Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois just continues to get the job done.

A few weeks removed from his team's third Stanley Cup Final appearance, the League's top executive continues to prove that building a championship team is no minor task.

After signing Jeff Blashill as an assistant coach to add to Jon Cooper's staff on Tuesday, the Lightning announced the addition of two players via free agency on Wednesday morning, before dropping the hammer on three more long-term extensions shortly thereafter.

Early on in the free agent signing period, the Bolts announced the contract of defenceman Ian Cole. The 33-year-old signed on for just one year at a $3 million paycheque. He scored twice and added 17 assists in 75 games for Carolina last season, while adding a goal and an assist in 14 postseason games for the Canes.

Cole has 29 goals, 165 points and a plus-131 rating through his 12 seasons of NHL play. He's been in the postseason nine times, or 75 percent of his years in the Show.

Then, just a half hour later, the team agreed to terms with former first round draft pick Vladislav Namestnikov on another one-year deal worth $2.5 million. Selected 27th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, Namestnikov has played in 553 games between the Lightning, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche, to which he has put up 107 goals and 236 points. 17 of his goals have come on the power play, while 13 were game-winners.

Having left Tampa in 2018, Namestnikov has seen the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups before falling in the Final this past spring. He will return to the team to which he has found the most success in his NHL career.
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And as if things couldn't get any better for BriseBois and Co., the Lightning then announced eight-year contract extensions for blossoming, young defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, forward Anthony Cirelli, and shutdown blueliner Erik Cernak.

With the contracts set to begin for 2023-24, the Bolts will have considerable cap tied up in just a minimal number of players after this coming season runs out. According to CapFriendly, nearly $80 million will be spent on just 14 players. Sounds some some very difficult decisions for BriseBois in the near future. But for now, it's back to business. And that's the business of winning.

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BriseBois' Bolts Back to Business

<h2>IT WILL BE A CLOSE GAME IF CANADA HAS ENOUGH FIREPOWER</h2>It’s unlikely there is a hockey fan in North America who doesn’t understand what’s happening on Thursday night. It’s also unlikely that there is a fan who isn’t aware of the impact and importance of an exhibition hockey game that, back in October, was promising to be little more than a February diversion.&nbsp;Thursday night, it’s the one-game final of the inaugural Four Nations Face-Off between Canada and the United States -- a tournament that has been a wonderful surprise at every level. However, it is not just a hockey game. For Canada, it's an international and cultural fight that hasn’t been seen since the 1972 Canada-Soviet Union Summit Series.&nbsp;Oh, sure we’ve had plenty of big games with both the USA and Russia since then. The Olympic gold medal games against the USA in 2002 and 2010 immediately come to mind.&nbsp;However, while the two countries battled hard on the ice in those Olympic Games, one country didn’t despise the other enough to boo its national anthem, That’s an opinion that has obviously changed. Politics is a nasty thing when one country becomes a rogue, authoritarian police state almost overnight. That, I'm afraid, is even more distasteful.&nbsp;It’s almost fitting, then, that this game on Thursday night has a real 1972 Canada-Soviet atmosphere engulfing it.&nbsp;The way the United States President has talked in the past two days about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the administration of the United States is now, for lack of a better term, a propaganda arm of Vladimir Putin’s Russian government. As Donald Trump spews Russian talking points about one of Canada’s allies (and until Jan. 20, 2025, an ally of the USA), and threatens to invade Canada, our relationship with the USA has changed instantly and dramatically.&nbsp;And Canadians have noticed. They have been booing the Star-Spangled Banner since the current United States president reneged on the Canada-Mexico-United States Trade Agreement, an agreement that he not only touted and but also bragged about. &nbsp;and instead announced that he will put 25 per cent trade tariffs on many important Canadian goods exported to the USA. It was not only a violation of the agreement, but it was also a targeted attack on Canada, with Trump making clear that he hoped to destroy his neighbours’ economy to force Canada to join the US as, “the 51st State.”&nbsp;Since then, every time Trump addresses the issue, he almost repeats, word-for-word, what Putin said shortly before he invaded Ukraine.&nbsp;Now, frankly, I would have preferred a loud chant of Trump Sucks! during the anthem as opposed to booing. After all, 48.3 percent of US voters did cast their ballots for Kamala Harris while 49.1 percent voted for Trump. It was a close election, and 75 million American voters knew what Trump was going to do to them – and us -- if he won the election. After all, when it comes to the MAGA movement, inflicting pain on people is a feature, not a bug.&nbsp;However, Trump did win and when he threatens, on an almost weekly basis, to “annex” Canada, it’s quite easy to understand why Canadians are pissed.&nbsp;For all intents and purposes, we are in an undeclared war with the United States, a country that is now an ally of the Russian government and if that doesn’t make Thursday’s hockey game a mirror of the final games of the ’72 Summit Series, I’d be hard-pressed to find another one that does. OK, sure, maybe the final of the 1987 Canada Cup between Canada and the Soviet Union (Canada won 6-5 on what was maybe the International Goal of the Century), but that’s the closest any other tournament has come. And when I covered that game at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, I didn’t sense an outright hatred for the opponent.&nbsp;Thursday night’s game will be different. It’s in Boston, a Blue State that voted for Harris last November and probably hates Trump as much as most Canadians, but still Canadians are righteously upset at the Donald and his threats, so for most Canadian hockey fans, while the venue will be more friendly than, say Tampa or Raleigh, it’s still being played on enemy ground. This is hockey war and Canadians – fans and players alike – want nothing less than a symbolic victory.&nbsp;“We’re out there playing for the flag, not the cameras,” said Team Canada’s Brandon Hagel during an off-day news conference earlier this week. “That’s a part of Canada that we have in there. We don’t need to initiate anything, we don’t have any group chats going on, we’re going out there playing our game and giving it everything and doing it for our country.”Hagel was referring to two the three US MAGAts, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and JT Miller who picked three fights just nine seconds into last Saturday night’s Canada-USA preliminary-round game in Montreal.Dirty, goon hockey is a trademark of the Tkachuk boys and they don’t need much of an excuse to make a cheap-ass spectacle of themselves. In fact, the Tkachuks’ dancing around like idiots against Canada last Saturday brought back memories of Matthew Tkachuk’s successful attempt to injure the Jets’ Mark Scheifele during the COVID season of 2020. The hit on Scheifele in which Tkachuk attempted to slice the Jets’ forward’s Achilles with his skate, was called “disgusting,” by then-Jets head coach Paul Maurice, but it was all in a day’s work for a Tkachuk brother (and why I’m glad Scheifele wasn’t asked to play for Team Canada this year).So, all that (and likely a little more), will be the backdrop for Thursday’s game in Boston. Canada, almost as a nation, is hoping the Canadians can avenge last Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Yanks, a close 2-1-with-an-empty- netter outcome that makes Thursday night’s game even more dramatic. Last Saturday’s game was close, this one could very well be close again. The Vegas oddsmakers on Wednesday had it at even-money.However, I do have to add a word of caution. The United States has a better team. The Americans have the best goaltender in the world in Connor Hellebuyck and they have more elite goal scorers. Canada’s goaltending is clearly second-best in this matchup and, after Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon and maybe Mitch Marner, the Canadians don’t have many (or any) pure goal scorers. As well, it’s been a really tough tournament for Sam Bennett, Travis Konecny, Brad Marchand and Anthony Cirelli, who are obviously having trouble with the elite level of speed this tournament has delivered.However, to be fair, McDavid, McKinnon, Crosby and the Canadian defensive corps have all been superb throughout the event, an event that was not supposed to be as good or as exciting as it has been. Oh, and Winnipeg Jets' D-man Josh Morrissey deserves a special shout out. He has been outstanding in every game. And we could not assess an international hockey tournament without mentioning one important intangible: There is no measuring stick for the size of the heart of a Canadian hockey player. Never has been. And that’s why you just can’t look at stats or even a player’s history and then suggest, “Well, the Canadians aren’t good enough.”The heart and soul of the Canadian hockey player has long driven Canada’s international success and that’s what Canadian hockey fans want to see on Thursday night.Give ‘em hell Team Canada. Give ‘em hell.

