Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
The Winnipeg Jets 3 stars for the week.
This past week saw the Jets get four points out of a possible 8 including a huge win against the Dallas Stars last night.
The Jets played well in all the games this week but couldn’t pull off 2 points in any of the games except the Stars game last night. They went into overtime against the Colorado Avalanche and into a shootout against the Vancouver Canucks. The game against the New York Rangers they were in it the entire game but couldn’t get the equalizer until the Rangers scored to take a 2 goal lead. The Jets are still in the hunt and if they can out together a good run til the end of the season, anything can happen. A lot of players could have been stars this week but these are my choices.
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
#3 Star goes to Michael Frolik. Frolik scored a big goal against the Stars last night that tied the game up and changed the whole game in the Jets favour. Frolik had 2 goals and 2 assists in the 4 games this week. He continues to play outstanding in his own end and has scored some big goals this week. His work on a line with Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little has been impressive and they are a threat every time they step on the ice. Ladd also gets an honourable mention for his work this week.
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
#2 Star goes to Blake Wheeler. Wheeler had 4 assists against the Stars for a total of 6 assists this week. He was flying around the ice against Dallas and even had some great opportunities to score himself, but if you aren’t scoring, setting others up does the job. He has been great in his own end blocking shots and is always dangerous in the offensive zone. I’m sure he’d like to get a goal but if you keep working hard like he has been, good things happen.
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
#1 Star goes to Dustin Byfuglien. Byfuglien had 5 goals and 1 assist this week and has been a force in the offensive zone. He’s also been a threat on defense on the powerplay controlling the play and getting himself open for his hard heavy shot. Teams can’t control him when he goes to the net and has excellent speed for a guy his size as he showed when he broke away from Stars’ defenceman Brenden Dillon on a breakaway. The Jets are going to need Big Buff playing like that if they are to make the playoffs this year.
It was a good week if you go by how the Jets played but a tough week only getting 4 out of 8 points but they won in regulation against the Stars for a 4 point swing. If they continue playing this way, they should be on the good side of the games the rest of the way. It’s a tight race right now with a logjam between the Jets, Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks and even the Nashville Predators are only 3 points back of the Jets. The Jets are 4 points behind the Stars and the Stars have 2 games in hand. With games against the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and St. Louis Blues this week, it goes without saying all their games are important and they can’t have any let downs. The Jets are in Dallas next weekend and that game will be huge if they can come within 1 or 2 points going into that game. It’s an uphill battle but it’s doable.
What are your 3 stars? Let us know on twitter @hkyattheforks