Winnipeg Jets Lowry to miss one game By: Ed Tait BOSTON -- The Winnipeg Jets will be a little thin down the middle against the Boston Bruins after rookie centre Adam Lowry has been suspended for one game by the NHL. Lowry was nailed for his boarding penalty on Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta in Wednesday's 2-1 victory and picked up a five-minute major and game misconduct. The NHL's department of player safety conducted a hearing with Lowry Thursday before making the announcement. Lowry forfeits $4,453.41 in salary, with the money going to the NHL Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. The suspension could leave the Jets short-handed at centre for tonight's game against the Bruins, although centre Mathieu Perreault did skate at an optional practice at Boston University this afternoon. Perreault left Tuesday's victory over Columbus with a suspected shoulder injury after a hit and did not play against the Sabres. "I felt pretty good," said Perreault Thursday. "I was able to take some shots and stuff so we'll see how it feels (Friday). It felt not bad today so hopefully tomorrow will be even better. I tried a few things... took faceoffs, shots, little battles along the boards and it felt not too bad. I recovered pretty quick, faster than I thought. "I'd like to play. If I feel like I can play then I'd like to be in the lineup." Perreault had just begun to find a bit of an offensive groove (two goals, one assist in the three games before Columbus) when he pulled up lame against the Blue Jackets and was being featured prominently in the new 'umbrella' look on the power-play that has yielded two manadvantage goals in the last two games. "You always want to be on the ice and play," said Perreault. "It's never fun to sit on the sideline and watch so as fast as I can get back will be good... especially because we've got four days after that (between games)." After Friday's game the Jets return home but don't play again until Wednesday against Edmonton. The club still has an extra forward in T.J. Galiardi, who is with the team after clearing waivers on Wednesday. If the Jets do need to dip into the farm for help, the St. John's IceCaps are on the road nearby. They rallied in a come-from-behind 4-3 shootout victory over the Binghamton Senators in Maine on Wednesday and next play Saturday in Wilkes-Barre. NOTABLE: Winnipeg is 8-3-2 vs. the Eastern Conference, with all three of the losses against Atlantic Division opponents... Bryan Little has opened the scoring in three straight games, a Thrashers/Jets franchise record. The last NHL player to accomplish this feat is Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who scored the game-opening goal on March 18, 21 and 22 of last spring. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.28.2014
758062 Winnipeg Jets Tonight: JETS @ BRUINS Posted: 3:00 AM Staff report Boston is at 13-9-1, fourth in the Atlantic Division with 27 points, after falling 3-2 in overtime at home to Pittsburgh on Monday. They are winless in two games after reeling off three straight victories before the loss to the Pens. The Bruins have been hammered by injuries this year, losing Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Chris Kelly and Adam McQuaid among others. Chara, who did skate Wednesday, and McQuaid are still on the injured list but Kelly is expected back against the Jets after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury. The Bruins often play a matinee on Thanksgiving, but it's the Celtics' turn this year. They have the floor at TD Garden today at noon against the Chicago Bulls. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask is sitting at 24 shutouts, seventh on the club's all-time list and one behind Byron Dafoe. Boston called up centre David Pastrnak this week. He had been leading all AHL rookies in scoring and at practice on Thursday was on the right side of the No. 1 line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. At 18, Pastrnak is the youngest player in the NHL. "Marchand and Bergeron are great players who I could never have believed I could practise on the same line as those guys," Pastrnak told the Boston Globe. "Today I did, and I enjoyed it. They are really good players, and it's fun to play with them." WINNIPEG JETS 31 Ondrej Pavelec 34 Michael Hutchinson 2 Adam Pardy 4 Paul Postma 5 Mark Stuart 8 Jacob Trouba 9 Evander Kane 14 Anthony Peluso 15 Matt Halischuk 16 Andrew Ladd 17 Adam Lowry 18 Bryan Little 19 Jim Slater 21 T.J. Galiardi 22 Chris Thorburn 24 Grant Clitsome 26 Blake Wheeler 33 Dustin Byfuglien 39 Toby Enstrom 44 Zach Bogosian 55 Mark Scheifele 67 Michael Frolik 85 Mathieu Perreault BOSTON BRUINS 40 Tuukka Rask 72 Niklas Svedberg 11 Gregory Campbell
12 Simon Gagne 17 Milan Lucic 18 Reilly Smith 20 Daniel Paille 21 Loui Eriksson 23 Chris Kelly 25 Matt Fraser 27 Dougie Hamilton 33 Zdeno Chara 34 Carl Soderberg 37 Patrice Bergeron 43 Matt Bartkowski 44 Dennis Seidenberg 45 Joe Morrow 46 David Krejci 47 Torey Krug 53 Seth Griffith 63 Brad Marchand 79 David Warsofsky 86 Kevan Miller 88 David Pastrnak -- Tait Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.28.2014
