Winnipeg Free Press http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/petan-armia-matthias-really-really-close-407251356.html

Petan, Armia, Matthias 'really, really close' By: Jason Bell Reinforcements are en route for the Winnipeg Jets. Injured forwards Shawn Matthias, Joel Armia and Nic Petan skated with the NHL team Saturday morning at the MTS Iceplex and are just days from returning to the lineup. "Really, really close," said head coach Paul Maurice, following practice. "I would expect green lights on maybe all three of them over the next three games. I’ll talk to Robbie (head athletic therapist Rob Milette) about one of them possibly for (Sunday) and, if not, I think we’re going to get a green light going into (Vancouver) on one or maybe all three." The Jets play host to the Colorado Avalanche Sunday at 2 p.m. at the MTS Centre and then head west for a pair of games in Vancouver Tuesday and Thursday. Matthias, who has missed 23 games with a lower-body injury sustained Nov. 1 against the Washington Capitals, is itching to get going. "If you weren’t, there’d be something wrong with you," said the veteran left-winger. "I’m looking forward to getting back out with the guys, I’ve worked extremely hard. It’s so tough when you’re hurt and you’re just on the table and not seeing the guys a whole lot, so it’s nice to be back around them and to be getting closer and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel." Matthias and Armia developed some chemistry playing with centre Adam Lowry before the wingers were felled by injuries. "We were gaining some trust playing against some of the other teams’ top lines. We had a lot of responsibility. And then for Joel and I to go down with injuries was tough," said Matthias. "But at the same time, it builds character. We could have pouted and felt sorry for ourselves, but we didn’t do that. We took the other approach, we were working out the very day after the injuries, both of us." Armia suffered a lower-body injury two nights after Matthias went down in a rematch with Washington and has missed 22 contests, while Petan has been sidelined for nine games (lower-body). P.K. troubles The visiting Florida Panthers feasted on the Jets penalty killers Thursday, scoring all three of their goals on the power play. Winnipeg defenceman Toby Enstrom took three minor penalties in the second period and the Panthers capitalized on each opportunity with the man advantage to lead 3-2 after 40 minutes.

Jets centre Bryan Little scored the tying goal early in the third period and Mathieu Perreault fired the winning goal in the sixth round of the shootout to lift the hosts to a 4-3 triumph. Pocketing two points relieved some of the pressure from the penalty-killing unit, which is operating at just a 75.6 per cent efficiency rating — 28th out of 30 teams in the NHL. Left-winger Brandon Tanev wasn’t proud of the performance against the Florida. "That’s a role I like to play, so at the end of a day, like, I’m not very happy. I know I have to be better on the penalty kill," he said. ‘We came out with the two points and you might look at it differently if the result was different, but at the same time you’ve got to look at the shifts on the penalty kill and just think overall we have to be better." Tanev said the Jets allowed the Panthers way too much time to move up the ice, gain the offensive zone and set up shop. Maurice agreed, adding the unit’s confidence is frayed. "We’ve just gotten ourselves to a point that we had absolutely no up-ice pressure, no stand at the line, so we spent an awful lot of time in that tight box (in their own end) trying to pick up seams. And teams will pick you apart," he said. "Forcing yourself into a more aggressive up-ice posture and forcing yourself to be more aggressive at the line, understanding that every once in a while you get beat doing that, that’s the push... that’s the starting point. "As soon as you fail at something, you’re less confident. And there isn’t a lot of confidence there and we haven’t earned the right to be confident." Scoring slump Jets left-winger Nikolaj Ehlers owned the puck on a couple of shifts against the Panthers, pulled off a couple of nifty moves and finished with six shots on goalie Roberto Luongo. But he had nothing to show for the tremendous effort. The 20-year-old Danish forward has just one goal in his last 18 games. To suggest he’s struggling offensively wouldn’t be a fair assessment considering his 19 assists rank him 15th in the league in that category. But the guy who scored 86 goals in 114 junior games with the Halifax Mooseheads and then fired 15 in his rookie campaign with Winnipeg has been snake-bitten in his sophomore NHL season — yet, he’s not getting down on himself. "I guess I’m not shocked. We’re playing against the best goalies in the world and they’re playing for a reason," he said. "I am getting big chances. I’d be worried if I wasn’t getting those chances. I feel good and confident right now. And honestly I just hope it’s a matter of time before they go in." Ehlers is crazy-fast and he demonstrated that Friday during the Jets Skills Competition at the MTS Centre, setting a competition record for racing around the rink with a blazing time of 13.29 seconds.

