It was an eventful morning skate from Canada Life Centre on Thursday, as Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness made three announcements pertaining to lingering injuries to a handful of players.

On the positive side of things, defenceman Josh Morrissey will make his return to the lineup on Thursday after a two-game absence, following a lower-body injury sustained in Winnipeg's game against Florida on Saturday. He missed Sunday's contest with Tampa Bay and practiced with the team on Tuesday, but was unable to go in Carolina against the Hurricanes that night.

He will re-enter the Jets' defensive pairings, meaning that Logan Stanley and Kyle Capobianco will serve as healthy scratches on the blueline on Thursday night, when the Jets play their first (and only) home game in a span of 12 total days. They head right back out on the road for two Central Division games this weekend, before retiring to Canada Life Centre next Tuesday.

Centre Pierre-Luc Dubois did skate on Thursday morning, but coach Bowness said he would not yet be making his return to the lineup, despite his initial hopes of an expected return date following a four-game absence as he continues to recover from an upper-body injury.

Thursday's game against the NHL-best Bruins will once again have playoff implications for the Jets, who continue to tread just above the final wild card cut-off line. Currently four points up on the Nashville Predators - who also play on Thursday - Winnipeg will look to gain ground, despite playing a 50-win team.

Bowness also made the announcement on Thursday that veteran forward Sam Gagner has been shut down for the season with hip-related issues.

"He's had some hip issues over the last little while, and he's elected to have surgery. So he's out," Bowness said. "He had an operation on one the other day and I think he's going to have another one in two weeks when that one settles down."

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time in downtown Winnipeg on Thursday. The game can be viewed live on TSN.

Gagner Done for the Season, Dubois Still Hurt, Morrissey to Return Thursday

<h2>Jets Beat Flames 4-2 To win first pre-season game of 2025</h2>Sure, it was just a practice game. And yes, nobody outside the coaching staff will ever remember it was played.But on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre, a number of young Winnipeg Jets made themselves known to the team’s brain trust.Brayden Yager, Parker Ford, Nikita Chibrikov and Jaret Anderson-Dolan all played very well as the Jets won their first pre-season game of 2025, a 4-2 win over the visiting Calgary Flames.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3574go.jpg">While Neal Pionk, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey were the best players on the ice and Eric Comrie played very well in net, the kids were solid as the Jets built up a 4-1 lead after two periods and coasted to what was, essentially, a meaningless victory.It was hardly a Rembrandt, no pre-season games are artistic, but the Jets, with a lineup that included Pionk, Vilardi, Morrissey, Jonathan Toews, Dylan Samberg, Mark Scheifele, Cole Perfetti and Kyle Connor, easily handled a collection of young Flames who will likely spend more time in Stockton than Calgary this season.&nbsp;Off the opening faceoff, the Jets had some jump, attacked quickly and took an early lead.Former Flames winger Walker Duehr opened the scoring for Winnipeg at 5:12 of the first period as he flew down the right wing fired a pass across the crease that deflected off Flame D-man Joel Handley and past Calgary netminder Devin Cooley.&nbsp; Neal Pionk drew the only assist.At 12:02, Nikita Chibrikov took a pass from Brayden Yager in the slot and made it 2-0 with a blistering shot past Cooley.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a0411go.jpg">Then, after Calgary’s Zayne Parekh scored a power play goal at 13:16, the Jets made it 3-1 at 17:37, when Jaret Anderson-Dolan drove down the leftwing and fed a perfect pass through the Flames crease that Parker Ford tipped past Cooley.The Jets were in control, but they should have been. They were essentially playing the Stockton Heat.The Jets scored the only goal of the second period when Neal Pionk fired a blast from the point on the power play at 11:41. Gustav Nyquist and Nikita Chibrikov drew the assists.After two periods, the shots were 18 apiece but the Jets led 4-1.In the third period, Calgary’s kids came out flying and were peppering Eric Comrie with shots when Yan Kuznetsov scored at 5:23 to make it 4-2, but that’s as close as they’d get.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a1987go.jpg">Winnipeg outshot Calgary 29-24 and the Jets won 60.4 per cent of the faceoffs. Calgary outhit Winnipeg 21-13.&nbsp;Pionk, Chibrikov and Comrie were the three stars, but Yager could easily have been part of that group.The Jets, now 1-3 in the pre-season, play another practice game on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul. Game time is 7 p.m.

