Slumping Antropov dropped to fourth line
--Head coach Claude Noel had seen enough of center Nik Antropov's struggles and demoted him to the fourth line for Tuesday's game against the Islanders.
Antropov, normally the second-line center, had just one shot in his previous seven games and managed another one in nearly 12 minutes of action versus the Isles.
"I'm in a slump," the candid Antropov said. "The only way to get out of it is to work hard and compete every night out there and show coach you're capable to play in the first two lines, and hopefully he sees that.
"At the moment, he feels it's the best play for the team that I'm not there in the top two lines. I'm going to work hard and see where it goes."
--Winnipeg's power play is absolutely awful at the moment. Aside from a 6-on-3 goal and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien's lucky tally from the red line 12 seconds apart against Washington, the Jets haven't scored a power-play goal in the last nine games.
Their man advantage looked particularly bad against the Islanders, going 0-for-3 and generating just two shots on goal.
"The way we're playing with the man advantage is embarrassing," captain Andrew Ladd told TSN Jets after the game. "There's no excuses, and it has to be better."
Head coach Claude Noel told reporters it's time for drastic changes with the power play.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"When I put them on the ice, I don't sit with my rosary in my hand and go through the process." -- Jets head coach Claude Noel, when asked if he was nervous having a pair of 20-year-olds, LW Evander Kane and C Alex Burmistrov, on the same line.
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