758063 Winnipeg Jets The COMEBACK KID By: Ed Tait Posted: 3:00 AM BOSTON -- It was Turkey Day and Beantown was laying low. The streets were quiet -- the cabbies were cursing the lack of business, even on Thanksgiving -- and only a few joggers worked their way along the paths that snake along the Charles River. About 10 minutes west of TD Garden, where the Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins will meet tonight, a handful of visiting players had just finished skating at Agganis Arena -- home of Jack Eichel and the Terriers -- on the campus of Boston University. Lowry to miss one game Tonight: JETS @ BRUINS Jets centre Lowry slapped with one-game suspension One of them was Michael Hutchinson, the Jets goaltender expected to start against the team that drafted him in the third round (77th overall) in 2008... and then bodychecked him to the curb at age 23. "I ended up going to the draft that year because it was in Ottawa and close to my hometown," said Hutchinson, a native of Barrie, Ont., Thursday. "I was daydreaming -- draft day gets a little long -- and so I didn't even realize my name was called. My parents all of a sudden stood up and I had to look at the draft board to see who had drafted me. "I wasn't expecting Boston at all, but I was really excited to be drafted." Now, before we continue, a little context is needed here. One of the first things you realize spending even just a few minutes with Hutchinson is the dude just never stops smiling. He was grinning -- and dripping with sweat -- after the optional practice at BU that featured just five skaters, including Mathieu Perreault, Chris Thorburn, Anthony Peluso, T.J. Galiardi and assistant coaches Charlie Huddy and Pascal Vincent. And so, if he's bitter, twisted and stoked with rage to find some sort of retribution against the Bruins on Friday, he sure as heck hid it well. Instead, Hutchinson spent most of his chat with the media fondly reminiscing about his brief days in the Bruins organization -- he played in 87 games over three years with Providence before his release -- and the goaltender who influenced him, Tuukka Rask. "I remember the development camps and training camps and all the time you spend in the city," said Hutchinson. "It's nice to be back. I'm a little bit familiar with this city... it's one of those things that motivates you if you do get that game to just work even harder to try and get that win. "Watching Tuukka, you see how hard he practises. He rarely gets scored on practice. When I first came to Boston's training camps I thought I was working hard until I saw Tuukka skating and I realized you can work that much harder. Seeing him and the way he plays... he's an amazing goalie and it's really hard to replicate everything he does. He's one of the best of the league. I just tried to replicated his work ethic." Interestingly, that's one of the first things that pops up in any conversation about Hutchinson -- his monk-like dedication to his craft. Undoubtedly that partly comes from being around Rask, but also from the hard slap across the mug that was being cast aside by the Bruins and then finding life again with the Jets. Yes, the road to the NHL can be especially bumpy for some. And for others, like Hutchinson, it's featured more potholes than St. James Street in April. "It was a little bit frustrating," said Hutchinson of the way things ended with the Bruins. "You always want to play for the organization that drafts you but the reality is not many players get the chance to play for the same organization their whole career. "It ended up being the best thing that happened to me, them letting me go. I was able to sign in Winnipeg and find a place here so I'm thankful that Boston gave me the opportunity to see what else is out there. "I learned never to take anything for granted. Three years here... I kinda look back and think about things I could have done differently to make a different impression or to get a better opportunity. When a team doesn't re-sign you... I went into free agency and it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. You really realize what you have and not to take any day for granted at all." FYI, Hutchinson has already beaten his old club: His first win as a Jet last April 10 came against the Bruins in Winnipeg. So maybe that angle has lost a little oomph, even if this is his first visit to Massachusetts as a Jet. What isn't stale, however, is Hutchinson's compelling tale. And maybe another chapter gets written tonight. "I still have my (Bruins) draft jersey at home," said Hutchinson. "Other than that, I wasn't fortunate enough to play a game for Boston so I don't have too much stuff that's Boston Bruins. "As soon as I signed with Winnipeg my parents restocked the house with Winnipeg Jets stuff pretty quick." Hutchinson grinned here, wiped the sweat from his face and added: "See you guys tomorrow." Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.28.2014
