WINNIPEG -- It was back to business for the Winnipeg Jets Wednesday, as they skated for the first time since the Olympic break and prepared to resume their quest for the playoff berth that has eluded the franchise for so many years. Matt Grzelcyk Jersey . With 22 games left and just over a week till they play again, coach Paul Maurice says he wants to get started right away sharpening defensive neutral zone play and forechecking without the puck. "Our sole focus is trying to find ways that we can be more aggressive with it," he said. The Jets were still minus their four Olympians -- forwards Olli Jokinen, Blake Wheeler and Michael Frolik, plus No. 1 netminder Ondrej Pavelec remain in Sochi -- but they made up for that with a healthy Evander Kane, Jim Slater and Matt Halischuk, all back from the injury list. Slater was out the longest after sports hernia surgery in Montreal. The centre and one of the teams faceoff leaders last played Oct. 18 but he says he now feels strong and ready to compete. Its a far different team than the one he left, with the Jets on a roll since Maurice took over from Claude Noel. They now sit just two points out of that coveted playoff spot. Slater says its always tough to be on the sidelines when a new coach comes in. "The slates wiped clean and when you cant get out there and play and show him what youve got, its definitely tough, you dont know where you fit in," he said. But Maurice helped to set his mind at ease. "Ive played against Paul a lot of my career when he was in Carolina, so we had a talk, he knows what kind of player I am and just wanted me to get healthy, come back strong and ready to go." The focus may be on getting his team ready for their first game Feb. 27 when the Phoenix Coyotes visit Winnipeg, but Maurice says hes still arranged practice Friday to let the team watch Canada and the U.S. play in the Olympics. "Weve moved practice so that we can get together and watch that as a team," he said. "Its a big deal so we want to respect that and enjoy it. . . At the end of the day hockey events are what were all about, right, and this is a big game." Its been seven years since the Atlanta Thrashers were swept in the first round of the NHL playoffs in their only appearance. Kane last played Jan. 26 in Chicago. He was out twice with an injured hand, the second time after what turned out to be a premature return resulted in an infection that saw his hand swell to the size of a baseball. He says hes sure hell be ready to go Feb. 27 and he likes where the Jets are now sitting. "We put ourselves in a position now where we can make a push and we have a legitimate shot to make the playoffs and contend," he said. "The last part of the schedule we play the teams that kind of bunched in with us so its going to be an good opportunity for us to make a push and finish off strong." Team captain Andrew Ladd says the time to practice will help the Jets get their pace back up. "I think that was the best part of our game, the last 10 games or so . . We were playing (with) speed and confidence and weve got to find a way to get that back." He said its also good to see players like Slater and Halischuk return after long absences. "Its nice to have some extra bodies." Jaroslav Halak Jersey . -- With the Memphis Grizzlies struggling to find their offensive rhythm, O. Terry OReilly Bruins Jersey .S. Olympic hockey management team have been making what he called "ghost rosters" since August. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/bobby-orr-hockey-jersey/ . Canada will host Japan in a World Group first-round match in 2015. It will be a rematch of their first-round clash last year when Japan defeated Canada 4-1 to reach the World Group quarter-finals for the first time in its history.Which are the most credible Liverpool transfer rumours right now? Sky Sports has teamed up with Football Whispers to bring you the latest transfer talk as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the new Premier League season.Football Whispers have developed a unique algorithm to take all of the transfer rumours from across the globe and calculate the likelihood of them happening. They track transfer stories and give them a score out of 5.0, with the hottest Whispers closest to 5.0.Here are the current top three:1. Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle) - 4.9Liverpool have agreed a deal in the region of £25m with Newcastle United for midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, according to Sky sources.Wijnaldum, who has 30 international caps for the Netherlands, will now travel to Anfield for a medical.The midfielder joined Newcastle in a £14.5m switch from PSV Eindhoven last summer but was unable to prevent their relegation from the Premier League.2. Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) - 3.5 Real are reportedly willing to offload Kovacic this summer Liverpool are reportedly lining up a move for Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic.Kovacic struggled to make an impact under Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid are looking to offload the Croatian, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.And the report suggests Liverpool are ready to bring the 22-year-old to Anfield.3. Lucas Moura (PSG) - 3.3Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas Moura remains a strong player in the top three, as a possible transfer continues to be discussed. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lucas Moura has been linked with Anfield The 23-year-old Brazilian scored 13 goals in 32 starts for the Ligue 1 champions in all competitions last season. Hottest Liverpool whispers - Thursday, July 21 Player Club FW rating (out of 5) Georginio Wijnaldum Newcastle 4.9 Mateo Kovacic Real Madrid 3.5 Lucas Moura PSG 3. Patrice Bergeron Bruins Jersey. .3 Jeremy Mathieu Barcelona 3.1 Mahmoud Dahoud Monchengladbach 2.3 Eduardo Salvio Benfica 2.0 Jakub Blaszczykowski Borussia Dortmund 1.9 Mario Gotze Bayern Munich 1.5 Andre Gomes Valencia 1.5 Layvin Kurzawa PSG 1.4 Jonas Hector Cologne 1.3 Jordan Amavi Aston Villa 1.3 Moussa Sissoko Newcastle 1.0 Dont forget to follow the most up-to-date information around the clock with the Sky Sports Transfer Centre Also See: Transfer Centre Latest transfer news Paper Talk Liverpool fixtures ' ' '