"My legs feel good, I’m using my speed as much as I can and I think I did that really well against Florida," he said. NOTES: The Jets are 7-4-1 against Central Division teams this season, including 4-0-0 at home… The Jets allowed three second-period goals by the Panthers Thursday and been outscored 47-22 in the middle frame this season. It’s the most goals an NHL team has allowed in any period this season... Rookie RW Patrik Laine has just one goal in his last six games, but was third in the league with 17 goals and topped all NHL rookies with 26 points in 33 games prior to Saturday’s action... RW Chris Thorburn led the NHL with eight major penalties this season, going into Saturday’s games. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/d-man-cant-believe-he-blew-it-407251466.html

D-man can't believe he blew it Morrissey still fuming over missing wide-open net vs. Panthers By: Jason Bell People watching the Winnipeg Jets play Thursday night likely noticed defenceman Josh Morrissey gazing up to the rafters of the MTS Centre after flubbing what looked like a gimme goal against the Florida Panthers. Morrissey had joined the rush and was streaking to the net midway through the first period when he was spotted by right-winger Blake Wheeler, who connected on a perfect pass. With Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo caught out of position, Morrissey fired the puck and then threw back his head in complete disbelief when it sailed wide left. The rookie blue-liner was still thinking about the miss Saturday afternoon, although his irritation level would have been a whole lot higher had the Jets not pulled out a 4-3 victory in a wild shootout finish. "Watching on video after, it’s definitely hard to put that one out of my mind," he said, following morning practice at the MTS Iceplex. "That stuff happens. I think I tried to rush it a little bit. I probably had time to stop it and quickly shoot it because I had the whole net. I tried to rush it and it kind of rolled off my blade wide. I would like to have it back. "But I’m sure if you keep jumping into the play and you’re out there with guys that really, throughout our whole lineup, have the ability to make (that pass), you’re going to get more of those chances." In 33 games, Morrissey has just one goal this season, his first NHL tally that came in mid-November against the Chicago Blackhawks. Collectively, Winnipeg’s blue-line crew has nine goals — including four from Dustin Byfuglien — through nearly 10 weeks of the 2016-17 campaign, third-lowest in the Western Conference. Only the Colorado Avalanche (six goals in 29 games) and Vancouver Canucks (eight in 30) have fewer.

The Jets (14-16-3) host the Avalanche (11-17-1) Sunday at 2 p.m. at the MTS Centre. Winnipeg is 1-0-1 against Colorado in a pair of games in Denver this season, highlighted by a 37-save shutout effort by Michael Hutchinson in a 1-0 triumph in late October. Morrissey is part of a mobile top-four that includes his partner, Byfuglien, who leads all NHLers with 915 minutes, 21 seconds of ice time this season, an average of 27:44 per game. He’s ackowledged as a bit of a rover, a guy who regularly jumps up into the offensive zone. Winnipeg also has solid-skating defencemen in Jacob Trouba and Toby Enstrom, who have just one goal apiece. The club has been missing Tyler Myers (two goals this year), another blue-liner with a penchant for joining the rush, for the last 17 games with a lower-body injury. Morrissey said a shortage of scoring from the back end is not for a lack of a plan. "It’s part of our overall team system that we want to have defencemen jumping into the play as that fourth man. If you look at the NHL nowadays, that’s the way the game is," he said. Jets head coach Paul Maurice said the advanced NHL statistics suggest the club is near the top of the league in terms of offensive-zone puck possession time. That said, the Jets defencemen don’t need to make risky decisions but must make better use of their opportunities when the puck’s already in the opposing end. "We’d like more production from our back end, from the blue line, (with) pucks to the net," said Maurice. "This is something that we’ve talked about a great deal... getting pucks to the net faster, we’ve got to get different kinds of screens and then we’ve got to get better outs for our D. So, some of it is how they shoot the puck. We think there’s more there. "We don’t need more offensive-zone time, it’s not that they’re not getting their looks or getting their shots to the net, we’re middle of the pack with that in terms of shot attempts, shots through, so we can improve there." Trouba, who scored his first and only goal of the year last weekend in a 6-2 defeat to the Calgary Flames, said while all players love scoring, creating chances can’t leave the club vulnerable. "It’s one of those things — you gotta take it when it’s given," he said. "We’ve got to play defence first. And when our defensive game’s good, that’s when the offence comes to our D." http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/jagr-continues-to-amaze-defy-father-time-406992595.html

Jets wives and girlfriends' holiday cards raise cash for charity By: Danielle Doiron For the Winnipeg Jets, hockey and giving back to the community are family endeavours. While the team practiced on Saturday morning, some of the players' wives and girlfriends sold holiday cards at the CF Polo Park Jets Gear store. Each player and their family worked to

