Put on your finest TV clothes  – it’s Jets Game day!!

In their first game after the Trade deadline, the Jets fly to Montreal to take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight. With only 10 games left in the Season, and with teams catching up to them in the Standings, there’s no better time than now for the Jets to get their groove back. Can they salvage 2 points out of their Eastern roadtrip from hell? Can they stop playing like crap and finally pull away from the pack in the ‘Turtle Bowl’ that is the Southeast Division race? Will the loss of Nik Antropov matter at all? Questions abound as we await this matchup of Divison Leaders. 

18-18-2 / 38 points / 1st Southeast Divison / 3rd Eastern Conference

PP%: 13.3 / PK%: 79.1

Shots/Game: 28.4

Shots Against/Game: 29.7

FO%: 48.4

Notes and Trash Talk..Kevin Cheveldayoff did what Kevin Cheveldayoff does best at the Trade Deadline – not much. The Jets didn’t make any trades, but they did acquire C Mike Santorelli off waivers from the Florida Panthers. I’ve learned not to expect much from rejected Florida Panthers, but Cheveldayoff has to date shown a shrewd eye for Waiver talent. So far, Grant Clitsome, Jamie Wright, Antti Miettinen, Anthonly Peluso have all contributed something to the Jets fortunes. We won’t write off Santorelli yet, but we won’t hold our breath, either…The best thing that happend to the Jets all week was the news that Nik Antropov was inured the signing of Jacob Trouba. Trouba is a beast. I’ll write more on him later, but from what I saw of him at the World Jr’s last  year, I’m very impressed. He hits. He shoots. He punches people in the face. He’s reliable defensively. And he’s only 19. He reminds me of Shea Weber, and I’m not trying to be a blatant Homer. The Jets are being coy about their plans for him this season, but I’d be shocked if we didn’t see him in the lineup sooner than later…My guess? Trouba is team Captain and crowd favorite in less than 6 years…And, yes, Nik Antropov is injured. Word is he’s gone for 2 weeks with a lower body injury. Hopefully one or both of Alex Burmistrov and Kyle Wellwood will seize this opportunity to step up.

23-8-5 / 51 Points / 1st in Northeast Division / 2nd Eastern Conference

PP%: 20.9 / PK%: 81.5

Shots/Game: 30.4

Shots Against/Game: 27.1 

FO%: 48.6

Notes and Trash Talk…Marc Bergevin was about as busy as Kevin Cheveldayoff was at the Deadline, acquring Davis Drewiske from the Kings for a 5th round pick. Maybe he thought he was getting Drew Doughty…The Canadiens responded to their GM’s vote of confidence by coughing up a 3rd period lead in what would become a sound beating at the hand of the Flyers last night…Tomas Plekanec left last night’s game with a lower body injury and did not return. His status tonight is unknown, so, let’s cross our fingers and say a little prayer that he’ll be out…Montreal won the last outing between the teams 4-3…Montreal is also missing Rene Bourque (concussion), Raphael Diaz (concussion), Ryan White (lower body), Colby Armstrong (lower body) and Yanick Weber (knee).

Gametime is 6:30pm Winnipeg time, 7:30pm Montreal time, and for those of you in Dodoma, Tanzania, 2:30am Friday morning. The game is televised on TSN Jets and available online at TSN Radio here. A variety of gambling sites favor the Canadiens to win (suckers) and the over/under to be well, well below 15 goals.

 

Let’s face it, the Jets have been playing like crap lately.

I’m not sure what it is, but ever since they lost those 2 games to Washington, they haven’t had the same kind of swagger they were showing before. I was hoping the Deadline would help shake things up – and it did to an extent, with the claiming of Santorelli and the signing of Trouba. But will it be enough? The Jets can only slide so long before all this talk of Division Titles turns to discussion of who to draft with their Lottery Pick. Enough is enough! Damn the Torpedoes, I want to see the playoffs in Winnipeg this season. I want to see and hear the White Noise again. Un-funkify yourselves, boys! Go Jets Go!