on Thursday. "I think the last little bit here, he's still hearing my voice in his ear, even when I wasn't there," Schmidt said. "That's a crucial part of any [defence] pair. That has to be the foundation for him and I. "I believe we've laid those bricks. Now it's time to reap the rewards." Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Ball Arena with Game 5 set for Winnipeg on Tuesday. If a sixth game is necessary, it would be played May 2 in Denver. "They're really tough to play against," said Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, who has three points in the series. "Big, heavy, fast, just a really good team. We knew it all season and we need our best tomorrow." The Jets are looking for bigger things this year after crashing out in a dispirited first-round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights last spring. Winnipeg's ability to roll four solid lines helped the team cap the regular season with eight straight victories. But there has been some inconsistency since, notably from the second line of Nikolaj Ehlers, Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli. "It's just a matter of going out and performing and playing up to our abilities," Toffoli said. The Jets delivered a statement win in their last visit here on April 13, rolling to an emphatic 7-0 victory. Now they want to do it again when it matters more. "It's exciting to be part of a series that has so much explosiveness, so much excitement that's been around the game," Schmidt said. "It should be a good one." Final call Bowness was asked directly about whether Schmidt would return for Game 3, but wouldn't confirm his lineup plans. "The answer to that is that we have eight National Hockey League defencemen and 14 National Hockey League forwards ready to go and we'll make final decisions tomorrow," he said. The Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup in 2022. The Jets have yet to win an NHL championship.
source: CBC
( Ovichnews Canada ) - In a recent update from the Toronto Argonauts, quarterback Chad Kelly's...
( Ovichnews Canada ) - An independent panel has stirred debate in the football world by...
PWHL New York GM Pascal Daoust wanted to build a team that consistently plays a hard 60 minutes of hockey.
Read MoreUniversity of Florida Gators swimmer Joshua Liendo placed first in the men's 50-yard freestyle on Day 2 of the NCAA swimming and diving championships Thursday in Indianapolis, Ind., claiming the national title.
Read MoreVladimir Guerrero Jr. lingered coming out of the batter's box long enough to watch a towering drive off his bat sail well over the centre-field wall. Then he broke into a home run trot.
Read MoreLeslie Sexton feels good physically and appears poised to make a final attempt on April 28 in Hamburg, Germany at qualifying for her first Olympic marathon.
Read MoreOttawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and doubles partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand reached the Miami Open semifinals with a three-set win Wednesday over Sloane Stephens and Ashlyn Krueger of the United States.
Read MoreWashington Capitals defenceman Ethan Bear is entering the NHL and NHL Players' Association's joint assistance program and will be unavailable to the club for an indefinite period.
Read MoreA fresh start (or something like that) was the unofficial theme for the Toronto Blue Jays heading into last season.
Read MoreSarah Fillier carried the puck from one end of the ice to the other, stickhandling through two Quinnipiac University defenders before scoring bar-down.
Read MoreWhen the 2024 U Sports women's soccer season begins, individual performance will be more critical than in the past.
Read MoreUkraine found another late winning goal in another comeback win. Georgia and Poland held their nerve in penalty shootouts. All are going to the European Championship.
Read MoreThis month of March has been electrifying with brilliant basketball on both sides of the border.
Read MoreUConn coach Geno Auriemma says his team will go as far in the NCAA Tournament as Paige Bueckers will take them.
Read More
Create an account or log into your account to leave a comment
Comments