Blake Wheeler scores 800th point for Winnipeg as Avalanche crush Jets 

Winnipeg Jets player Blake Wheeler became the third player from the 2004 NHL draft class to record 800 points with a single franchise. The right winger assisted for the only goal in a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. The defeat marred what was a tremendous achievement for him individually.

"Blake Wheeler tallied his 800th point for the Jets tonight. He's only the third player from the 2004 @NHL Draft class to record 800 with a single franchise" - Winnipeg Jets

NHL Twitter showed mixed reactions as some appreciated the effort put in by Wheeler, while others questioned the team over the loss.

The defeat will be painful for the Jets, as they have played well this season. They have recorded 35 wins and are second in the Central Divison with 71 points. Winnipeg has done well offensively, scoring 180 goals, with contributions coming from the duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

Their defense has done well by conceding just 2.6 goals per game this season, and this has helped them to win closely contested games. Defense has been an issue recently, however, as shown in the 5-1 drubbing by Colorado.

Having lost two consecutive games, it will be interesting to see how the Jets perform when they host the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Blake Wheeler's NHL career

Winnipeg Jets v Arizona Coyotes

Blake Wheeler is in the second decade of his playing career after being drafted in 2004. He made his first appearance with the Boston Bruins in the 2008-09 season. He spent three seasons at the Bruins, making over 200 appearances, scoring 40 goals and recording 55 assists. This was enough to get a lot of interest from the other franchises.

Wheeler moved to the Winnipeg Jets in 2011 and has been there ever since. Having played over 1,000 games for Winnipeg, Blake Wheeler managed his 800th point for the franchise in the defeat against Colorado. He has played well this season, with over 40 goal contributions to his name.