create one of the cards, something Emily Byfuglien, Dustin's wife, said was a bit of a bonding experience with her daughter, Kira. "I actually helped my daughter draw a snowman, and then she coloured them," she said, laughing. "She actually signed hers and her little brother's name, so it was fun to have her involved. I think it's really important for her to know the importance of charity, so having her do that with me kind of helps her learn to give back to the community." All net proceeds from the 3,000 cards will benefit Can DO People, a not-for-profit day program for adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other intellectual development disabilities that helps them live fulfilling lives, gain important skills and meaningfully contribute to society. The centre opened in November 2013 and now offers vocational, leisure and life skills programs to about 40 individuals. The women hope to raise $15,000. "It means the world to us," Kim Corlett, Can DO People's founder and executive director, said. "The Jets wives and girlfriends have brought us to the forefront of the community in Winnipeg. We're a new organization, so them illuminating us has helped us immensely." She said people have called and offered to donate time or equipment to the organization's new 948 William Ave. location, while others are hearing about Can DO People for the first time and inquiring about their services on behalf of family members. "We're incredibly grateful," Corlett said. "I can't give you words to describe what these women are willing to do to help the community." For Hali Stafford, Drew's wife, the cards were a chance to give back and have fun. "It was just kind of a fun opportunity to showcase each guy's creative ability," she said. "Everyone was able to do a photo from their childhood, which was so cute. We did something kind of funny. We used an old Christmas card. Some of the kids did drawings. It's more personal than just selling a hat to make money. It's more real." Stafford said they do a Christmas card almost every year, and their contribution – which features the couple posing in cringeworthy glasses and braces with their dog illuminated in the background – is a few years old. "Drew keeps them all," she said. "Our old ones are prety good. We like to do goofy ones, but then we had a baby and we had to take it seriously." She noted the couple love to make people laugh, and the cards gave them an opportunity to share their goofiness on a larger scale while helping a good cause. "People are really involved with hockey here, so it's nice to bring people together in a way outside of hockey," Stafford said, noting they're also involved with the ALS Association in the United States. "We have a voice through hockey, and we're able to make a bigger difference and raise more awareness and raise more money for causes than I could just do on my own." Sam Wheeler, Blake's wife, agrees. "The fans here show the team a lot of support, so I feel like it's important that we show our support back to the city," she said. "Whether it's something like this or doing something on our

own time ... I think it's just important to show that we support the city as much as the city supports the team." Stafford said she backs her husband just as much as the city does. "I know some people get nervous. I think it's great. That's his element," she said. "When you see someone you love doing something they're so passionate about and that they love and they're having fun doing it, that to me is gold. You know this is such a short part of their lives ... I know Drew loves that (almost two-year-old son) Mason is getting really into it and watching the games. He has no idea what's going on, but he loves seeing 'Dada' on the ice. It's really exciting. He says "go Jets go," and he always says "goal" every time he sees a goal. It was like one of his first words." The cards, which have been on sale in packs of seven at Jets Gear stores since Nov. 26, are the wives and girlfriends' second annual charity effort. Last year, they created a calendar of Jets players posing with shelter animals to benefit the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter. Winnipeg Sun http://www.winnipegsun.com/2016/12/17/new-highs-for-jets-lowry

New highs for Jets' Lowry BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN The news caught Adam Lowry off guard, to be sure. But once the six-foot-five centre took the necessary time to collect his thoughts, Lowry realized a demotion to the minors was necessary. After all, Lowry's confidence was somewhat shaken following a demotion to the fourth line and he'd gotten away from doing the little things that allowed him to become an NHL regular in the first place. When you see the start Lowry is off to this season, it's hard to believe he's not quite 12 months removed from that quick trip to the minors with the Manitoba Moose. “At this time last year, it was tough for me. It was definitely a bit of a speed bump, you could say,” Lowry said after the Jets completed final preparations for Sunday's matinee with the Colorado Avalanche. “For whatever reason, I couldn't find traction. Some of that was inexperience and some of that was my play. It was a bit of a shock, not getting sent down, but not being able to adapt and dig myself out of that rut. It was a bit of a wake-up call. “I went into the year with high expectations and I didn't meet those expectations. I got off to a slow start and it seemed like it snowballed one thing after another. My play wasn't where it needed to be. I ended up going to the Moose and that got me back on track and I started to feel a little better (with the Jets) in the second half. The points may not have been there, but my play started to pick up.”

It may have only been four American Hockey League games with the Moose, but it represented a turning point for Lowry, who has worked incredibly hard to anchor the Jets' third line and has seen time on both special-teams units this season. “Looking back, it wasn't a fun experience but it was a necessary experience,” said Lowry, who praised former Moose head coach Keith McCambridge for believing in him and helping restore his confidence by giving him plenty of ice time. “You can kind of rediscover your game. A big thing was getting into all situations, getting my feet under me and getting to handle the puck. Things like that. “It's going to really help me in my career.” It's easy to see the experience has already helped Lowry immensely. By finding the back of the net in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win against the Florida Panthers, Lowry already has seven goals in 33 games – which equals his NHL total from last season in 74 games and he's already threatening to eclipse his career high of 11 set in the 2014-15 season. “Coming into the summer, I knew it was going to be important to re-establish myself as a guy who could be counted on, a role player who could really contribute,” said Lowry. “It's been nice to be sitting at where I am in goals. The biggest thing is I wanted to contribute. It's always nice to contribute, but also contributing in other ways. I know our (penalty kill) has been struggling, but that was an area where I really wanted to continue to improve upon. And even on faceoffs, especially when (Bryan Little) went down, we needed someone to step up and guys had to take on more (responsibility). “The way the season has started, it's definitely gone a lot better than last year. I'm going to continue to look to improve upon it and continue to try and establish myself as an important player for this team.” Maurice has said on numerous occasions Lowry is training for the role of shutdown centre and that's a responsibility the Calgary product has always taken pride in. “It's something I've always been striving to be is a really responsible player,” said Lowry. “Growing up, I wasn't necessarily the most skilled guy on my team or had the most points, but even from an early age, I was a responsible player. I can attribute a lot of that to my dad (longtime NHLer Dave Lowry) and the type of player he was. He found a role in the NHL and to stick in it as long as he could, you have to find a niche that makes you effective and makes you a needed player. “I grew up with the mindset that it's always fun to go out against the other teams better players, to try and frustrate them and shut them down.” Jets head coach Paul Maurice is impressed by what Lowry has done in carving out an even larger role for himself. “He handled it right, came back strong and he felt like he had something to prove this year,” said Maurice. “That may be fair. But more accurate, he needed to take the job and make it his – and he's done that.” http://www.winnipegsun.com/2016/12/15/ehlers-dazzles-despite-not-scoring

