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Only four NHL teams have hit the 20-win mark so far this season — the New York Rangers (22), Vancouver Canucks (22), Vegas Golden Knights (21) and Colorado Avalanche (20). Tonight, a fifth club will join them, as either the Winnipeg Jets or Boston Bruins is guaranteed to get there before the holiday season.
These are the two stingiest squads in the league. Winnipeg is No. 1 when it comes to five-on-five goals allowed (45), while Boston (46) is right behind.
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“There are a lot of similarities in our teams. We don’t give up much and both teams are playing good hockey,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said following the morning skate. “(The Jets) have the best goals-against in the league since Nov. 1. We’ve got our work cut out for us tonight.”
There’s a personal connection to this one: Jets bench boss Rick Bowness worked as an assistant to Montgomery in Dallas, then took over during the 2019-20 when Montgomery was dismissed for unprofessional conduct. Bowness led the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final that season (in the Edmonton pandemic bubble, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning).
“He’s a really, really good coach. He really is. I give him a lot of credit for getting that all straightened out. Give him a ton of credit for that. I’m not surprised because I know he’s a great character guy,” Bowness said of Montgomery, who is in his second season with the Bruins.
“I know how Boston has played for a long, long time and I know Jimmy Montgomery very well. I know how he coaches and the structure that he puts in. They will always have a tremendous work ethic there. That hasn’t changed from coaching staff to leadership, nothing. They maintain that hard-working team. They’ve always taken great pride in it.”
Connor Hellebuyck vs. Jeremy Swayman is the goaltending duel.
Here’s some additional information to get you set:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Winnipeg has passed a number of tough tests recently with flying colours, with impressive wins over the likes of the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche — twice, in fact. Now, another big one, and a Bruins team that enters play with just five regulation losses through 30 games and the second-best winning percentage in the NHL, trailing only the Rangers.
Can the Jets once again step up and meet the challenge?
“Going against a team in a different conference that is near the top of the conference, it’s a great test for us to see how we measure up throughout the league,” Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo said this morning. “I think we’ve done a good job against top teams for the most part, a couple games could have gone either way, but at the end of the day no matter who we play we have to worry about us and what we do and what gives us success. But obviously a fantastic team. They have a good foundation and good leadership group there.”
It says here Winnipeg will be just fine if the top line continues to perform as it has. The trio of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabe Vilardi has been dominant in recent games, with a combined 25 points in the last four contests alone. It should be a heck of a battle tonight, especially if the line is matched against Boston’s no. 1 unit featuring Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.
Savour this one, folks.
KEN SAYS: The Jets seem to be firing on all cylinders and are coming off a game where the fourth line of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, David Gustafsson and Morgan Barron was involved in two of Winnipeg’s five goals in a decisive 5-2 win over the Red Wings.
For all the praise being heaped on the newly contructed top line (and for good reason), the Jets’ ability to get offensive production throughout the lineup has been a key to this impressive 7-1-1 run.
The back end chipped in on four of the five goals scored on Tuesday and that group continues to be led by Josh Morrissey, who is up to five goals and 28 points in 31 games this season while averaging 24:25 of ice time.
Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey (44) is up to five goals and 28 points in 31 games this season. (Fred Greenslade / The Canadian Press files)
The Jets’ third line continues to be a handful for opponents in terms of sound defensive play and generating plenty of offensive zone time, but right-winger Mason Appleton has now gone 14 games without scoring a goal and has just one assist during his past 12 games after chipping in six goals and 15 points in the first 19 games of the campaign.
Keep a close eye on Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, who is in the thick of the chase for the Rocket Richard Trophy and leads his team with 19 goals and 43 points in 30 games this season. Pastrnak also has 10 goals and 16 points in 13 career games against the Jets.
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