The look on Patrik Laine's face said it all.

Yeah, he's one of the most talented 18-year-olds on the planet. And yeah, he's played against the best in the world at the World Championships and the recent World Cup.

But Laine has never, ever, experienced anything like a cutthroat NHL training camp before.

And the first few days of his first one with the Winnipeg Jets have opened his eyes and screamed into his ears: he's not in Finland, or even the pro league in Switzerland, anymore.

“We don't normally have nothing like the training camp,” Laine said, Wednesday. “Everybody comes to the practice and we don't have to kind of race (for) the spots on the team. We just come there and practise and then play. And we don't have that many guys there. We just have the team and we're just practising with them.

“Here you have those guys that want to take your spot and want to be ahead of you in the roster. Back home there's no such thing.”

Even the Jets have never had a training camp as competitive as this one, with at least a dozen players fighting for just a few open jobs.

It shows in the intensity of a scrimmage like Wednesday's — another thing Laine had never experienced.

“That's kind of new to me. Because in Finland we never do stuff like that,” he said. “It's a good thing to see those players that you're playing against (for) the spots on the roster. It's only a good thing to have those games.”

SLEEPING IT OFF

Defenceman Brian Strait didn't get much sleep after Tuesday night's pre-season game, and it wasn't one play that kept him awake.

It was just the turn-around from a night game to a 9 a.m. training camp session.

“I'm not a young buck anymore,” Strait said. “I'm almost 29. But I've done it before. It's part of being professional.”

So is making mistakes and just moving on.

That's what Strait had to do, Tuesday, when he and goalie Eric Comrie messed up behind the Jets net and Strait's ensuring giveaway handed Calgary a goal.

“He was, like, 'Oh, sorry I didn't get out of the way.' I'm like, 'Dude, we both messed up. Brush it off.' It's one of those things,” Strait said. “Bad puck luck, too, that the guy was standing right there. What are you going to do? You've got to brush it off and keep playing.”

That's one thing that's easier to do now than when he was younger.

One of Winnipeg's summer free-agent signings, Strait says his legs and lungs weren't bad for the pre-season opener.

He loved the way a youth-dominated Jets lineup played -- for two periods, anyway.

There'll be another chance to make up for the disappointing third – not to mention his mistakes.

“Yeah, you want to put your best foot forward for pre-season games,” Strait said. “That's where it counts. That's what they're all looking for. Just try to give your best effort every night.”

Assistant coach Jamie Kompon says with each game players usually start to separate themselves.

“You hope there's not separation and they make our job tough,” Kompon said. “Don't make our job easy.”

THE “OTHER” KID

Like Laine, Kyle Connor is looking forward to his first pre-season game, potentially Thursday.

The Jets' first draft pick last year, Connor says he's not sure if there's more value in games or day-to-day performance in camp.

“Everything probably goes into play,” he said. “You're being evaluated every time you got to the rink. So every time you get a chance to impress them you want to do your best.”

If he suits up against the Wild, Connor's plan is simple: do what he's always done.

“Play my game -- lots of speed, and use my skills to make the players around me better.”

His goal for camp is the same as Laine's, too: “Make a good impression on the coaches and making that opening-day roster.”

STARS CRANK IT UP

There was a noticeable difference in Wednesday's camp sessions, Kompon said.

“The execution, the tempo – and that's not taking away from anybody else,” Kompon said. “But that first group, they were going. That was Litts and Staff and Mathieu Perreault, they drive the bus. It was really good to see. And in turn it was only a one-hour practice, because we got what we needed to get accomplished and the attention to detail was spot-on.”

That same intensity was on display in an afternoon scrimmage involving World Cup returnees Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien.

The pace might have opened some younger eyes.

“It's a little bit of a reality check: 'I've got to notch it up just a little bit more now,' ” Kompon acknowledged. “For those guys it's a great experience to push themselves out of that comfort zone. It's a real good test.”

OUCH UPDATE

Shawn Matthias, injured in Tuesday's pre-season affair, wasn't hurt seriously, Kompon said.

“I don't think there's much of a concern.”

Ryan Olsen and Patrice Cormier remain day-to-day, Brendan Lemieux week-to-week.