Jets have fingers crossed on Little

Posted: 3:00 AM CST Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014

IT'S the kind of scene that makes coaches and management cringe and has teammates spitting curse words.

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IT'S the kind of scene that makes coaches and management cringe and has teammates spitting curse words.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/11/2014 (4033 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT’S the kind of scene that makes coaches and management cringe and has teammates spitting curse words.

There was Winnipeg Jets No. 1 centre Bryan Little writhing in pain during the third period of Friday night’s 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, clutching his knee after blocking a point-blank shot from Carl Soderberg.

Little had to be helped off the ice and to the dressing room and did not finish the game.

USA Today Sports
Bob DeChiara / USA TODAY Sports
Jets centre Bryan Little needed help from teammates after taking a slapshot to the knee in Boston. — USA Today Sports Bob DeChiara / USA TODAY Sports Jets centre Bryan Little needed help from teammates after taking a slapshot to the knee in Boston.

The Jets returned home from their three-game road trip immediately after the Boston contest, but were not on the ice Saturday.

A team spokesman said an update on Little’s status would be provided today when the team returns to practice.

Losing Little for any significant time would be crushing for a squad very much in the playoff discussion. He is third on the team in scoring with eight goals and seven assists — both Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler have 16 points — but is an underrated defensive player who also takes a ton of draws (fourth in the NHL) and leads the team in shooting percentage at 17.4.

In his absence Friday — and with Adam Lowry serving a one-game suspension for his hit on Patrick Kaleta of the Buffalo Sabres — the Jets were caught short in the middle. Jim Slater moved up from the fourth line to the first with Little sidelined.

If Little is lost for more games it’s possible Mark Scheifele could move up to centre Ladd and Wheeler, or Michael Frolik, who took some turns in the middle last year, could also be an option.

If the Jets dip down to the farm, the leading candidates would be Eric O’Dell, who did play 30 games with the big club last season, or John Albert. O’Dell has seven goals and six assists in 19 games with the St. John’s IceCaps; Albert is 6-11-17 in 22 games.

— Ed Tait