Canada-USA Final Has Atmosphere of '72 Summit Series

<h2>Moose Split back-to-back with wild</h2>The Manitoba Moose improved to 13-27-1-1 on the season thanks to a weekend split vs. division rival Iowa this past week.The Moose lit up the Wild for eight goals for in the two games while giving up just five of their own in the process. Youngster Domenic DiVincentiis was handed the first loss, while Kaapo Kahkonen was in goal to earn a big win. After falling behind 3-0 in the first game of the back-to-back, captain Dominic Toninato finally got the Moose on the board, scoring with 57 seconds left in the game, making it 3-1, to which it would end. DiVincentiis turned aside 33 of the 35 shots he faced, with one Wild goal having been scored into the empty net.“I think for the most part we were battling, sometimes the puck just doesn’t bounce for you," said forward Parker Ford, who somehow managed eight shots on goal in the game. "This final stretch of the season, we just gotta find a way. We know those are big points, they’re right ahead of us in the standings, and tomorrow is huge for us.”&nbsp;As Ford indicated, things would get better for the team, as the weekend wore on. In fact, the result of the game on Sunday was much better than the 3-1 loss the Moose faced the day before.Ford, Dylan Coghlan and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby each scored twice in the 7-2 thrashing, with Brad Lambert picking up three primary assists in the win. Kahkonen turned aside 23 of the 25 shots he faced in the victory. “Finally pucks started going in for us, we played a good sixty minutes and got off to a good start, which helps," Lambert said after the win. "We had everyone tonight, that was the key.”&nbsp;Next up for Manitoba is a Wednesday night affair at Canada Life Centre vs. the Texas Stars. Members of the Game On photography staff are typically on site for Moose and Jets games, with a selection of their photos being shared below:*Photos courtesy of Steve Sasaki:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8061.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7875.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7712.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7592.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7868.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_9558.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_9394.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_0424.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_0201.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_9525-2.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_9836.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_1315.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_0476.jpg">