758064 Winnipeg Jets Jets centre Lowry slapped with one-game suspension By: Ed Tait Posted: 11/27/2014 1:24 PM The COMEBACK KID Lowry to miss one game Tonight: JETS @ BRUINS BOSTON Winnipeg Jets centre Adam Lowry has been suspended for one game by the National Hockey League. Lowry was nailed for his boarding penalty on Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta in Wednesday s 2-1 victory and picked up a five-minute major and game misconduct. The National Hockey League s Department of Player Safety conducted a hearing with Lowry on Thursday before making the announcement. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary, Lowry forfeits $4,453.41. The money goes to the Players Emergency Assistance Fund. The suspension could leave the Jets shorthanded down the middle for Friday s game here against the Bruins, although centre Mathieu Perreault did skate at an optional practice at Boston University this afternoon. Perreault left Tuesday s victory over Columbus with a suspected shoulder injury and did not play against the Sabres. "I felt pretty good," said Perreault. "I was able to take some shots and stuff so we ll see how it feels tomorrow. It felt not bad today so hopefully tomorrow will be even better. I tried a few things... took faceoffs, shots, little battles along the boards and it felt not too bad. "I d like to play. If I feel like I can play then I d like to be in the lineup." The club still also has an extra forward in T.J. Galiardi, who is still with the team after clearing waivers on Wednesday. If the Jets do need to dip into the farm for help, the St. John s IceCaps are on the road nearby. They rallied in a come-from-behind 4-3 shootout victory over the Binghamton Senators in Maine on Wednesday and next play Saturday in Wilkes-Barre. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.28.2014
758065 Winnipeg Jets NHL lets Jets Adam Lowry off easy for dangerous hit on Kaleta 2 BY PAUL FRIESEN FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 05:30 PM CST UPDATED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 05:35 PM CST During the game and after it. The Winnipeg Jets rookie will sit just one game for his ugly hit-from-behind on Buffalo s Patrick Kaleta the other night, a slap on the wrist for how dangerous the hit was. Kaleta is lucky he wasn t seriously injured when he did a face-plant into the glass and slowly slithered to the ice, and by extension so is Lowry, as the extent of injuries plays a role in the NHL s punishments. Lowry was also lucky the Jets were playing the feeble Sabres. Most other teams would have at least attempted to exact revenge on the ensuing five-minute power play, and a tight game could have easily slipped away from the Jets. Imagine the different narrative had that been the case. Instead, the Jets scored the eventual winner, shorthanded, and Lowry was off the hook for a play that s really hard to explain. If there s one thing Lowry has shown in his first season it s his hockey IQ. Coach Paul Maurice has raved about it from Day 1. It seems he s always in the right place, making the smart play. But the hit on Kaleta came without an ounce of thought. Unless, that is, it came as retribution for the way Kaleta, a known troublemaker, had been getting in the face of Lowry and his teammates. If that s the case, then Lowry showed a lack of restraint. Even if there are players around the league, maybe even some officials, who felt Kaleta got what he deserved. Four times in his career the Buffalo native has been suspended for dirty hits, the last one 10 games, so his sympathy pool is shallow. But Lowry had no history with the guy. Being a first-time offender obviously helped Lowry s case. But he won t be able to lean on that crutch anymore. NOT NOEL S JETS The Jets have a chance to come home with an impressive three-game road sweep, if they can handle the Boston Bruins, Friday night. If they pull it off, the most impressive part might not be what happens in Boston, but what already happened in Columbus and Buffalo. Let s face it: the old Jets would have lost one of those, as taking advantage of bottom-feeders was never one of their specialties. All too often over the last three years, Winnipeg would treat a game against a cellar-dwellar like a night off, and not show up. But Paul Maurice s Jets are different than Claude Noel s Jets, and that s just another example. It s another baby step, but an important one. It could end up being the difference between playoff contention and also-ran status, come April. PIPE DEBATE It s about the debate over who should be in goal for the Jets in Boston, Friday. As much as I ve made arguments for Michael Hutchinson to get more net time, isn t it only natural Ondrej Pavelec should get the call? Pavelec was solid in Buffalo, as he and Hutchinson split the two easier games on the schedule. With a day off after the Buffalo game, shouldn t the No. 1 goalie automatically get the net against a contender like the Bruins? There are extenuating circumstances, perhaps, like Hutchinson s history with Boston, including his impressive win over the Bruins last season. Pavelec s history in Boston is less than impressive, too. But I don t know if that s enough. If the Jets are still as convinced as ever that Pavelec is their guy, they d play him, Friday, wouldn t they? Especially since their next game is a full five days later.