Youngsters Shine as Jets Beat Flames 4-2 to Claim First Pre-Season Win

<h2>Jets Beat Flames 4-2 To win first pre-season game of 2025</h2>Sure, it was just a practice game. And yes, nobody outside the coaching staff will ever remember it was played.But on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre, a number of young Winnipeg Jets made themselves known to the team’s brain trust.Brayden Yager, Parker Ford, Nikita Chibrikov and Jaret Anderson-Dolan all played very well as the Jets won their first pre-season game of 2025, a 4-2 win over the visiting Calgary FlamesWhile Neal Pionk, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey were the best players on the ice and Eric Comrie played very well in net, the kids were solid as the Jets built up a 4-1 lead after two periods and coasted to what was, essentially, a meaningless victory.It was hardly a Rembrandt, no pre-season games are artistic, but the Jets, with a lineup that included Pionk, Vilardi, Morrissey, Jonathan Toews, Dylan Samberg, Mark Scheifele, Cole Perfetti and Kyle Connor, easily handled a collection of young Flames who will likely spend more time in Stockton than Calgary this season.&nbsp;Off the opening faceoff, the Jets had some jump, attacked quickly and took an early lead.Former Flames winger Walker Duehr opened the scoring for Winnipeg at 5:12 of the first period as he flew down the right wing fired a pass across the crease that deflected off Flame D-man Joel Handley and past Calgary netminder Devin Cooley.&nbsp; Neal Pionk drew the only assist.At 12:02, Nikita Chibrikov took a pass from Brayden Yager in the slot and made it 2-0 with a blistering shot past Cooley.Then, after Calgary’s Zayne Parekh scored a power play goal at 13:16, the Jets made it 3-1 at 17:37, when Jaret Anderson-Dolan drove down the leftwing and fed a perfect pass through the Flames crease that Parker Ford tipped past Cooley.The Jets were in control, but they should have been. They were essentially playing the Stockton Heat.The Jets scored the only goal of the second period when Neal Pionk fired a blast from the point on the power play at 11:41. Gustav Nyquist and Nikita Chibrikov drew the assists.After two periods, the shots were 18 apiece but the Jets led 4-1.In the third period, Calgary’s kids came out flying and were peppering Eric Comrie with shots when Yan Kuznetsov scored at 5:23 to make it 4-2, but that’s as close as they’d get.&nbsp;Winnipeg outshot Calgary 29-24 and the Jets won 60.4 per cent of the faceoffs. Calgary outhit Winnipeg 21-13.&nbsp;Pionk, Chibrikov and Comrie were the three stars, but Yager could easily have been part of that group.The Jets, now 1-3 in the pre-season, play another practice game on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul. Game time is 7 p.m.