Jets need to make changes to fix second period woes BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN If the answer was easy, the problem would already be solved. So when it comes to trying to explain the second-period struggles for the Winnipeg Jets, it's no big surprise several players were mostly lost for words when the subject was raised on Saturday afternoon. “It's honestly hard to explain. I can't think of one thing to specifically put on it. We've got to figure it out and battle through it,” said Jets centre Bryan Little, whose squad faces the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon at MTS Centre. “It's something we talk about and we know we have to get better at it. You've got to put together a full game and that second period has been a weakness for us this year.” The Jets have given up 47 goals, while scoring only 22 in the second period so far this season and the minus-25 goal differential is a head-scratcher – especially when you consider the Jets are plus-4 in the first period and plus-7 in the third period. Is it possible the second period has become a mental block for the Jets? “No, I don't think it's that,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry. “We've been a team that's been able to come back in a lot of games and we've had fairly good starts. For whatever reason, it seems like the second period seems to get away from us. It's something we've tried to correct and become aware of, but it's still a problem. “I don't know what it is. But it's going to be something we really need to improve. If we can find a way to lock down the second period, it's going to really bode well for our team.” Global Winnipeg http://globalnews.ca/news/3133717/back-to-business-for-winnipeg-jets/

Back to business for Winnipeg Jets By Russ Hobson Sports Anchor/Reporter WINNIPEG – After a fun night for their annual skills competition, it was back to business as usual for the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday as they held an intense practice at MTS Iceplex. “It’s only the third one we’ve had, but the first one we’ve liked in an awfully long time.” said head coach Paul Maurice. The Jets are now getting prepared for their final home game before the Christmas break, a divisional match-up with the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon. It’s the third of five meetings between the two clubs this season after the Jets gained three of a possible four points in the first two games.

“I think the divisional games are always important.” said Patrik Laine. “And they’re below us now and we want to make sure it stays that way.” Laine put on a show for fans in Friday’s skills competition. He won the accuracy shooting event and finished second only to Dustin Byfuglien in the hardest shot, which can only serve as a confidence booster for the rookie phenom moving forward. “His game is getting better.” said Maurice. “His game away from the puck, he’s got a good awareness of it. All the areas of greatest improvement for him just come from getting older, getting stronger.” But while Laine continues to improve, the Jets penalty kills continues to struggle. After the Jets surrendered three powerplay goals to the Florida Panthers, their PK is now ranked 28th out of the 30 NHL teams. “There isn’t a lot of confidence in there.” said Maurice. “And we haven’t earned the right to be confident. So we’ve got push ourselves to get more aggressive and get quicker.” The return of some healthy bodies sure wouldn’t hurt with forwards Joel Armia, Shawn Matthias and Nic Petan all nearing a return from the injured list. Without saying who, Maurice indicated one of the three could even return to face the Avalanche. Associated Press https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/ice-cold-avalanche-look-regroup-vs-jets-014144805--nhl.html

Ice-cold Avalanche look to regroup vs. Jets By the Associated Press WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The good news is somebody is going to win Sunday afternoon's game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre. The bad news is the contest features two of the coldest teams in the NHL. The Avalanche come to town having lost nine of their last 11 games, including a 10-1 debacle against the Montreal Canadiens a week ago. The Jets aren't much better, having lost four straight until a 4-3 shootout victory over Florida on Thursday. Getting out of the Pepsi Center may be just what the doctor ordered for the Avalanche, who own the league's worst home record of 4-10-1. The team's power play has hardly been firing on all cylinders, not only going 0-for-6 in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Panthers, but also giving up the game-winning short-handed goal. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told the Denver Post that losing that way after entering the third period at home in a tie game was inexcusable.