GALLERY: Moose Split Back-to-Back with Wild

THE JETS LEAD THE NHL BY TWO POINTS AND THE WEST BY NINEConnor Hellebuyck was outstanding once again, and the Winnipeg Jets have now won eight games in a row.&nbsp;Friday night in front of a raucous crowd at Canada Life Centre, the Jets held off an attacking New York Islanders team to win 4-3 and go into the two-week Four Nations Face-off break in first place overall in the National Hockey League.&nbsp;Gabriel Vilardi had two goals while his linemates, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each had two assists, as the Jets improved to 39-14-3 on the season. The Jets, who lead the NHL in points and wins, improved to 30-0-1 when leading after the second period and are the last remaining team in the NHL that has yet to lose when leading after any intermission. They are also 11-2-0 in their last 13 games.“It’s just sticking with our game plan,” said Vilardi, the game’s first star. “It was great to get this win, especially in font of these fans. We just keep winning. We’re excited for the break and it’s going to be great getting back in front of these fans again.”&nbsp;The Jets didn’t get off to a great start and were really scrambling at the end, but their play in the second period was enough to secure the victory.&nbsp;The Islanders wasted no time taking a 1-0 lead. A minute into the period, Dylan Samberg fanned on a shot in the Islanders zone and New York quickly took the puck the other way. With a three-on-one against Neal Pionk, Jean-Gabriel Pageau fed Simon Holmstrom and the Islanders were on the board at 1:05.&nbsp;The Jets answered at 4:45 when Alex Iafallo scored a highlight-reel goal. After losing his stick in his own zone while the Islanders were pressing, Iafallo was handed another stick from the bench just as Samberg gained control of the puck. Samberg got it quickly to Iafallo who flew down the right wing, beat Bo Horvat -- who did everything both legal and illegal to stop the determined Jets winger -- and then went in alone on Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin. Iafallo made no mistake, roofing one past Sorokin for his eighth goal of the year. Samberg and Brad Lambert, who picked up his first NHL point, drew the assists.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 12:07 when the Jets Mason Appleton couldn’t control the puck behind his own net. The puck popped off Appleton’s stick, rolled in front to the Islanders Marc Gatcomb who was all by himself and Gatcomb beat Hellebuyck on the backhand for his third of the season. It was, of course, unassisted.&nbsp;The Jets and Islanders each had nine shots in the first. The Jets outhit New York 12-6 and the Islanders won a whopping 66.7 per cent of the face offs.&nbsp;In the second period, the Jets had an early power-play and generated a couple of good scoring chances by Sorokin was solid. But then, moments after the Islanders penalty ended, the Jets’ Kyle Connor picked up a loose puck at his blueline, streaked down the leftwing and fed a perfect cross-ice pass to Gabriel Vilardi who made no mistake, and it was suddenly 2-2. Mark Scheifele also picked up an assist as Vilardi scored his 23rd of the year at 4:23.&nbsp;The Jets took a 3-2 lead at 14:50 when Cole Perfetti made an absolutely magnificent pass from behind the Islanders net, right onto the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers who buried a shot behind an Islanders’ goaltender who was so far out of position he might as well have been in the third row. It was Ehlers 17th of the year as Perfetti and Vladislav Namestnikov drew the assists.&nbsp;The Jets extended the lead to 4-2 when Marck Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi played a little tic-tac-doe in front of the Islanders net and eventually Vilardi roofed a wrister from the slot at 18:18. It was Vilardi’s second of the night and 24th of the season as Scheifele (32) and Connor (39) drew the helpers.&nbsp;It was a tremendous period for the Jets who outshot New York 13-7 and completely controlled the pace of the game. It was an especially impressive period for the big line of Connor, Scheifele and Vilardi who put up six points and dominated every zone. The Jets also won 64.5 per cent of the faceoffs and that didn’t hurt.&nbsp;Things got a little dicey for the Jets early in the third period as Cole Perfetti and Colin Miller each took minor penalties before the seven-minute mark. The PK easily fought off the Perfetti minor and actually had the two best scoring chances while short-handed. On the second penalty-killing situation, the Jets were just as efficient and looked like a team that was off to another victory.&nbsp;However, at 11:07, Kyle Palmieri pounced on a loose puck in front of the Jets’ net and with Hellebuyck way out of position, Palmieri drilled his 15th of the year into a wide-open net. It was 4-3 and the Jets were back into a tussle.&nbsp;In fact, at the 12-minute mark, Hellebuyck might have made the stop of the year with a magnificent glove save off Casey Cizikas. The Islanders were pressing, and the Jets’ defence was back on its heels.&nbsp;Trouble really started brewing at 13:11 when Dylan DeMelo picked up a tripping penalty and the Islanders went on the attack. They peppered Hellebuyck with eight shots in a two-minute stretch and the Jets goaltender was sensational. It was another big penalty kill, but unlike the first two, this was all Hellebuyck. The Jets didn’t get the puck out of their own zone for a full two minutes, but their Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender was the saviour once again.&nbsp;The Islanders pulled out all the stops with 2:19 left in the third period. Coach Patrick Roy pulled Sorokin and went with six attackers. However, with Hellebuyck at his best, the Jets held the Isles off the board and record their 39th win of the year&nbsp;The three stars were Scheifele (3), Connor (2) and Vilardi (1), but even though he allowed three goals, Hellebuyck was the hero. His play in the third period is the reason why he’s a Vezina Trophy winner – and the reason the Jets won their eighth straight game.&nbsp;The Islanders outshot the Jets 19-6 in the third period and 35-27 overall. It was the first time in 17 games that the Jets have allowed more than 30 shots against. The Jets outhit the Islanders 19-14, but the Isles won 56 per cent of the faceoffs and that made a big difference, especially in the third period.&nbsp;Winnipeg has two weeks off and will play again on Saturday, Feb. 22 in St. Louis. They will return to Winnipeg on Monday the 24th to face the San Jose Sharks at 6:30 p.m.