Youngsters Shine as Jets Beat Calgary 4-2 to Claim First Pre-Season Win

<h2>Jets drop second-straight preseason game</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets fell 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers from Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night.No, it wasn't regular season, but there certainly was some buzz in the building on an otherwise non-noteworthy preseason exhibition matchup between the Jets' youngsters and the Oilers' youngsters. Jonathan Toews made his debut for Winnipeg, suiting up in something other than red and white for the first time in almost forever.He skated alongside Gustav Nyquist and Cole Perfetti on the team's top line, to which he managed over 18 minutes of ice time and didn't look all that out of place.His teammates, however, were unable to muster up much offence, while the defence looked suspect at best.Remember, this is a Jets team without Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabe Vilardi, Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo, Connor Hellebuyck and others, but it certainly didn't look like the Presidents' Trophy winning club from last season. The Jets fell behind 1-0 in the second period off a Nathan Philp redirection. Colin Miller tied the game with a long-range wrist shot that made its way through a Colby Barlow screen, but it was another second period marker from Edmonton that helped the Oilers ride a lead into the third.The teams exchanged goals in the final period, with Barlow making it close on his first tally of preseason with just one minute to play and goaltender Eric Comrie pulled. But that was all the Jets could manage, as they fell to 0-2 on the preseason with their second loss in as many games at home.They will look to right the ship as they head out on the road for rematch against the Oilers on Friday night. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970632799419015521">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970632799419015521</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970641687220494823">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970641687220494823</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970641864194916729">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970641864194916729</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970661284644545010">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970661284644545010</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970680989010796622">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1970680989010796622</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Tuesday's game vs. Edmonton is courtesy of Scott Stroh:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06271-2.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06420.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06304.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06270.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06489.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06483.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc06473.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Jonathan Toews on his return to hockey:“Some good, some not so good, it is what it is. I felt like I made some plays, but as the game went on I just relaxed a little bit. I think the conditioning is going to come and the jump is going to come."Colby Barlow on getting to the front of the net: "Yeah, just go to the net. Good things happen, whether you get a piece of it or not. You cause chaos from the net spring bowling and no good things happen." WHAT’S NEXT:Next up for Winnipeg is a rematch with the Oilers on the road on Friday night, before the team returns home for a Saturday evening affair vs. Calgary.

Game On Recap: Preseason Game 2 - Winnipeg Jets 2 Edmonton Oilers 3

<h2>Jets drop first preseason contest to wild</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets are back in action.Preseason action, that is.On Sunday afternoon, the Jets fell to 0-0-1 on the preseason with a come-from-behind loss to the visiting Minnesota Wild.The Jets got off to a strong start, pulling ahead 1-0 and then 2-0 before the game was half a period old. Goals from Morgan Barron and Danny Zhilkin gave Winnipeg its lead. But a third period collapse sent the game to overtime, where the Jets were unable to capitalize on a man advantage, falling 3-2 with 61 seconds to play.Minnesota scored once in the second period, before tying the game at two with 2:58 to play in the third period. With Brad Lambert drawing a tripping penalty on a strong solo breakaway effort, the Jets were unable to score on the ensuing 4-on-3 man advantage. The Wild brought the puck up ice and beat Winnipeg product Isaac Poulter with just over a minute to play in overtime, sealing the deal on a 3-2 win for Minnesota. The two clubs will reconvene on September 30 in Minnesota for Winnipeg's fifth of six preseason games. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1969876608195711481">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1969876608195711481</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1969900006414155916">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1969900006414155916</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1969909041012117571">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1969909041012117571</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Sundays' game vs. Minnesota is courtesy of Danny Truong:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4017.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a3912.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a3877.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4444.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4501.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4515.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4556.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4588.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4609.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4679.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4789.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4324.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4851.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a5048.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a5081.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a5313.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a5339.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a5352.jpeg">QUOTEABLE:Samuel Fagemo on the move to Winnipeg from LA:“The first days I’ve been a little nervous, a new experience for me to come here to Winnipeg. But I’m slowly getting more comfortable now. But the team is such a nice group of people too, it’s been a lot easier.”WHAT’S NEXT:Next up for Winnipeg is a test against Edmonton on Tuesday night.

