The Jets get back to the rink and begin a slate of 18 games in 39 days this weekend, starting with tilts against the Chippewa Steel and Minnesota Magicians.
The road trip starts with the resumption of the Battle of Wisconsin series with Chippewa, and this round is at their place. The Jets and Steel have played four games so far this year, and Janesville has a 3-1 edge. The Jets have scored 17 goals in those four games and have allowed nine, and have posted a stellar penalty kill success rate of 92.9 percent.
Chippewa currently has possession of the Battle of Wisconsin trophy after winning last year’s series. The two teams will play each other seven more times, including back-to-back-to-back games next week, with two in Janesville. The next installment is set for 7:10 p.m. CDT Thursday.
The Jets then head from Chippewa across state lines to Richfield, Minn. for a rematch against the Magicians. The two have been in a close battle for first place in the Midwest Division for the past couple of months, and the Jets had the edge before going on a two-week spring break. In that timeframe, Minnesota and Fairbanks have been able to catch up. The Magicians currently sit in first place with 44 points, the Ice Dogs in second with 42, and the Jets in third with 40. Each has games in hand over Janesville, Minnesota with five and Fairbanks with nine.
The Jets and the Magicians are currently on losing streaks they’ll be looking to snap, and Janesville’s loss came to the villain itself: Minnesota, 8-5. Both games in Richfield are slated for 7:15 p.m.
All of the action can be found on HockeyTV for live streaming, with stats available via NAHL Game Center. Fans can also follow the Jets on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live updates.
Next Flight
This weekend’s schedule is busy, but more of the same is coming for the Jets. The team will play three games a week in the next six, through the end of the regular season. Only two of Janesville’s 11 games in April will be played at home: Thursday, April 15 and Saturday, April 17, against the Steel. Friday’s middle match will be in Chippewa. The team then embarks on their annual Alaska trip for two weeks, for nine games with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and Kenai River Brown Bears.