WINNIPEG - THIS HOCKEY TOWN IS LOOKING FOR BIG THINGS FROM THE JETS

The NHL season opener in Winnipeg last night saw the Jets fall to the Habs in a 5-1 verdict which was unusually lopsided.  The young team was overwhelmed by the pressure of the homecoming for the Jets and they crashed and burned in their attempt to impress.

The Jets have a ton of expectations riding on their collective shoulders.  The team which is headed by Andrew Ladd is playing in a hockey strong hold which has seen the likes of Bobby Hull patrol the ice.  The fans in Winnipeg saw the Jets (then in the WHA) come from nowhere and become champs in short order.  In fact the Jets were always a threat to take the top prize while they were in the WHA.  The WHA squad was aggressive and innovative and they laid the foundation for the Jets original entry into the NHL.

The first edition of the Jets in the NHL had stars like Morris Lukowich and Dale Hawerchuk.  They were always competitive but the small market pay days and the CDN dollar valuation (at the time) led to the team moving to the US.  This was a sad occurrence for all Jets fans and this would only be rectified this past summer with the Atlanta Thrashers coming back to Winnipeg as the Jets 2.0.

So now the fun really begins.  Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd, and Dustin Byfuglien will have to step it up and make sure that the new edition of the Jets will have a decent year.  The team is capable and the thrashing at the hands of the Habs should be a one off if the team plays up to their potential. Winnipeg is a hockey town.  Just ask hockey legends from the Peg like Randy Carlyle.  The city deserves a team and we wish them the best.  The new squad needs to always remember the hockey tradition from the Jets and the Peg but play a fun and focused game; up to their abilities.     

Big Buff's Big Night against the Less-Big, Bad Bruins

It's not often that I'm wrong (or at least it's not often that I admit I'm wrong), but in this case it's clear that when the decision was made to move Dustin Byfuglien seemingly permanently to defense the Atlanta Thrashers knew what they were doing. At the time it was clear to me that after he scored 16 points in 16 games in the playoffs last year, starting with the series against the Vancouver Canucks, he was made to be a power forward. Clearly he's much more versatile than anyone outside the Thrashers was willing to admit. 

While proof to that effect has come all season-long (25 points in 24 games to lead all defensemen, including nine goals (also first) and five game-winners to lead the entire league), the exclamation point on his case for league-wide respect and superstar status came on Sunday night when he netted one goal and three assists for a season-high four-point game. It wasn't a new career-high, but it did tie his current one, as he had two goals and two assists in a game in 2008-2009 as a Chicago Blackhawks against the Minnesota Wild. The season before, he had a hat trick and one helper against the Phoenix Coyotes one game, as well.

It's getting to the point where anybody who ever doubted him is in turn doubting their own judgment, because it's there's no way around admitting that this guy, given the ice time, can put up big numbers. From a personal standpoint, he's singlehandedly forced me to do a lot of soul searching. Of course, I found none to speak of, but can still give credit where credit is due. I don't think he will ever win the Norris Trophy, for the same reason that Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green won't, but never before could people speak of the two in the same sentence without giggling uncontrollably. Of course, the fact that people call him Buffy maybe contributed to that, which is another good sign. Tough as she may be, no one wants a nickname based on a female television character. Big Buff suits him better.