Game On Recap: Preseason Game 1 - Winnipeg Jets 2 Minnesota Wild 3 

<h2>Welcome home, johnny!</h2>The first words out of Jonathan Toews’ mouth when he was introduced to the media in Winnipeg was “Hi mom.”&nbsp;His mom, Andrée was sitting in the front row of this week’s news conference, and it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that she would be the first person to lock eyes with the best hockey player produced in Manitoba in a generation.“Today, all the memories flooded back from my childhood,” Toews said, as he looked at his mother. “All the reasons why and when I first fell in love with the game of hockey.“I always wanted to make my family and friends and the people I’ve grown up with proud and try and put on a show when I come back here, and I think it will be even more that way now.”A few weeks ago, Toews signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract and officially became a member of the Winnipeg Jets. On Friday, Toews was re-introduced to the city of his birth, and the 37-year-old former Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medallist, could not have been happier.&nbsp;“It really got to a point where I couldn't see myself wearing any other jersey,” Toews said. “To me it wasn't rational at all. It was more of an intuitive thing where it just felt right. You can go over the millions of reasons why, but I just knew in my heart that this is what I wanted to do. It felt good every step of the way. I'm really excited to be a part of it.”Toews is excited and the city of Winnipeg is excited, but there was also a large dose of reality that had to be injected into Friday’s party at the Canada Life Centre.On the one hand, Toews is one of the greatest players of the last two decades. He won three Stanley Cups with Chicago (2010, 2013, 2015), two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014), a World Cup of Hockey gold medal (2016), two World Junior titles (2006, 2007) and a gold medal at the 2007 IIHF men’s World Championship. He won the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy, he won the Best Forward Award at the 2010 Olympics, and the 2013 Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.On the other hand, he has not played hockey for two full years. Chronic Immune Response Syndrome kept Toews on the sidelines for the entire 2020-21 season. After playing 71 games in 2021-22, he played just 53 games in 2022-23 -- out of the lineup from Feb. 21 through the end of March while dealing with the effects of long COVID-19. He returned on April 1, 2023 and played Chicago's final seven games, but his last game of professional hockey came on April 13, 2023. Right after that Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said the team would not re-sign Toews for the 2023-24 campaign.When he asked if he was concerned that Toews might not have what it takes to play at a high level in the best hockey league in the world, Jets head coach Scott Arniel was diplomatic, but said that of course he had concerns.“Yeah, I’m a little concerned,” Arniel said. “But it’s all about him. He’s the one he has done the work and is excited to come back and come here to Winnipeg. He doesn’t know how it’s going to go and we don’t know how it’s going to go, but at the end of the day, he is one of the smartest guys in the game. In that room, we have about 10 guys who consider Jonathan their idol. We’re still growing as a team in the playoffs and he’s excelled in that area and anything we can learn, anything the leadership group can learn, anything I can learn, about how he handles himself and prepares for games, that’s the stuff we’re all going to watch and listen to and that’s the stuff we’re excited about.”What Toews has done to get his body ready to return is commendable. This is not a lark or shot in the dark. He truly believes that he’s ready to have a solid season despite everything that’s happened.“I’d gotten to a point where I pretty much needed to let myself get off a timeline to return,” he admitted. “So, in my mind, I’d kind of accepted in a way that I might not play again. I think that was a challenging thing to do, but also a healthy thing to do. I’d wake up every day and not think about where all this could be going.”“But then, just through the course of working out, I decided that I wanted to keep myself in shape and with or without hockey I had this desire to take care of my body. That’s when I seemed to start getting stronger and stronger with each passing month and toward the end of 2024 and the start of 2025, things had improved to the point where I began to form ideas about what might lay ahead for hockey.”Toews talked openly about the fact that he had travelled to India and underwent an Ayurvedic detox Panchakarma, a traditional Indian therapy that uses massage, herbs and diet to cleanse the body.“That’s not something I would normally consider,” he said. “A guy I was working with had suggested it and for the longest time I wouldn’t even consider doing it. But I was in Europe to handle some commitments, and I had a free month and decided that after almost five years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey, I would give it a try. At this point, I thought why not?”"I ended up going out there, and I was really happy that I did. As soon as I started following that diet and some of the different herbs and tinctures and just supplements that complement the diet, things started changing really fast. I knew right away that there was something to it. I’d say these past five or six months, things have really trended in the right direction, since I started skating in February and March.“There were moments when I thought OK, I still have the hands; the hands are there, the feet will catch up and things have slowly gotten better since then.”The real test of course will occur when training camp begins in September. Until that time, one of the greatest players in the game’s history, a future Hall of Famer, will wear No 19 for the Winnipeg Jets.“I watched a lot of hockey in the playoffs this year and there’s a lot of guys at my age that are still contributing in any way that they can, so that’s the outlook I’m coming into this with, too. I’ll do my best to bring that forward and help the team any way that I can.”