If the backup gets the call in two out of three games on this trip, what does that say? Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.28.2014
758066 Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg Jets should go back to red-hot Hutchinson for Friday's game in Boston 3 BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 04:04 PM CST UPDATED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 04:08 PM CST BOSTON This storyline might be too juicy for Paul Maurice to ignore. With the Winnipeg Jets set to face the Boston Bruins on Friday to close out a three-game road trip, you d have to think Maurice is tempted to give backup goalie Michael Hutchinson the opportunity to face his former team at TD Garden. Obviously, Maurice s job isn t to sell newspapers or to provide storylines, it s to put his players in a position to succeed. But given Hutchinson s recent play, it s a perfect time for Maurice to throw him in against the Bruins. After posting consecutive victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres, the Jets have an opportunity to return home with a clean sweep. The Jets don t play again until next Wednesday, so going with Hutchinson would also give starter Ondrej Pavelec a full week of rest between starts. Given Pavelec s workload, that wouldn t necessarily be a bad thing. After all, he s already played in 20 of 24 games this season. Not only is Hutchinson riding a hot stretch, he s got a little extra motivation, considering he was chosen by the Bruins in the third round (77th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft and was cut adrift by the organization in the summer of 2013. Hutchinson was on the ice with three others for an optional skate on Thursday and while he hadn t been told who was starting in goal when he spoke to the media, it s clear he would love another chance to face his old club. Every time you get a chance to play a former organization, you get a little more excited, said Hutchinson, who earned his first NHL win against the Bruins last April. It motivates you ever harder to get that win. If I get the game, it would definitely be special. Special is a fitting word to describe the journey Hutchinson has been on since the Bruins decided not to give him a qualifying offer in late June of 2013, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. When Boston didn t re-sign me, it was a little bit frustrating. You always want to play for the team that drafts you but the reality is that not many players get the chance to play for the same organization their whole career, said Hutchinson, who signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent and began the season as the No. 5 goalie on the organizational depth chart. It ended up being the best thing to happen to me, them letting me go. I was able to sign in Winnipeg and find a place here. I m thankful Boston gave me the opportunity to kind of see what else is out there. It definitely helped me get to where I am now. Hutchinson reminisced about his time in the Bruins organization and gave credit to goalie Tuukka Rask for teaching him a valuable lesson early in his career. He rarely gets scored on in practice, said Hutchinson, who is 4-1-1 in seven appearances this season with a 1.50 goals against average and.947 save perentage. When I first came to Boston s training camps, I thought I was working hard in practice, until I saw Tuukka and realized you could work that much harder. That definitely helped me out a lot. He s an amazing goalie and it s really hard to replicate everything he does. He s one of the best goalies in the league. At the same time, you can always try to emulate his work ethic. That s what I tried to take from him. That tireless work ethic has impressed Hutchinson s teammates. So while it s important to remember that the sample size at the NHL-level remains small, Hutchinson is making believers out of those who play in front of him. He s done well with the opportunities that he s gotten, said Jets forward Chris Thorburn. With his preparation, his work, he s always looking to improve and that s all you can ask for from a young guy that is just starting out. Maurice said earlier this week that Hutchinson had done enough to get another look before the road trip was over. Deferring to a well-rested starter instead of playing Hutchinson on consecutive nights was the right choice at the time. So is going back to Hutchinson against the Bruins and giving Pavelec some extra time to stay fresh. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.28.2014
758067 Winnipeg Jets Jets rookie Adam Lowry suspended one game for hit from behind in Buffalo 1 BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 01:54 PM CST UPDATED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 02:01 PM CST BOSTON Winnipeg Jets centre Adam Lowry has been given a one-game suspension and will miss Friday's game against the Boston Bruins. Lowry, who is enjoying a strong rookie season, received a boarding major and game misconduct after hitting Patrick Kaleta from behind at 14:06 of the second period in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Lowry had a phone hearing with the NHL department of player safety on Thursday, with the decision coming down shortly after the Jets held an optional skate at Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University. Speaking of Jets' centres, Mathieu Perreault was among the four players on the ice Thursday and might be ready to return to the lineup against the Bruins after missing Wednesday's game with an upper-body injury he suffered late in the second period of Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. I feel pretty good. I was able to take some shots and stuff. We'll see how it feels tomorrow. Hopefully, it will feel even better, said Perreault, who has two goals and six points in 23 games this season. You always want to be on the ice and play. It's never fun to sit on the sidelines and watch. I'd like to play. If I feel like I can play with it, I'll be in the lineup. Jets head coach Paul Maurice didn't speak to the media on Thursday, but said Wednesday he was hopeful that both Perreault and defenceman Toby Enstrom (who missed the past two games with a lower-body injury) might return to the lineup on Friday. Backup goalie Michael Hutchinson isn't sure if he will get the start against the team that drafted him, but would welcome the opportunity with open arms. Obviously, any time you get a chance to play against a former organization, you're a little bit more excited, said Hutchinson, who earned his first NHL win against the Bruins last April. If I get the game, it will definitely be pretty special. The Jets are 12-9-3 on the season and are riding a two-game winning streak after earning wins over the Blue Jackets and Sabres to open this three-game road trip. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.28.2014