Jets Beat Islanders 4-3 to Win Eighth Straight and Lead NHL at the Break

<h2>COMRIE SUPERB AS JETS WIN SEVENTH STRAIGHT</h2>For Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel, it was almost a perfect hockey game. For Jets backup goaltender Eric Comrie it was absolute perfection.&nbsp;Comrie made 28 saves to earn his first shutout of the season as the Jets beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 to win their seventh straight game and remain first overall in the National Hockey League.&nbsp;The star-studded Hurricanes came into Winnipeg as betting-line favourites and despite being the second-place team in the Eastern Conference looked quite ordinary against a Jets team that has put up some amazing numbers in the last fortnight.&nbsp;1.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Jets are now 38-14-3, first in the NHL and first in the Western Conference by nine points.2.&nbsp;&nbsp; They improved to 29-0-1 when leading after the second period and are the last remaining team in the NHL that has yet to lose when leading after any intermission.3.&nbsp;&nbsp; They held their opponent to fewer than 30 shots for the 16th straight &nbsp;&nbsp;game.4.&nbsp;&nbsp; They are 10-2-0 in their last 12 games.5.&nbsp;&nbsp; They are first overall in goals scored (198) in the NHL and third best in goals allowed (131)."Feels great," said Comrie, who was quite talkative and animated during his post-game interview. "It's always fun to get a shutout, I guess. I mean I'm never going to complain about that. The team was awesome in front of me. This is a just a fun group of guys to play with. It's just unbelievable. Every night they go and battle as hard as they can and it's just a special group to be a part of."&nbsp;This was a game the Jets controlled from the opening faceoff. They dictated the pace and really didn’t give Carolina more than a handful of decent scoring chances. It was a also a game in which all the scoring came from the second and fourth lines.&nbsp;In the first period, the Jets had a number of early opportunities to score but Carolina netminder Pyotr Kochetov was very sharp.&nbsp;The Hurricanes, meanwhile, had a power-play goal disallowed due to goaltender interference and it appeared as if we’d go to the intermission scoreless, but on the power play at 19:18, Winnipeg’s Nino Niederreiter ripped a shot past Kochetov and the home side had a 1-0 lead.&nbsp;Alex Iafallo and Vladislav Namestnikov drew the assists, but it was Iafallo who -- looking like Guy Lafleur -- stickhandled through three flailing Hurricanes to make the perfect pass to a wide-open Niederreiter. The Jets outshot Carolina 12-8 during the first period as Comrie was rock solid.&nbsp;The Jets took a 2-0 lead on the power play at 3:13 of the second period when Neal Pionk took a tip pass from Cole Perfetti, cruised in from the point and blasted a slapper over Kochetov’s glove from 20 feet out. It was Pionk’s eighth of the year as Perfetti and Niederreiter drew the assists.&nbsp;The Hurricanes outshot the Jets 12-6 in the second period, but once again, Comrie was calm, collected and steady in the Jets net and after 40 minutes, Winnipeg led 2-0.&nbsp;The Jets and Hurricanes were quite evenly matched for the first 14 minutes of the third period, but in the final six minutes, the Jets had complete control. They even had a goal disallowed when Namestnikov was deemed to have kicked the puck past Kochetov at the 14 minute mark.&nbsp;Then, at 16:19, Rasmus Kupari scored to give the Jets a 3-0 lead, but it was immediately called off by referee Trevor Hanson -- for reasons known only to Hanson. It might have been the worst call in hockey history (like, it was really, really terrible), but Jets head coach Scott Arniel challenged the call immediately. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the officials to come back and call it a good goal.&nbsp;It was Kupari’s fifth of the year as Mason Appleton and David Gustafsson drew the assists. It also put the game away.&nbsp;The Jets outshot Carolina 12-9 in the third period and 30-29 overall. Winnipeg went two-for-four on the power play while Carolina was zero-for two. The Jets outhit Carolina 24-13, but the Hurricanes won a whopping 64.5 per cent of the faceoffs.&nbsp;The three stars were Comrie, Niederreiter and Pionk. Niederreiter had the best line of the night with a goal and an assist, five shots, two hits and two blocked shots in 17:33 of total ice time.&nbsp;Perhaps it was also interesting that the Jets won their fifth straight game since an injury to captain Adam Lowry. With Lowry out of the lineup, the rest of the Jets have stepped up and outscored the opposition 23-9.&nbsp;The Jets will get a chance to extend the winning streak to eight on Friday. Night when the red-hot New York Islanders visit Canada Life Centre for a 7 p.m. start.