Jonathan Toews: Back in the '204'

<h2>Jets Sign Jonathan Toews to one-year contract</h2>The Winnipeg Jets have made their first splash of the offseason.On Friday, the team announced the signing of Winnipeg-born and raised centreman Jonathan Toews. “I’m grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets,” the newest Jets forward shared on Friday. “It’s very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I’m eager to join the group and help however I can.”The news comes in advance of July 1 - the official opening of the free agent signing period - meaning the contract is still unofficial and off the books, but the team and its social media crew have already been sharing details from the signing.It will be a one-year term featuring a $2 million base salary and cap hit.Toews, however, will have the opportunity to increase his rate of pay, based on his rate of play. That $2 million could quickly become more if he stays healthy, and more importantly leads the Jets on a deep playoff run.Having missed the past two seasons of hockey as he dealt with issues stemming from long-COVID, Toews has documented his return to action through various strength and conditioning exercises and regimens over the past number of months, ultimately resulting in his decision to be 100 percent NHL-ready for 2025-26.He will bring 1,067 games on NHL experience to the Jets' lineup - one that will be missing captain Adam Lowry for the first chunk of the season, as he recovers from offseason hip surgery - and is expected to play a bottom-six role as a veteran, Cup-winning forward chock-full of invaluable experience. Toews will earn an addition $550K at the 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 games-played thresholds this season. He will get another $250K per playoff round participated in, and ultimately an extra $1 million if Winnipeg wins the Stanley Cup at season's end. The contract will officially be signed on July 1 and will run through June 30, 2026.

Jets Bring in Toews on One-Year Contract

<h2>All Hart</h2>Simply the best. There is no other way to put it. Connor Hellebuyck was the best player in the NHL during the 2024-25 season.He was recognized - and rightly so - for his incredible achievement on Thursday evening. Not only did the 32-year-old Winnipeg Jets backstop take home the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender, he was also named as the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP.Hellebuyck became just the ninth goaltender to accomplish the feat. He is also the fifth to be named both the Vezina and Hart Trophy winner in the same season and the first to take home the Vezina, Hart, Jennings and Presidents' Trophies in the same year. The league's top backstop posted a 2.00 goals against average, a .925 save percentage, eight shutouts and 47 wins - three of the individual statistical categories were tops across the league. Despite his postseason struggles on the road in both St. Louis and Dallas this spring, Hellebuyck's regular season dominance was what mattered for these awards as voting closed following the final game of the season. As Hellebuyck faltered in the playoffs, so did the Jets, which is exactly what should happen when the league's MVP struggles, should it not?Hellebuyck was surprised with the two trophies by his family and members of the NHL's Hockey Hall of Fame out in the backyard of his Michigan home this past week. The clip aired on Thursday evening at the special NHL Award Night prior to puck drop of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Simply the Best: Connor Hellebuyck Named Winner of Hart and Vezina Trophies

