Stanley Cup thread 2019-2020

[Josephus]

Time for my annual Yonge Street parade planning.
Will revisit in June.

[Barrister]

So, the Winnipeg Jets D-corps for 2018-2019 were as follows:

Josh Morrissey - Jacob Trouba
Ben Chiarot - Dustin Byfuglien
Dmitry Kulikov - Tyler Myers

Not a single one of those players will be in the lineup tonight in Pittsburgh.  Morrisey is out with injury, Trouba was traded, Chiarot and Myers signed elsewhere as free agents, Kulikov was given a leave of absence, and Byfuglien has also been given a leave of absence, apparently as he ponders retirement.

Our D tonight will be Sami Niku (AHL call-up), Carl Dahlstrom (waiver wire pick up from Chicago), Neal Pionk (got him in the Trouba trade - perhaps the only legit NHLer in the group), Ville Heinola (18 year old rookie), Anthony Bitteto (free agent signing earning league minimum), and Tucker Poolman (AHL call-up).  This entire group played 30 games for the Jets last year.

And against the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

We're doomed.

[PRC]

Yeah - Jets are going to have some issues because of their D.  Still a strong forward group and good goaltending though, they're in tough tonight, but they'll be all right this year.

[Barrister]

Yeah - Jets are going to have some issues because of their D.  Still a strong forward group and good goaltending though, they're in tough tonight, but they'll be all right this year.

Yeah, so Morrissey should be back soon, as should Kulikov.  Them, together with Pionk, is at east a start.  There's still hope Byfuglien comes back - his retirement hasn't been announced, his body may just need a good rest (injuries really hampered him last year).

Heinola has looked good, but at 18 he should go back to Finland to develop.  Niku and Poolman should grow into regular starters.  Bitetto is a tire fire, and let's see what we've got in Dahlstrom.

But tonight's line-up though

[saskganesh]

Chevy will have an observation year before fixing that D.

[PRC]

Jets are doing all right...

[Valmy]

  Caps ruin it for Dallas with seconds to go!

Well still have to win in overtime but at least they are guaranteed a point.

Edit: Doh! That was fast 

Ah well. That goal won the Caps one point. One more point closer to another President's Trophy.

[Barrister]

Jets are doing all right...

That's what I love about sports.

Just as I call out the Jets defence for being incredibly weak, even as I don't even bring up that the Jets have never beaten the Penguins in Pittsburgh since relocation... Jets win 4-1, with three of the four goals coming from the blueline.

That was satisfying.

[viper37]

I watched part of the game, Saturday night.  Toronto-Montreal.  At 4-1, I thought I was safe...
Goddam Habs.

Yesterday night, though, they lost in overtime.  At last.

[Grey Fox]

At last? They played 3 games, lost 2 in OT/SO.

[PRC]

Jets are doing all right...

That's what I love about sports.

Just as I call out the Jets defence for being incredibly weak, even as I don't even bring up that the Jets have never beaten the Penguins in Pittsburgh since relocation... Jets win 4-1, with three of the four goals coming from the blueline.

That was satisfying.

Pens got their revenge tonight.

[Barrister]

So on Tuesday night, the Jets attendance was 14,764.  That's less than the building maximum of 15,000 and change.  They did not sell out.

This was the first time since the team returned in 2011 that they did not sell out.

Whats more, Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal were also all playing at home on Tuesday, and did not sell out.  Toronto was the only Canadian team that did.

Is this a one-off blip (early in the season, Tuesday night, bad weather), or harbinger of things to come?

[viper37]

Statiscally, one isolated data is worth nothing.

Combined with the bad weather on a Tuesday night, with maybe a boring team (whom did they play?), I'll tend toward a one-off blip, but it's too early to tell.

[Barrister]

Fun outdoor game in Regina. Jets with the winner in OT. 

Nice visuals with the falling snow throughout the game too.