Comrie Records His First Shutout of the Season as Jets Whip Carolina 3-0

<h2>THE jets beat the caps in a thriller to claim top spot in NHL </h2>There were three things that I found especially interesting while watching the Winnipeg Jets defeat the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.&nbsp;First, some quick background. The Jets and Capitals were battling for first-place overall in what might have been the biggest mid-season game of the 2024-25 season. And in the end, it was a dandy. The Jets were great from the start, built a two-goal third-period lead, squandered it and then bounced back to win 5-4 in overtime. It was a tremendous game to watch -- real hockey entertainment.&nbsp;The game was also being played just as the President of the United States was declaring war on Canada. It’s a Trade War, mind you, but it’s still a war. Our closest neighbor and forever ally and friend was now our enemy and the hockey team from the smallest market in Canada was on the way to defeating the team representing the capital city of the United States. That didn’t really mean anything, but one can always hope it will become a metaphor someday.&nbsp;In the meantime, the Jets victory gave the little team from the middle of Canada a record of 37-14-3 and sole possession of first place in the National Hockey League. The team that is on the no-trade list of hundreds of NHL players is, currently, the best team in the game.&nbsp;Thanks to a remarkable general manager who has made the absolute best of the most difficult situation in the league and the total dedication of the top players – especially Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Dylan DeMelo and Connor Hellebuyck, who made long term financial commitments to the team -- the Jets have a chance to win the President's Trophy and maybe even take a run at a Stanley Cup.&nbsp;But here’s what intrigued me about watching the game on television. After the game, the SportsNet panel paid little or no attention to the Jets win (they did show the highlights, briefly) and spent the rest of the post-game -- the post-game I couldn't bear to watch for too long -- talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs.&nbsp;Granted, that isn’t new. In fact, it’s something we’ve come to expect from our two Toronto sports networks. Neither TSN nor SportsNet really give a drip about the NHL. It’s Leafs, Leafs, Leafs and the rest of the league is virtually meaningless. And isn’t likely to change.&nbsp;I was also intrigued about the response to the Jets win. It was Winnipeg’s sixth in a row; the third straight on a road trip through Montreal, Boston and Washington. Only the Islanders are on a more impressive streak (seven straight) and it left Winnipeg with the most wins in the league and a nine-point first-place advantage in the West.&nbsp;However, there was absolutely no reaction to those numbers, at least not that I heard, saw or read anywhere in the so-called national media. Instead, the Jets victory was secondary to Vladimir Putin fan-boy, Alex Ovechkin, closing in on Donald Trump fan-boy Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record. A thrilling overtime victory in a battle for first place played second or even third fiddle to a mythical scoring race that has nothing to do with the season at hand.&nbsp;Now, don’t get me wrong, that race deserves recognition, but it wasn’t more important or more fun than a 5-4 overtime victory by David over Goliath. Sorry, it just wasn’t.&nbsp;The third issue that intrigued me took place on another SportsNet station. (SportsNet The Huit?). In Ottawa, many fans decided to boo the US national anthem. It made me smile and wonder if that’s going to happen right across Canada? There is a game Sunday night in Vancouver and games on Tuesday in Winnipeg, Calgary and another in Vancouver. Wonder how the fans will respond?&nbsp;Which also makes me wonder about something else. Now that we are at war with the United States – no deadly weapons yet, but Americans are a strange gun-loving lot – will the 2024-25 NHL season actually conclude in mid-April as scheduled?&nbsp;Trump, who is as full of baloney as any Miller’s Meat Shop in Winnipeg, said the reason for his trade war with Canada was the “fact” that the Canadian border was allowing illegals and fentanyl to flow into the United States unchecked. His vacuous, googly-eyed press secretary said that fentanyl from Canada "killed tens of millions of Americans every year."&nbsp;We know that’s a big fat lie because you can actually check the numbers. Figures from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that the agency seized only 19.5 kilograms of fentanyl at the Canada-US border. If enough to kill “tens of millions of Americans” was seeping through, then US Customs and Border Patrol would be the most incompetent organization on the planet. And while I do not, in any way, believe that to be true, I also wonder why it would be Canada’s responsibility to fix an obviously enormous U.S. problem.&nbsp;Again, Donald Trump and a meat shop full of baloney go hand in hand. There is no leader on earth who dumps on his own professionals as much as Trump and if I were a Border Patrol agent, I’d be mighty offended.&nbsp;Which also makes me wonder if Trump’s next move would be to just close the border. He's goofy enough to do that. No more Canadians allowed in. No more people from anywhere allowed in. Far-fetched? Maybe, but I thought 25 per cent tariffs, tariffs that if left on too long will cripple the American middle class financially, were far-fetched. With this guy, nothing is far-fetched. He’d happily tank the entire US tourist industry just to make a stupid, apochryphal point.&nbsp;So, I wonder. Does the National Hockey League have a plan if the border is closed? Will the 2024-25 season actually play out until its conclusion?&nbsp;Originally, I was critical of Team Canada brass for not selecting the Jets Mark Scheifele to the national squad for the Four Nations Face-Off. After all, he is the 10th leading scorer in the NHL (fourth among Canadians behind only Nathan McKinnon, Mitch Marner and Connor McDavid) and he leads all Canadians in goals scored this season. And I’ve already seen what happens to a Canadian team in international play when they leave their top scorers at home. See: the 2025 World Junior Championship and the Top 4 eligible scorers in the WHL NOT in Canada’s lineup on a team with 14 players from the OHL.&nbsp;'However, I’m glad Scheifele won’t go now. It will give Winnipeg's top goal scorer two weeks to rest any bumps and bruises and keep him out of a potentially needless injury situation. His absence on that team will be good for the Jets.&nbsp;It will also keep him out a political situation that is very likely to get uglier and uglier as we move forward.&nbsp;