<h2>A Hard ENDING TO A WONDERFUL SEASON</h2>From everyone at Game On Magazine, our deepest sympathies to Mark Scheifele and the entire Scheifele family on the passing of Mark's father, Brad.&nbsp;There really are no appropriate words.&nbsp;Mark Scheifele loses his father the night before the biggest game of the season, decides he’ll play in that game, scores his team’s only goal and then has to sit in the penalty box as the Dallas Stars score the winning goal in overtime.&nbsp;What can anyone say?&nbsp;The Stars beat the Jets 2-1 in Game 6 of the Divisional Final and with that victory, Dallas won the series 4-2. The Stars advance, the Jets clean out their lockers, the local fans just shake their heads and Scheifele goes home to grieve the loss of the most important man in his life.&nbsp;The whole scenario was just horrible.&nbsp;After a remarkable season, the best in Jets history, the team bowed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs six games into the second round. The statistics, for the most part, will clearly show that the Jets were the better overall team, but as we all know, stats are for losers.&nbsp;The Jets lost Game 1 of the series at home, 3-2, in a game they dominated, and they never recovered. In six road games in the playoffs, the Jets won none. Zero. Donut. If you can’t win on the road, you can’t win the Stanley Cup tournament, and the Jets could not and did not win on the road.&nbsp;It's a hard way to go down. Scheifele and the team got the horrible news of the passing of Brad Scheifele, then Josh Morrissey is injured and once again, Winnipeg has to try and survive a playoff game with five D-men. They almost made it, too. They were just 12 seconds from killing off Scheifele’s penalty – a penalty he had to take and the only penalty of the game – but Dallas capitalized and like a piano falling out a window and hitting the pavement, the thud was deafening. It was over and it should not have been.&nbsp;The best team in the National Hockey League this past season, will now watch the Stanley Cup playoffs from the comfort of their living rooms. Once again, a very good, a very promising Jets team, was eliminated long before the final game of the tournament. Once again, hope turned to heartache. It’s sad and it hurts, but it doesn’t hurt anybody more than it hurts Mark Scheifele.&nbsp;There are no truly appropriate words.&nbsp;

Scheifele Loses His Father, Jets Lose 2-1 in OT to Dallas in Game 6

<h2>JETS WIN ANOTHER 4-0 GAME AT HOME TO EXTEND THE DIVISIONAL FINAL</h2>For the second time in this hard-to-analyze Divisional Final, the Winnipeg Jets played an almost perfect hockey game.&nbsp;Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves to record his second shutout of the series, Nikolaj Ehlers had two goals and Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist as the Jets whipped the visiting Dallas Stars 4-0.&nbsp;With the win, in front of another loud, proud white-clad crowd of the faithful at Canada Life Centre, the Jets stayed alive, cutting the Stars’ series lead to 3-2 with Game 6 in Dallas on Saturday night.&nbsp;The Jets have played five road games so far in the playoffs and in only one of them, have they been close in the third period. At home they are 6-1. In this series, they have two 4-0 wins to go with that that hard-to-figure-out 3-2 loss in Game 1.&nbsp;So as its stands, the Jets backs are still against the wall, but if they do lose in Dallas and their season ends on Saturday night, they will have left Jets fans with a perfect hockey game. Tonight’s effort was as good as it gets and it was also perfectly executed Winnipeg Jets hockey – check like mad, force chances, score at least four, play shut down defence and make sure Helly sees the puck.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/scheifele-celly.jpg">The Jets completely dominated the first period and despite one power play to Dallas’s two, outshot the Stars 11-4. They completed controlled all three zones and got great scoring chances from Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry and yet they went to the intermission in a 0-0 tie.&nbsp;Then came the fluke. In a four-on-four situation, Mark Scheifele was just trying to centre the puck when it hit the skate of Dallas’ Steve Harley and slid into an empty net. Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk drew assists on what was, essentially, an own-goal.&nbsp;Later in the period it appeared that Jets had made it 2-0 but the officials called, ‘No goal.’ Evidently Scheifele didn’t kick it in and unless you kick it in, it’s not a goal.&nbsp;In fact, the Canada Life Centre crowd even got into it with a long, clear chant of: “Should Have Kicked It!! Should Have Kicked It!!”&nbsp;The Jets outshot Dallas 11-5 in the second period, 22-9 after two periods, and had not been rewarded for their efforts.&nbsp;The Jets made it 2-0 at 2:20 of the third period when Nikolaj Ehlers jammed one between Oettinger’s legs. However, it came on a two-man advantage and even the loud, proud fans inside Canada Life Centre knew the officials would even that up at some point. The Jets were hardly out of the woods.&nbsp;And it didn’t take long. At 6:05, Mason Appleton picked up a hooking penalty and the Stars came out with … nothing. In fact, the Jets had numbers on two rushes during the power play. Dallas got three shots on goal but none of them were dangerous. It was a huge kill with less than 12 minutes to play.&nbsp;At the 12:07 mark, Vlad Namestnikov made it 3-0 when he ripped a wrist shot under the bar that Oettinger didn’t see until was coming back out of the net. Alex Iafallo, who made a great play at the blueline and then made the important pass onto Namestnikov’s stock in front, and Neal Pionk drew the assists.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04198.jpeg">Then, at 13:28 of the third period, Dallas captain Jamie Benn assaulted (not exaggerating) Scheifele and when the ice chips cleared the two brain-dead officials, Wes McCauley and TJ Luxmore ended up assessing the Jets and extra minor. Dallas did nothing on the power play again – the Jets actually had the two best scoring chances – but it once again demonstrated how incredibly bad the officiating has been in these playoffs. Right across the board, in every series, the officiating has been an embarrassment to the sport. Not just the NHL, but the entire sport.&nbsp;Dallas pulled Oettinger with 3:20 left to play and the Stars had territorial advantage but not many real chances to score. Eventually, Ehlers hustled almost the entire length of the ice to beat two Stars to a loose puck and tapped in the empty netter while being hauled down.&nbsp;It was the perfect ending to a nearly perfect night. The Jets were outstanding from start to finish, outshot Dallas 35-22, won 52.5 per cent of the faceoffs and outhit them 49-33.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/the-goal.jpg">The three stars were Connor Hellebuyck, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele, but there could have been a dozen of them.&nbsp;If it was the last game of 2025, it was the perfect game in which to say good-bye and thank you to the city’s remarkable white-clad fans.

