Jets hold one final practice before holiday break

WINNIPEG - The National Hockey League's pause of the 2021-22 campaign - until December 26 at 2 pm CT - meant a change in the Winnipeg Jets practice plans this week.
With games against the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars postponed, the Jets had planned to practice Tuesday and Wednesday before dispersing for the holidays.
However, the pause means that a Wednesday practice isn't possible, so the Jets hit the ice at Canada Life Centre at 8:45 am CT for a half hour practice.
"We just wanted to make sure that we got a good little crisp skate in, let them feel the puck, get up and down the ice, let them have a little bit of fun," said interim head coach Dave Lowry. "We all know where their minds are right now, they're ready to get home, they're ready to get on their breaks. So we talked about being ready to come back to work on Sunday."

Some of that "fun" Lowry mentioned was a two-on-two mini game in the neutral zone, one that was punctuated by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck dangling around Neal Pionk before finishing the move off on Eric Comrie.
"I think everyone saw that I beat Neal Pionk in a race, so I think I proved my point," Hellebuyck said with a laugh. "I'm faster than him and that was the main purpose of that drill was just to prove that I'm faster than him. Everyone saw it."
The only two players who didn't see it were Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry.
Lowry missed the skate for maintenance reasons while Morrissey was held out as a precaution. His circumstances are similar to that of Nate Schmidt - who skated on Tuesday after missing Sunday's game and two practices with a non-COVID illness.
Also on the injury front, forward David Gustafsson - injured early in Friday's game against the Washington Capitals - might be able to resume practicing when the team reconvenes on Sunday.
There was no further update on captain Blake Wheeler, who hasn't played since a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on December 10.
Wheeler remains on long-term injured reserve.
"I think right now with Blake it's 10 games, 24 days because he's on LTIR," said coach Lowry. "That's all I can really offer you at this point of time. It's at least 10 games at point of injury."

The pause in the season, as well as the holiday break, offered the Jets a chance to reflect on the first 30 games of the campaign and their 14-11-5 record.
"I think this team has a lot of potential that we haven't hit yet," said forward Kyle Connor. "I think we've still got another level to get to and I think this break is almost coming at a good time for us to kind of regroup, spend the holidays with the family, almost a mental break, and come back for a big second half."
The biggest thing Lowry wants to see from his group is consistency.
"We've had some good games, and had some really good games where we weren't rewarded in the results," said Lowry. "There's a lot of positives. Obviously we don't like where we are in the standings and we know we're going to have to work to dig ourselves out of a hole."
The best way to dig out of that hole is to do exactly what the Jets did on Sunday, their final game before the break, and earn regulation victories over Central Division rivals.

If the schedule stays the same as it is now, the Jets will play Central Division clubs on December 27 (Minnesota) and December 29 (Chicago) as part of a run that sees divisional opponents in five of their next eight contests.
"It's really hard to gain points on people," said Hellebuyck. "We really have to find a way to be consistent and be reliable for each other and play that same strong game that we know we can."
So that will be the goal when the Jets return.
Until then, Hellebuyck is going to embrace his first Christmas as a father.
"You should see our tree right now. There are way too many presents under it," he said with a laugh. "He's not even going to be able to open them himself, so I think it's more for mom and dad. But I really look forward to taking pictures and doing all of the little things with the kid that you take pictures of and show him when he's older and embarrass (him). These are the memories I'm going to make and cherish for the rest of my life."