Law of Torts: Grab the points, get the hell out

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This article was published 25/10/2011 (5084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s just one goal — the only goal for the Winnipeg Jets on the night — but for a club struggling to find any kind of offensive punch and line chemistry, it could represent something much bigger.

Nik Antropov and Alex Burmistrov have developed some magic together. That’s been evident through the first eight games of the young 2011-12 NHL season. And now head coach Claude Noel may have found the perfect linemate for the two slick Euros with Evander Kane on the wing. That trio scored the Jets’ only goal in a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers at the MTS Centre when Antropov beat Marty Biron with Kane and Burmistrov drawing assists.

But they were also lamenting afterward several lost opportunities.

“We had so many chances,” said Antropov. “They were laying three or four guys in front of the puck and you have to give their goalie credit, he played really well. You can work hard but if they score and you don’t that’s the end of the game. I like (the line combo). I think we have a little chemistry going. So far so good. That’s how it works. The more you play with the same guys the more trust you have and the more you know what to expect. It’s good for Evander now because he’s getting adjusted.”

All that said, the Jets — while buzzing around the Rangers’ net for long stretches, particularly in the third — aren’t getting production from their top trio of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler, a unit which was held off the scoresheet again Monday night. Combined, that group now has two goals and three assists this season with Little and Wheeler, both former 30-goal scorers, yet to hit the back of the net.

TO SUM UP : Here’s Jets’ goaltender Chris Mason’s — the victim of a smart tip and a puck going off Zach Bogosian’s skate — take on the contest: “We had them hemmed in for such a long time and it seemed like we did everything but score. We put all that pressure on them and we didn’t score. You’re sitting back there and watching and hoping we get one and then we don’t and they come back and we take a penalty and they score. That’s the game.”

TORTS SAYS: The Rangers entered Monday with the 30th-ranked powerplay in the NHL, but finished 2-5 with the man advantage against the Jets. Winnipeg, just for the record, enjoyed only one power-play opportunity.

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“They were ugly as hell, but our goaltending has certainly given us an opportunity right on through here, so we’re going to leave,” Tortorella said. “We’re looking forward to going home.

“We still have a lot of work to do to play the right way, but in this league, you grab your points and get the hell out of here because there will be certain times we’ll play our best game and we’ll lose.”

THE KING SURRENDERS HIS THRONE… FOR A SPELL: New York started veteran Martin Biron in goal, his first start since breaking his collarbone in practice last Feb. 28. ‘King’ Henrik Lundqvist’s streak of regularseason starts ended at 32.

HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER: Several Jets were wearing pink laces as part of the NHL’s ‘Biggest Assist Happens Off the Ice’ campaign, including Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Mark Stuart, Zach Bogosian, Evander Kane, Kyle Wellwood, Johnny Oduya, Randy Jones, Blake Wheeler, Tim Stapleton and Ben Maxwell.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca