Jets need some wins heading into Christmas break

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 12:48 PM CST Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015

The Winnipeg Jets are boarding a plane this afternoon bound for Alberta, where they’re hoping to pick up a gift of four points to put under the Christmas tree this week.

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The Winnipeg Jets are boarding a plane this afternoon bound for Alberta, where they’re hoping to pick up a gift of four points to put under the Christmas tree this week.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/12/2015 (3556 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets are boarding a plane this afternoon bound for Alberta, where they’re hoping to pick up a gift of four points to put under the Christmas tree this week.

The Jets play the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday and the Flames in Calgary on Tuesday before heading off for the team’s Christmas break for three days — a layoff that everyone agrees will be a lot more enjoyable if this upcoming Alberta road trip goes well.

“We need as many points as we can get at this point and it will be important to grab four (points) these next two (games) before the break,” Jets defenceman Mark Stuart said this morning following practice at MTS Iceplex.

Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Jets' Drew Stafford (12), celebrates his goal against The Vancouver Canucks during the second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Wednesday at the MTS Centre. — Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg Jets' Drew Stafford (12), celebrates his goal against The Vancouver Canucks during the second period NHL action in Winnipeg on Wednesday at the MTS Centre.

“Three days seems like a really long time — and it actually is for us for a break. So it’d be nice for us to get some wins and rest the body up and get ready for coming back and heading on the road after.”

The Jets get Wednesday, Thursday and Christmas day off this coming week before returning to practice on Boxing Day.

Winnipeg plays games at home on Dec. 27 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dec. 29 against the Detroit Red Wings, before they head back out on the road for a five-game road swing through the Pacific and Central divisions.

The Oilers have lost three in a row, but have a 9-5-1 record at home this season. The Flames had a seven-game winning streak snapped Saturday night with a loss to St. Louis.

“We’re going to have three or four days where we’re not really meeting as a group, so you want to end on a good note,” said forward Drew Stafford. “And I think right now, especially after our last game, you want to keep that rolling and keeping the good feelings going.

“This is a very important road trip for us.”

The Jets defeated the New York Rangers 5-2 Friday night but remain last in the Central Division with a 15-15-2 record. Winnipeg trails the sixth place Colorado Avalanche — who have a league-best five-game winning streak on the go right now — by three points, but have two games in hand on the Avs.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek