Winnipeg Jets Training Camp On a night in which the Winnipeg Blue Bombers punched their ticket to the Canadian Football League's post-season with a commanding 55-27 home victory over the Edmonton Elks, it was the Winnipeg Jets that could have used some help from their numbers 55 and 27 in pre-season action. Sure, those who happened to stick it out and watch the Jets' full contest did find some reward in a rather strong third period, enough damage was done in the second period to do Winnipeg in for not only one game, but likely two. Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets gave up seven goals in the second period alone - yes you read that right - en route to an 8-5 drubbing by the Minnesota Wild. It was a decent opening frame for both clubs, which each found the twine once, before the home team absolutely pounded the reigning Vezina Trophy winner seven times in the second period, flipping the game script on its head. Managing just a single goal in the middle 20, Winnipeg needed a sensational third period to even get back into the game. Somehow, at roughly the time the Bomber game concluded, the Jets woke up and scored three time in the third. Three times, not six, which would have been enough to tie the game. Hellebuyck was yanked after all eight goals in 40 minutes played, but it wasn't his fault entirely. Some defensive miscues in front of him, while turnovers from some youthful forwards did not help the cause. Youngsters Nikita Chibrikov and Brayden Yager each scored their first goals of the preseason, while Mason Appleton, Morgan Barron and recent RFA holdout Cole Perfetti also found a way through Marc-Andre Fleury. It wasn't all bad news, but it certainly wasn't pretty. With four full days off before returning to the fold on Wednesday, the Jets will certainly have ample time to think about what all went wrong in one disastrous second period.