"You can't go out and get power-plays and have them score short-handed," Landeskog said. "I honestly do not know what to tell you guys, other than that's not the way we want to do it. That's not the way it's supposed to be done and that's not acceptable, bottom line." The Jets' special teams haven't been lighting it up either. They gave up three power-play goals in the second period against Florida - all with defenseman Tobias Enstrom in the penalty box with a trio of separate infractions - dropping them to 28th in the league. The Jets have given up at least one power-play goal in four straight games. On the flipside, their own power play has fizzled over the past five games, going an anemic 1-for-14. "At this point, confidence is pretty low (with the power play)," Jets captain Blake Wheeler told the Winnipeg Free Press. "So, it's something you've gotta work for. The power play is supposed to be your best players on the ice, on the penalty kill you're trying to shut down their top guys. It's not really rocket science. We've got to find a way to build that confidence and get into a rhythm. It doesn't really seem like there's much of a plan right now." Part of the problem is opposing teams have figured out the Jets' power play goes through super rookie Patrik Laine, who has seven goals with the man advantage this year. Foes usually station a defender within a stick's length of Laine. The good news for the Jets is they have completed the most grueling stretch of their season in November and early December, during which they had played the most games of any team. Winnipeg is finally getting a bit of a breather from the schedule-maker. The Jets come into Sunday's game rested and in good spirits, having taken part in their annual skills competition on Friday. Winnipeg native Calvin Pickard will start against his hometown team for the second time in his career but just the first time at the MTS Centre. He beat the Jets 4-3 in a shootout two years ago this week. Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/2016/12/17/calvin-pickard-getting-his-chances-in-avalanche-crease/

Calvin Pickard is getting his chances in the Avalanche crease … including in his hometown of Winnipeg By TERRY FREI Before an Avalanche practice in Centennial last week, Calvin Pickard was in the net on Family Sports Center’s second rink, working at quickly moving from post to post under the watch of renowned part-time goaltending coach Francois Allaire. A handful of his teammates had joined Pickard, and they compliantly broke around the net and attempted wraparounds before moving on to pepper Pickard — say that fast three times — with other types of shots as Allaire periodically talked with another of his protégés. It is part of the continuing education for the Avalanche’s 24-year-old backup goaltender.

After dividing time between Colorado’s American Hockey League affiliates and the Avalanche the past two seasons, Pickard is entrenched as Semyon Varlamov‘s backup and at times has played well enough to bring the words “goaltending controversy” into play — especially when Varlamov, as has been the case for stretches so far this season, has struggled. With Varlamov on the verge of recovering from his latest bout with groin muscle issues, Pickard will get his third consecutive start Sunday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets in Manitoba’s frigid capital. That’s also significant because Winnipeg is Pickard’s hometown. It will be his first NHL start there and as of Friday, his teammates already were starting to consider him personally responsible for the frigid conditions they would encounter. (How frigid? How does a high of minus-13 fahrenheit Sunday sound?) Granted, slightly more than half the Avalanche roster are Canadians accustomed to sub-freezing temperatures in late fall and winter, and the remainder hail from nations not mistaken for Bali, either. But minus 13? “I’m nervous,” Pickard said Friday. “A couple of guys have already asked me. But once we get to Winnipeg and walk off that plane, I’m going to have a lot of people angry at me for sure. It’s just the way it is this time of year. It’s cold and windy and it’s not fun.” Pickard, who was born in New Brunswick but moved to Winnipeg as a youngster, has played in his hometown against the Manitoba Moose while with the Avs’ AHL affiliates at Cleveland and San Antonio, but not for the Avalanche. “It would be a great experience,” he said. “There would be a lot of family and friends there.” After he had a lackluster game in allowing three goals on 23 shots in the careening Avalanche’s 3-1 loss to Florida Friday night, Pickard is 5-5-1 in 12 games, with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. For the third time this season, Varlamov didn’t suit up because of injury, with Spencer Martin backing up Pickard. The Avalanche has the fewest points in the NHL and has a seven-game winless streak at home, and Pickard hasn’t been immune to the malaise of late. After a strong first month, he has lost his last three starts and is 1-4-1 in his last six. “I like the start to my season, and my last few games haven’t gone the way we wanted or I wanted,” Pickard said after the morning skate Friday. “Varly went down for a couple of days, and that’s what a good backup is here to do and you have to step in and give your team a chance to win every time you’re out there.” Varlamov is under contract through 2018-19, with a $5.9 million annual cap hit. If he doesn’t play the vast majority of the games and play at an elite level, he’s a wasteful drain on the Avalanche salary cap. If he plays well, he’ll be worth it. So he’ll get every chance to succeed … and fail. It’s possible Colorado will leave him unprotected in the expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights, assuming that salary will scare off the Knights, or being willing to live with the possibility of losing him — and his salary — and going with Pickard. As a restricted free agent, Pickard signed a new two-year, $2-million contract with the Avalanche on July 5.