Jets Beat Caps in OT, Win Sixth Straight, Are Alone Atop the NHL

<h2>Vilardi HAS two goals and two assists to lead Jets</h2>The Winnipeg Jets are now on a three-game winning streak and back into the No. 1 spot in the National Hockey League.&nbsp;On Sunday night – WASAC Night – at Canada Life Centre, the Jets’ big line dominated the Calgary Flames in an impressive 5-2 victory.&nbsp;The Jets got two goals and two assists from first star Gabriel Vilardi, a goal and two assists from Kyle Connor and a goal and an assist from Mark Scheifele as they controlled the game for most of the evening and got backup netminder Eric Comrie his fourth win of the season. Comrie had gone a franchise-record eight straight games without a win despite playing well as the Jets just couldn’t seem to score when playing in front of him. On Sunday night, all that changed.&nbsp;And with the win came some pretty impressive numbers:&nbsp;1.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Jets extended their winning streak to three and moved back into a tie with Washington for first overall in the NHL with a 34-14-3 record.2.&nbsp;&nbsp; They improved to 20-5-1 at home this season – the best home record in the NHL.3.&nbsp;&nbsp; They improved to 19-0-2 when leading after the first period and 25-0-1 when leading after the second. They are the last remaining team in the NHL to have yet to lose when leading after an intermission.4.&nbsp;&nbsp; They held their opponent to fewer than 30 shots for the 12th straight game.5.&nbsp;&nbsp; They scored five or more goals for the 16th time this season. That leads the NHL and better yet, the Jets are 16-0-0 when they score five or more.&nbsp;The Jets’ numbers have been very impressive recently, but nobody’s numbers have been better than the Scheifele-Connor-Vilardi line. Connor is now seventh in the NHL in scoring with 27 goals and 63 points. Scheifele is 12th with 28 goals and 56 points and Vilardi has moved up the ladder to 34th with 22 goals and 47 points.&nbsp;“To be honest, that whole line is pretty good,” said a relieved Eric Comrie. “They score a lot of goals. They know how to score, and they know how to play the game. It’s a pleasure to watch them play. It’s also a lot of fun.”&nbsp;The Jets opened the scoring at 5:28 of the first period when Connor went flying down the middle of the ice, split the Calgary defence (he nearly broke both of Daniil Miromanov’s ankles) with an incredible move and then beat Flames netminder Dan Vladar with backhanded roof job. It was Connor’s 27th of the season as Vilardi and David Gustafsson drew the assists.&nbsp;At 10:17 of the second period, Mason Appleton made it 2-0 Winnipeg as he was in the right spot to bang a loose puck past Vladar. It was Appleton’s seventh of the year, and it came unassisted.&nbsp;Calgary’s MacKenzie Weegar made it close at 15:08 with a blast from the point, but Vilardi scored his first of the night, a power-play tally at 19:09, after taking a great pass from D-man Dylan Samberg. Scheifele also drew an assist as the Jets went to the intermission leading 3-1.&nbsp;Vilardi scored his second of the night, once again on the power play, at 3:07 of the third period. After taking a nice pass from Connor right near the crease, Vilardi made a quick move in front and then beat Vladar high on the glove side. It was now 4-1 Winnipeg, and the Jets were coasting.&nbsp;Calgary’s Nazem Kadri made it 4-2 at 4:27, but Scheifele scored his 28th of the year with a blistering wrist shot at 7:08 to put it away. Vilardi and Connor drew the assists.&nbsp;Vilardi, clearly the best player on the ice, extended his points streak to three games, tied a career-high with four points in a game, is now just one goal shy of his career season-high (23) and fourth in the NHL in power play goals with 11.&nbsp;The Jets went two-for-two on the power play and are now three-for-three with the man advantage in their last two games. Calgary was one-for-three on the PP. Winnipeg outshot Calgary 27-22 and won 54.2 percent of the faceoffs.&nbsp;Winnipeg now heads out onto the road to face the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. Game time in Winnipeg is 6 p.m.

Brilliant Night by Comrie, Vilardi and the Big Line lead Jets to 5-2 Win Over Calgary

