WINNIPEG -- The experiment is only a couple of games old, but new Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice says hes leaving Dustin Byfuglien at forward for now. Isaiah Hartenstein Jersey . "Im going to leave him there until I . . . see something that I need to change," he said Tuesday. "That may be next week, that may be next month, that may be never. But Im not making a decision until I need to." Maurice was impressed with how Byfuglien played in Winnipegs 5-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night. "I think I have a pretty good handle on what hes capable of doing and I think you saw that," the coach said after a short but intense practice. Byfuglien had two assists versus Phoenix and remains the third highest-scoring defenceman in the league with 37 points. He still jumps back in on the point on power plays although at even strength he plays forward. "Sometimes its a little tough to stay on the point but its good I get out there a little more," Byfuglien says. "Im more comfortable on D so its a lot easier to go back there and just feel comfortable and know that Im doing a lot better." Although he played forward with the Chicago Blackhawks, Byfuglien says he still doesnt feel all that comfortable in the role with the Jets. "Definitely not. It will take a few weeks for that one." Maurice was pleased overall with the energy level the team showed Tuesday and says there may be too much focus on Byfuglien, in particular if he makes a mistake when many other players in a similar position go unnoticed. "We are a far better hockey team with Dustin Byfuglien at forward or at D playing close to his abilities," Maurice said. "Thats my goal. . . At the end of the day, if Ive got a guy I feel can play at the back end and up front, then thats (a) best-case scenario." Maurice replaced Claude Noel, fired on the weekend as the Jets floundered and lost five in a row. Noel left the new coach a note that Maurice said he didnt get a chance to read immediately. But after reading it Monday, he had nothing but praise for his predecessor. "The point was there are very special people here, its a great town, he made that point, great organization and great players. When you get fired, youre dealing with a lot of tough emotions. For him to take time, that just shows how much he cares and the quality of man that he is. . . "He grew to love the team and the town and he was a good coach." He said he wants to thank Noel for the good work that he did with the team that might have gone unappreciated with his firing. "And Im speaking from experience." Maurice was fired by the Carolina Hurricanes (twice) and the Toronto Maples Leafs. After the win the players were a lot more upbeat than they have been for weeks, although they know it was just one game. "It was good to get back on track but this is a process so we need to bring that same level of energy every night," said forward Blake Wheeler, who enjoyed hearing cheers instead of jeers from fans. "Its been tough. We know when we deserve to get booed off the ice. We know when we deserve to get cheered on." The word "playoffs" even re-entered the Jets vocabulary, although at 20-23-5 theyre still tied on points for last place in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators. "Our goal at the start of the year was to make the playoffs and youre never out of it until youre out of it," said rookie forward Mark Scheifele, the teams No. 1 draft pick in 2011 who has seven goals and 24 points so far this season and sits fifth among rookie scorers in the NHL. "Theres still a lot of games left. All we have to do is make a good push and play as a team." Tyson Chandler Jersey . Sopoaga hit the upright with his first shot at goal from 15 metres. He then kicked nine goals in succession -- two conversions and seven penalties -- before being replaced in the 62nd minute, three points short of the Highlanders record for most points in a match. Clint Capela Rockets Jersey .C. -- The Edmonton Oilers used a late-power-play goal to get a hard-fought road victory. https://www.rocketsrookiesshop.com/Tyson-Chandler-City-Edition-Jersey/ . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball.WINNIPEG -- Marian Gaborik didnt get on the score sheet in his debut with the Los Angeles Kings, but he felt comfortable in a 3-1 victory Thursday over the Winnipeg Jets. Gaborik was acquired in a trade with Columbus on Wednesday and skated on the top line with centre Anze Kopitar and right-winger Justin Williams. "We created some things," said Gaborik, who logged 16:38 of ice time. "We had some good time on the power play as well. "We got some great help by our (defence) offensively as well so I think its going to get better and better." Mike Richards scored the game winner on a Winnipeg giveaway that helped run the Kings (36-22-6) winning streak to six games. "I was just as excited as a lot of the people that were here that came in from (my hometown) of Kenora (Ont.)," Richards said of the 20-plus game tickets he had to find. Captain Dustin Brown had Los Angeles first goal and Alec Martinez added a third-period power-play goal. Goalie Jonathan Quick only needed to make 17 saves for his 20th win of the season. Olli Jokinen notched his 15th goal of the season for Winnipeg (30-27-7) and a busy Ondrej Pavelec stopped 38 shots. "They move the puck well, they can spend a lot of time in your zone," Pavelec said. "We have to forget about this one and focus on the next one." Winnipeg and Phoenix were tied at 67 points heading into the game, one point behind Dallas for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver was one back of the Jets and Coyotes. Vancouver was visiting Dallas on Thursday night and Phoenix was hosting Montreal. "I liked the speed of the game that we started the game with," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. "I thought we moved the puck sharp and we moved our feet. And then I thought we ran into the L.A. Kings. "When theyre at their best, they will take your game and frustrate you to the point that you start to change what youre trying to do because theres nothing given easily." The biggest cheer in the scoreless first period was for Jets forward Dustin Byfuglien, after he sent Kings defenceman Jake Muzzin over the boards into the bottom of Winnipegs bench. Marquese Chriss Jersey. Los Angeles outshot the Jets 11-7 in the opening frame. Winnipeg didnt get its first shot of the second period until almost seven minutes in, but the Jets scored on their 11th of the game. Evander Kane went around Kings defenceman Drew Doughty and then beat Muzzin to the puck off the boards behind the net, sending a quick pass to Jokinen who shot the puck past Quick at 12:03. But the jubilation of the MTS Centre only lasted 42 seconds. Brown scored his 12th goal of the season after centre Jarret Stoll sent a long backhand pass across the front of the net that hit Browns skate and the puck trickled across the goal-line past Pavelec at 12:45. Then Jets defenceman Tobias Enstrom, at the boards by the Kings bench, made a pass across the ice that was supposed to be for Jokinen. Richards intercepted it halfway, crossed the blue-line and then fired a shot by Pavelec at 16:15 for his ninth of the season. Los Angeles also outshot the Jets 10-6 in the second. The Kings are now 19-0-0 this season when leading after the second period. With Jets forward Blake Wheeler in the penalty box for high-sticking, defenceman Martinez scored unassisted at 15:51 with a shot on Pavelecs blocker side. The Jets had to juggle all four lines from Tuesdays 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders because of injuries. Winnipeg rookie centre Mark Scheifele sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the loss. The second-line centre is out for at least four weeks and possibly the rest of the regular season. Forward Chris Thorburn was also injured in the game and is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Those deletions made Maurice put his top line of Andrew Ladd, centre Bryan Little and Wheeler back together. Jokinen was centring the second line with Kane and Byfuglien. Michael Frolik, whos only played a few games at centre during his six-year NHL career, was put in the middle with Matt Halischuk and Devin Setoguchi. The fourth line was centred by Jim Slater with Eric Tangradi and Anthony Peluso. Winnipeg hosts Ottawa on Saturday afternoon and the Kings play in Edmonton Sunday. ' ' '