“I’ve had a lot of chances to play the last couple of years,” Pickard said. “Things change. It’s nice to get opportunities, and it seems like everybody needs a good backup these days to play 25 to 35 games, and that’s a pretty solid workload. I don’t worry about the contracts or anything like that. If I play well consistently everything will take care of itself.” That said, he hasn’t accepted being a career backup. “I realize the situation I’m in,” he said. “But of course I want to play, of course I want to be a starter. That’s why you play the game. Everybody wants to play as much as they can. But the main goal is to help our team to get to the playoffs. … I’m looking forward to getting more opportunities and taking advantage of them.” Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog said of Pickard: “He’s proven time and time again that he’s more than capable of making a difference in this league and he gives us a chance to win a hockey game every time he’s between the pipes. There have been some hiccups this season, but that’s based on our team and that’s on us.” Landeskog said Pickard has “the perfect temperament” to handle going in and out of the crease. “He’s very positive, very social, likes to have a good time,” Landeskog said. “He likes to keep us loose and at the same time, when it’s go time, he’s focused and he’s one of the hardest-working guys in this dressing room, along with Varly. Those two are kind of driving the bus when it comes to work ethic.” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Pickard “has got that mentality that in any situation we put him in, he’s going to be battling. That’s the type of mentality you need from a guy who serves as your 1B.” Pickard was the Avalanche’s second-round pick in 2010, after the second of what turned out to be his four seasons in major junior with the Seattle Thunderbirds. After turning pro in 2012, he eventually played 142 AHL games with Lake Erie and 21 last season with San Antonio. He was in the net in 16 games for the Avalanche in 2014-15, going up and down from the AHL while operating as Varlamov’s de facto backup because of Colorado’s lack of faith in Reto Berra. Then Pickard again was recalled from San Antonio on Christmas Day 2015, after Berra — who was back in the Avs’ good graces and had outplayed Varlamov up to that point — suffered a high ankle sprain in the pre-game soccer kibitzing in the hallway and went on the injured list. After Berra’s prolonged recovery, which left the Avalanche soured and again questioning his work ethic, he spent the rest of the season with San Antonio and was traded to Florida in the offseason, with Colorado instead committing to Pickard. “I owe a lot to Colorado,” Pickard said. “They stuck with me through the minor leagues and they’ve been a huge help to me, since Day One, since they drafted me. The development crew, the minor league coaching staff, they played me and went through ups and downs with me and stuck with me and really gave me a chance a couple of years ago to play at this level. “I thought I played pretty well and I thought I made a good first impression and they committed to me, giving me that contract offer. It means a lot, it means they believe in me and have confidence in me. That does a lot for me as well. I feel comfortable going into the net every night for this organization and I don’t see that changing.”

Pickard called his relationship with Varlamov “fantastic.” The contrast is noticeable: Varlamov, who also has to deal with the language barrier, tends to be stoic. Pickard is outgoing. “We are great friends,” Pickard said. “There’s only two of us here and we have to share experiences and talk about different things about goaltending.” Also, despite the departure of Patrick Roy, Allaire’s most famous pupil, Allaire has remained with the organization for the final year of his contract, spending time with the with the Avalanche and its goalies. “He’s awesome,” Pickard said. “He’s the best. Mentally, we talk about different things. Going through the downs, he was on the road last week in Montreal, so it was good to talk to him about that. The other night against Phily, I thought I had a good effort, but four goals on 25 shots, it’s not result you’re looking for. “He just says stick to the plan, these things happen, goals are going to go in, good players are going make good plays on big breakdowns. He believes in me, which is nice as well, and coming in for practice, we get a lot of good time to work on different things. We see different situations in games where I get scored on for whatever reason, we’ll work on it in practice and get better at it. It’s a non-stop learning process for a guy like me.” Spotlight on: Dustin Byfuglien. The hulking Winnipeg defenseman leads all NHL players with 915:21 of total ice time and a 27:44 per-game average. He’s the only player to have played more than 900 minutes. Byfuglien also leads the Jets with 93 shots but he has yet to score on the power play. NOTEBOOK: Avalanche — All 23 players practiced Sunday including three goalies, each of whom are on the two-game trip that includes Tuesday’s game at Minnesota. Spencer Martin will back up starting goalie Calvin Pickard on Sunday unless Semyon Varlamov (groin injury) is deemed 100 percent. Varlamov is the likely starter Tuesday. … Colorado has the NHL’s fewest points (23) but is 7-7 on the road. … Avs coach Jared Bednar finished practice with fun Sunday by officiating a breakaway contest. Nathan MacKinnon won with Mikko Rantanen the runner-up. Jets — They are 7-4-1 against Central Division teams, including 4-0 at home where they have outscored their divisional foes 19-3. They have shut out their last two Central opponents at home — Nov. 15 vs. Chicago and Nov. 27 against Nashville. Overall, the Jets are on a three-game winning streak against Central teams. … Winnipeg is just 2-for-22 (9 percent) on the power play in its last seven home games. The Jets have given up a power-play goal their last four games and are 8-for-16 (50 percent) on the penalty kill during that stretch. NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/avalanche/news/pickard-to-start-against-hometown-jets/c-284809188

Pickard To Make First Career Start In Hometown The Avalanche goaltender grew up in Winnipeg by Ron Knabenbauer @RonKnab / ColoradoAvalanche.com