<h2>HELLEBUYCK EHLERS SUPERB AS JETS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT</h2>In recent weeks, the Winnipeg Jets have been criticized (mildly, by a few “experts”) for not having enough secondary scoring. Meanwhile, the big line – Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi – has been sensational, notching 30, 26 and 24 points respectively in the team’s last 20 games.&nbsp;Friday night, almost magically, the secondary scoring appeared as the Jets whipped the visiting Utah Hockey Club 5-2.&nbsp;In fact, second-line winger Cole Perfetti lit up Canada Life Centre with the first hat-trick of his career as the Jets scored three goals in the third period to improve to 33-14-3 and remain first in the West and second overall in the NHL.&nbsp;“I’m just trying to focus on the input, on the small things, on doing every little detail as best as I can,” Perfetti told reporters after the game. “I know the play will develop. Nik Ehlers and Vlad Nemestnikov made some great plays, so I just went to the soft areas of the ice to find the open spots. And when it's your night, things kind of just bounce your way. I haven't had those bounces lately, but I’m just trying to be consistent with my game. I know I’ll get rewarded eventually.”&nbsp;With the win, the Jets improved to 19-5-3 at Canada Life Centre and have earned points in 13 of the last 15 home games. The Jets also improved to 19-3-2 and remain the only team in the league to be undefeated after leading at the end of the first and second periods.&nbsp;Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck dropped his league leading goals against average to 2.02 and became the first NHL goaltender to win 30 games this season. Hellebuyck is now 30-7-2 and has an eye-popping .926 save percentage after a league leading 39 games between the pipes.&nbsp;However, this night was about Perfetti. Jets head coach Scott Arniel was thrilled for his young forward: “When guys buy in to what you're preaching, and with Cole recognizing that he shouldn’t get farther away from the net, but stay close -- ‘Get inside, win your battles,’ making sure he's good defensively -- when you build that stuff throughout your team, that's how you have a winning hockey club."&nbsp;After a back-and-forth first period, Perfetti opened the scoring at 17:52 of Period 1, after taking a perfect pass from Gabriel Vilardi just to the left of Utah netminder Connor Ingram. Perfetti made no mistake as he caught the corner of the gaping cage to score his eighth of the season and first in 15 games. Ehlers and Vilardi drew the assists.&nbsp;In the second period, Utah’s Nick Schmaltz tipped home a Michael Kesselring shot to tie the game at 1:13, but Winnipeg’s David Gustafsson got himself a little puck luck. Dylan DeMelo dumped a shot into the Utah zone that Ingram was going to play behind the net, but the puck took a crazy bounce off the end boards, bounced in front and Gustafsson pumped it into the open net.&nbsp;The Jets led 2-1 after two periods and had outshot Utah 21-14, but they were still in a tight one. It got even tighter at 1:19 of the Barrett Hayton ripped a nice wrister into the corner past Hellebuyck to tie the game at two.&nbsp;However, at 5:51, Perfetti went to one of those soft spots on the ice and found himself with a loose puck and a wide-open Utah net. He made no mistake as he gave the Jets a 3-2 advantage and they never looked back. Namestnikov and DeMelo drew the assists on Perfetti’s second of the night and ninth of the year.&nbsp;Ehlers put the game away at 12:16 of the third when he stole the puck from Kesselring at the Jets blueline, went in alone on Ingram and made a beautiful deke and tucked the puck into the corner. Ehlers 15th of the year, unassisted, made it 4-2 and all that was left was to get Perfetti the hat.&nbsp;Of course, it was Ehlers who made a brilliant play. With the net empty, the Dashing dame outraced to Utah players to a loose puck then feathered a perfect pass to Perfetti who softly directed it toward the open cage. It was 5-2 Winnipeg, and the hats came flying onto the ice.&nbsp;After starting the week with a 3-1 loss at home to Calgary and then taking a 5-2 drubbing in Utah on Monday night, it was a big win for the Jets who have now won two in a row and are 6-2-1 in their last nine.&nbsp;Although Perfetti was the first star, Ehlers had a brilliant game. He had a goal and two assists and was a plus-three. He also had four shots and two hits in just 14:56 minutes of ice time. Linemate Namestnikov had an assist and was also plus-three.&nbsp;The Jets outshot Utah 29-19 and wone 54.5 per cent of the faceoffs. The Jets penalty kill held Utah to one power play goal in three tries while the Jets scored on their only power play as NHL officiating continued to dazzle with its inconsistency and, oftentimes, confusion.&nbsp;The Jets play again on Sunday night when they look for revenge against the Calgary Flames at Canada Life Centre. Game time is 6 p.m.

Perfetti Pots a Hattie as the Jets whip Utah 5-2

<h2>Moose fall to Marlies 3-0 on Friday</h2>After picking up four-straight wins and earning nine of a possible 10 points in their last five games, the Manitoba Moose fell back down to earth on Friday night.Hosting the Toronto Marlies in the first test of a two-game weekend series, the red-hot Moose had their winning streak snapped, as the visitors shut out the host 3-0 in a rather lopsided affair.Falling to 11-20-1-1 on the year, Manitoba gave up the first goal to Toronto just 5:33 in with Matthew Barbolini earning the opening tally. Jacob Quillan doubled the Marlies' lead before the period expired. The visitors added another on an empty net strike as time ticked down, sealing the deal for Toronto.Kaapo Kahkonen turned aside 27 of the 29 shots he faced, while none of his teammates managed to find the twine on the night. They will look to turn things around on Sunday after a day off on Saturday.“We had a great road trip and we didn’t carry that into the first period, for whatever reason," Moose forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who had three shots on net, said. "I thought we had a good response in the second and third, and generated a ton of chances. We need to keep that feeling we had on the road going.”&nbsp;Next up for Manitoba is the second half of the two-game series, as the Moose host the Marlies once again on Sunday afternoon. Puck drop is set for 2:00 PM central time.Members of the Game On photography staff were on site for the two games, and a selection of their photos can be found below:*Photos courtesy of Steve Sasaki:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7833.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7893.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8331.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7934.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8553.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8737-2.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7893.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_7934.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8999.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8861.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8981.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_8517.jpg">