Jets Play Perfect Jets Hockey and Shut Out Dallas 4-0 

<h2>Jets shut out stars 4-0 in Game 5</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets are back in the fight. For the second time in the Central Division Final, Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets shut out the Dallas Stars 4-0 on home ice.Yes, you're reading that correctly. After dropping back-to-back road contests in Dallas, the Jets will get one more shot at earning a road win - this time, a must-win, when they play the Stars on Saturday night.They got to that point thanks to two Nikolaj Ehlers goals, a fluky bounce from Mark Scheifele and an absolute laser of a power play wrist shot from Vlad Namestnikov. The Jets won and fans got to celebrate at least one more time from Canada Life Centre on Thursday. Whether they lose on Saturday in Dallas, or come home for another chance, the fans got to see their team play their style of hockey one final time. Connor Hellebuyck was spectacular once again, turning aside all 22 shots he faced. The Jets' defence only allowed 22 shots on net, which also proved to be a huge factor in both their shutout wins. Game 6 is set for 7:00 PM central time on Saturday night. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923193413999927712">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923193413999927712</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923198470581620851">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923198470581620851</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923211761735373084">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923211761735373084</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923218351297335436">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923218351297335436</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923224181669241344">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923224181669241344</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233093458022404">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233093458022404</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233210877583822">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233210877583822</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241201643192333">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241201643192333</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241599921697257">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241599921697257</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Thursday's game vs. Dallas is courtesy of Scott Stroh and James Carey Lauder:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00781.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02732.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00813.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc03307.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04019.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a1364go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a2507go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04170.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4852go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4296go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4689go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04200.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04389.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04213.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04123.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc03833.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc03922.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3885go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3930go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4966go.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Kyle Connor on Connor Hellebuyck: "He's been great. Even times when we weren't helping him out, he's still I thought looked great. His confidence never waivers. He's the type of guy that comes to the rink every day with a smile on his face and gives us his best. His game throughout the whole first round, second round, the way he's approached it, he's been the same. We've been better in front of him and helped him out in a lot of ways. And he's been awesome when he needs to be."Nikolaj Ehlers on finding a win on the road: "It would mean that we're not going on vacation, yet. It would mean a lot, obviously. We want to go to Dallas and win that game. And like I've said, these fans have been, it's been so special to play here in front of this crowd, and we want to repay them by coming back and playing a Game 7 here."WHAT’S NEXT:Next up is Game 6 from Dallas on Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time. It can be viewed live on Sportsnet and CBC.

Gagner Done for the Season, Dubois Still Hurt, Morrissey to Return Thursday

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