Talk to Calvin Pickard about Winnipeg, and the Colorado Avalanche goaltender will gladly tell you all about his hometown. Despite being born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Pickard spent most of his childhood in Manitoba's capital city, where many of his family and friends still live to this day. He is proud of where he grew up, and he returns to the city every offseason to train. On Sunday afternoon, he'll make his first career NHL start in Winnipeg as the Avalanche begins a quick two-game trip against the Jets at MTS Centre. "I always love going back to Winnipeg. It's home for me," Pickard said after Saturday's practice at Family Sports Center. "I live there in the summers. All the family and friends are there. It's always a fun environment to play in in Winnipeg. I'm definitely looking forward to getting on the plane and getting there and have a nice home cooked meal and get back to work." Pickard's only other game against the Jets came in Denver on Dec. 11, 2014 when he made 30 saves in a 4-3 shootout victory. That was his ninth career NHL outing. He's now a more established netminder as he enters Sunday's 1 p.m. MT contest, which will be the third time he's played at the home rink of the Jets. His previous two games came nearly a year ago (Dec. 16-17, 2015) against the Manitoba Moose while he was playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League. Prior to last December, he hadn't played in the city since midget hockey. "It's going to be nice to have the people that have supported me all the way through at the game," Pickard said of the family and friends that will come out to Sunday's matinee contest. "They're all pretty big Jets fans, but I think tomorrow they'll be Avalanche fans, which will be nice for us. It will be fun." While Pickard is excited to have that support in the arena, he's fully aware of the situation the Avalanche is in. This is a business trip, and Colorado needs to find a way to play more consistent and start picking up wins. "We haven't had the results that we've wanted the last couple games, but we've done a lot of good things as a team," Pickard said. "We've outplayed both teams for a lot of the games, but 0-2 isn't a great spot for us. We can't dwell on it. We got to look forward and go to Winnipeg and have a good effort there and see what happens." Pickard will be making his third consecutive start in net for the first time this season, as fellow goalie Semyon Varlamov continues to battle back from a minor groin injury. Varlamov is making progress as he took part in his first full team practice on Saturday morning. He said afterward that he's feeling good and his main focus is getting his conditioning back to where it was. "You have to make sure you're 100 percent, you're conditioning is good because when you're losing a couple practices, you lose conditioning right away," Varlamov said. "You're like, 'Oh my god, I'm out of shape,' after four days of not skating. It's the most important thing and then to feel the puck--another important thing for the goalie when you're not practicing for four days again. You just don't feel the puck well, so you need to get back at it and make sure you're ready and 100 percent."

Varlamov will likely skate Sunday morning before the Avs' tilt with the Jets and will get another practice in on Monday in Minnesota. If his rehab continues to go well then he should make his return to the crease for Tuesday's contest at the Wild. The Russian netminder last played on Sunday in Toronto where he made 51 saves in the Avs' victory. When the team left on its charter flight Saturday afternoon for Canada, the Denver metro area was having one of its coldest days of the year. Temperatures were in the low single digits, but that will be warm compared to where the team is going. "I was talking to my dad this morning, and he was saying something like minus-30 with the wind chill," Pickard said of the weather in Manitoba. "And where we stay it is supposedly the windiest corner in Canada, so that is not going to help our cause. I think we're going to have to stay indoors, for sure." Even for a Winnipegger, some days it is just better to stay inside. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/putting-in-work/c-284810278

Putting in Work Special teams the focus of Sunday's practice at MTS Iceplex by Mitchell Clinton @MClinton007 / WinnipegJets.com While Friday night was all about fun at the Skills Competition, it was back to work on Saturday for the Winnipeg Jets, and work they did. "It was a good practice, good pace. It's something we haven't been able to do a lot lately with our schedule," said Bryan Little. "It was nice to get out there and work on things today, and we looked pretty good doing it. It's a positive sign." The 45-minute skate finished with special teams work, following a tough night against Florida that saw the team go 0-for-2 on the man advantage. In addition, the Jets allowed three goals on the penalty kill in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win. The Jets have scored one power play goal in the last 14 opportunities - a span of five games. Patrik Laine continues to lead the team in power play goals with seven, and says simplicity is the key to getting back on track, starting with Sunday's game against the Colorado Avalanche. "We don't have to (make) everything so hard," he said. "Just play simple, a lot of shots, and easy passes. I think that's the key." Little had 2:08 of power play time against the Panthers, and said the Jets have been looking for the "perfect" pass or play too often.

"We just worked on trying to get pucks to the net, get some scrambles, some rebounds, maybe a couple ugly ones," Little said. "I think the biggest thing is moving the puck quick. Let the puck do the work. As a killer, when you're chasing the puck all around and you have to move a lot, that's when you get tired and you make a mistake. "The faster we move the puck, the more openings we'll get." As for the penalty kill, the Jets have given up at least one goal while shorthanded in each of the last four games. Head coach Paul Maurice says the problem is related to the lack of aggression the team has shown while down a man. "We've gotten ourselves to the point that we have absolutely no up ice pressure, we've had no stand at the line," he said. "So we spend an awful lot of time in that tight box trying to pick up seams, and teams will pick you apart on that. That's the crux of it." While Colorado's power play is ranked 21st in the NHL at 15.9 percent, Maurice says it can be tough to be aggressive up ice against the Avalanche while on the penalty kill. "Tomorrow is a different look because they run a drop with (Tyson) Barrie, who is elite at getting through," said Maurice. "So we're still not going to get the aggresiveness we'd like to have in our PK, but that's the starting point with that." Overall, Colorado is 2-7-1 in their last 10 games, including a 3-1 loss to Florida on Friday night. The Jets are eight points clear of the Avalanche in the Central Division standings, but have split the first two meetings of the season between the two clubs. "It's that time of the year right now. You're either going to be chasing for the second half or you're going to be in a better spot," said Little. "We're right on that line. We want to go into the Christmas break feeling good, and hopefully with a few wins." https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/practice--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-47488203