GALLERY: Moose Shut Out by Marlies in Series Opener 

<h2>Jets fall to 31-13-3 on the season</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets fell to 31-13-3 on the season with a frustrating loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday.It was Hockey Day in Canada and the Jets packed their sold-out barn with rowdy, country music loving fans for the first annual Country Night.The boys in red, white and blue just couldn't find a way to score. Despite putting up 39 total shots on net, just one found its way through the young Dustin Wolf, who picked up his 16th win of the season - quite possibly his most impressive yet.Winnipeg fell behind 1-0 in the first period, gave up another in the second, before cutting the deficit in the half midway through the third.But with Eric Comrie on the bench for the extra attacker, Blake Coleman picked up his second point of the game on an empty-netter he fired from his own zone, finishing off Winnipeg's late-game push.The loss concluded the Jets' season-high, eight-game homestand, to which they went 4-2-2 for 10 of a possible 16 points. Not great, but not awful either.Comrie, again, was unable to pickup a win in eight tries. After starting the year 3-0-0, he has gone 0-7-1. But his teammates have hardly scored for him, putting up just 12 goals in those eight games, after scoring 17 in the first three. Next up is a two game road trip through Utah and Colorado. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880771431216336997">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880771431216336997</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880795705704665397">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880795705704665397</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880812247699861824">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880812247699861824</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880817973663010933">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880817973663010933</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Saturday's game vs. Calgary is courtesy of Scott Stroh:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09983.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09904.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00090.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc08289.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc08269.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00162.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09908.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09889.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09938.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09963.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09983-2.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Adam Lowry on Eric Comrie:“I feel for the guy. He’s played amazing all year, he’s great in the locker room, works so hard day-in-day-out, he’s the first guy on the ice, last guy off. At some point, we’ve got to find a way: off shin pads, or bang in a few for him because he’s battling his heart out for us. We are not getting the results for him that he deserves.”Kyle Connor on Eric Comrie:“Yeah. He’s played amazing the whole year. It’s definitely unfortunate, but we don’t look at that. We see the work he does and the goaltender that he is. We’re not worried at all.”Scott Arniel on Eric Comrie:"Yeah, he is taking it hard on himself. And he shouldn't, because he's given us a chance every time he goes in there. Guys are great with him. They really are. They really are and they know that they've got to get him some run support. Hopefully we have one of those ones where we break out big time where we can get him that win by us supporting him with some goals.""He's extremely popular in that room. He's one of the last guys off the ice. He'll take shots with the guys until the very end. He's loud, he's fun, he's real good, him and Helle have a fantastic relationship. Honestly, the guys are just... They're more upset, again, that we didn't get him the win."WHAT’S NEXT:Winnipeg now hits the road for two games and will face Utah and Colorado before returning home to play the Hockey Club next Friday night at Canada Life Centre. Both games this week feature 8:30 PM central start times and can be viewed live on TSN.

Game On Recap: Winnipeg Jets 1 Calgary Flames 3

<h2>Jets Improve to 31-12-3 on the season.</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets have done it again.This time it took until the 59th minute to find the game-winner - much unlike that of Tuesday's six-goal affair.Taking on the Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg fell behind in the first period, tied things up in the second, before getting a last-minute winner. And the goal came off the stick of defenceman Dylan DeMelo, of all people.It was his second marker of the campaign and surprisingly his third career game winning goal. It was an extra special night for DeMelo, who was skating in career game No. 600.Seattle goaltender Joey Daccord was great on the night, but allowed the late game-winner, while Connor Hellebuyck was his usual self, and picked up win No. 28 of the season in the process. Mark Scheifele scored his 27th goal of the season on a second period power play, while it was Matty Beniers who got the lone Kraken goal on the evening.Next up is the final test of the season-high, eight-game homestand, as the Calgary Flames pop in for a Saturday night visit at Canada Life Centre.HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880063838705344693">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880063838705344693</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880079247936745537">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880079247936745537</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880097076668953065">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1880097076668953065</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Thursday's game vs. Seattle is courtesy of Scott Stroh:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00320.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00485.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09523.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09511.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09493.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc08233.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09586.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09653.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09627.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09693.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09675.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09798.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09757.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Dylan DeMelo on his goal scoring celebration:“It was great. In our initial huddle, guys were going nuts. Profanities and all that fun stuff. Then you come to the bench and just see everybody’s face just lighting up. So that was great. But then there’s 30 seconds and we need to get right back into it to get the win. Come into the room and everybody is all jacked up. We’ve got a special group. Everybody makes you feel special, no matter your role here. Like I said, it was a special night.”Scott Arniel on Nikolaj Ehlers' giveaway and diving recovery:"He'd better get his butt back to make the play. He's the one that obviously created it. But yeah. He was so mad at himself when he came to the bench. That was a play where, if he does get it to Mo, they've got two forwards standing at the blue line. But, at the end of the day, I probably had a tough swallow there for a minute to see the rush coming the other way but, you know what? He got back and did what he had to do... And that's why he's on that checking line." WHAT’S NEXT:Winnipeg will continue the lengthy homestand with the final test on Saturday night. The Hockey Night in Canada showdown will be an all-Canadian affair with the Calgary Flames showing up for the 6:00 PM battle.

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