PRACTICE | Paul Maurice Head coach Paul Maurice on the power play, injuries, Laine, Lowry and more https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/practice--patrik-laine/t-277437442/c-47487503

PRACTICE | Patrik Laine Patrik Laine talks about the power play and Sunday's matchup with the Colorado Avalanche https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/practice--bryan-little/t-277437442/c-47487403

PRACTICE | Bryan Little Bryan Little talks about improving the power play following Saturday's practice www.moosehockey.com

http://moosehockey.com/news/recap-dec17/

Recap: Moose 2 at IceHogs 4 By Tyler Esquivel Manitoba Moose (11-11-2-2) at Rockford IceHogs (8-13-2-3) Saturday, December 17, 2016 – BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford IL Scoring Summary 1 2 3 F Manitoba Moose 1 0 1 2 Rockford IceHogs 2 0 2 4 Shots By Period 1 2 3 F Manitoba Moose 13 8 10 31 Rockford IceHogs 19 10 8 37 Special Teams PP PK PIM Manitoba Moose 0/3 3/4 35 Rockford IceHogs 1/4 3/3 38 Goaltender Summary Goaltender MIN SA SV Manitoba Moose Ondrej Pavelec 57:53 37 33 Rockford IceHogs Mac Carruth 59:57 31 29 Goal Summary PER TIME TEAM GOAL ASSIST ASSIST STR SCORE 1 10:00 MB Jimmy Lodge (5) Patrice Cormier (2) Quinton Howden (8) ES 1-0 MB 1 13:58 RFD Tanner Kero (5) Ville Pokka (9) Nick Schmaltz (2) PP 1-1 1 15:25 RFD Luke Johnson (2) Ville Pokka (10) Sam Carrick (6) ES 2-1 RFD 3 5:47 RFD Nick Schmaltz (3) SH 3-1 RFD 3 7:06 RFD Mark McNeill (5) Tanner Kero (12) Erik Gustafsson (6) ES 4-1 RFD 3 17:33 MB Brendan Lemieux (4) Peter Stoykewych (6) JC Lipon (7) ES 4-2 RFD Game Story The Manitoba Moose (11-11-2-2) began a three games in three days stretch this evening in Rockford, IL. Manitoba’s second game of the season against the IceHogs (8-13-2-3) got off to a quick start as the Moose had offensive chances early and often. The Moose made the most of their opportunities at the midway mark of the first as Jimmy Lodge finished off a beautiful passing sequence to give Manitoba a 1-0 lead. Quinton Howden and Patrice Cormier grabbed

assists on Lodge’s fifth of the season. Rockford tied the game a few minutes later on the powerplay at 13:58 when Tanner Kero squeezed one past a sprawling Ondrej Pavelec. The home side jumped up 2-1 less than two minutes later at 15:25 when Luke Johnson found twine with Ville Pokka and Sam Carrick picking up assists. After the first period saw three goals, two fights and just about everything in between, the middle frame was rather quiet. Moose goaltender Ondrej Pavelec turned aside all 10 shots that came his way in the second. Before the period drew to a close, Manitoba took to the powerplay when IceHogs forward Kyle Baun took a boarding penalty 22 seconds before the horn sounded. The third period started well for the Manitoba Moose after they were able to get solid pressure on Rockford’s penalty kill. However, the IceHogs were the ones to take advantage. Nick Schmaltz pounced on a Manitoba turnover and fired it past Pavelec for a shorthanded tally 5:47 into the final frame. For the second time in the game, the IceHogs scored another set of quick back-to-back goals when Mark McNeill finished off a tick-tack-toe, vaulting the home side to a 4-1 lead. The Moose were able to put one past IceHogs ‘tender Mac Carruth in the third when Brendan Lemieux redirected a Peter Stoykewych point blast at 17:33 to cut into Rockford’s lead. Lemieux’s goal was all the Moose could muster down the stretch as Rockford picked up a 4-2 victory. Quick Hits *Brendan Lemieux’s third period marker was his fourth goal of the season and first in 13 games. *Peter Stoykewych now has assists in two straight games. *Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves, giving him six starts with 30 or more stops this season. *Tonight’s attendance was 3,178. What’s Next? It’s a mad dash to the holiday break for the Manitoba Moose as they head to Des Moines, IA for a back-to-back series (Dec. 18,19) beginning tomorrow afternoon versus the Iowa Wild. Tomorrow’s puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m. CT. To listen to all Manitoba Moose road games, visit mooshockey.com/listenlive. Be sure to tune in 15 minutes before puck drop for the pre-game show with Mitch Peacock for all the latest updates and analysis.