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TORONTO — Greetings from the “Centre of the Hockey Universe,” where a marquee matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs has lost a little bit of lustre.
That’s because top forwards Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi will once again be out of the Winnipeg lineup owing to injuries. Scheifele will miss a fifth straight game, while Vilardi is sidelined for his second consecutive contest. Jets coach Rick Bowness shuffled his lines during Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, and he’ll start tonight’s game the same way that one ended in Beantown.
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The only difference is backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit will be between the pipes as Connor Hellebuyck gets the night off to end this three-game road trip, which began Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
Winnipeg is looking to get back into the win column after falling in regulation for just the third time in 23 games. Toronto, meanwhile, has been a lot more up and down lately but is coming off a much-needed win in Seattle on Sunday.
“They’re a great team and we seem to have competitive games for sure,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said following the morning skate. “They’ve got some of the most dynamic offensive players in the world. A bunch of guys that are having great years, so you try not to give them any free offence off turnovers, off mistakes defensively and try to make them earn the offence that they’ll get. They’ve got some of the best guys in the league at producing points and scoring goals, so try not to make it easier for them to do that.”
The respect is very much mutual, with Toronto bench boss Sheldon Keefe singing Winnipeg’s praises.
“Just getting to their net, getting access to the net, getting access to the zone,” he said, of the challenges in facing the Jets. “They also do a lot of really good things on offence, too. They’re good with the puck and they put pressure on you in your own zone. It’s two teams that will be fighting for possession and territory through the game and looking to gain access to the net.”
This is the start of a home-and-home set, as the teams will go at it again Saturday night in downtown Winnipeg. The hope is one or both of Scheifele and Vilardi could be cleared by then, although neither will be rushed, considering the Jets then have a nine-day break between games.
Here’s some other information to get you set:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
Ken says: Will it be high-event hockey or a defensive gem? Regardless, it should be an intense battle between squads that only see each other twice a year but have some remnants of a rivalry that dates back to the Canadian (North) Division days of the COVID-19 season. The Jets have finally made the defensive zone commitment that the Maple Leafs have often been lacking. The team that imposes its will and style of play in this one is likely to come out on top.
The Jets are making a couple of tweaks to the struggling power play, as Neal Pionk and Nikolaj Ehlers are trading places. Pionk goes to the left flank with Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry and Alex Iafallo, while Ehlers will be the quarterback of the second unit with Nate Schmidt, Cole Perfetti, Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov.
What is Bowness hoping to see from Pionk?
“Shots. He’s got a good one-timer,” said Bowness. “We need to put more pucks down on that net. It’s as simple as that. So, we’ve got to (change) things up. And listen, we’re not going into this game (saying) there’s No. 1 and No. 2. We’re looking for a No. 1 (unit). Whatever unit is going to go out there and make things happen, that will be the No. 1 unit (tonight).”
At even strength, it will be interesting to see what the Jets are able to generate after being held to one goal by a stingy Bruins team. It’s a great opportunity for Namestnikov, who scored the lone goal against the Bruins, as he is promoted to the top unit with Connor and Ehlers.
For the Maple Leafs, it’s always a treat to watch Auston Matthews, who is in the midst of another exceptional season as he’s leading the Rocket Richard race with 38 goals and has accumulated 56 points in 44 games. “Auston has obviously had an exceptional season. Everything he seems to touch turns to gold,” said Maple Leafs rookie winger Matthew Knies. “He’s been carrying our team and is a big leader in the locker room as well as on the ice. He always seems to find a way and he’s scoring in different areas. He’s always creative in the way that he scores goals. It’s pretty unique how he can beat goalies with such ease and just kind of change the game for us.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is leading the Rocket Richard race. (Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press files)
Mike says: Give the undermanned Jets credit for hanging in tough against the big, bad Bruins. That was a one-goal game right down to the wire, and Winnipeg carried the play for much of the third period as it pressed for the equalizer. Tonight will be another tough test against a Toronto team trying to build momentum, especially with plenty of Eastern Conference rivals nipping at its heels in the chase for playoff spots and positioning.
Winnipeg’s power play continues to puzzle me. When was the last time a team this good at five-on-five was so bad at five-on-four? It’s mind-boggling. To be fair, it’s worth noting there have only been a handful of games (six full ones out of the first 45) in which Scheifele, Vilardi and Connor have all been in the lineup at the same time. As Bowness told Ken the other night in Boston, he believes it’s hard to fully judge the PP without that trio, along with Ehlers and Morrissey, getting a chance to show what they can do. That day can’t come soon enough for the Jets.
As good as Hellebuyck has been this year, Brossoit’s numbers are nearly identical (albeit in a much smaller sample size). He’s been terrific after a slow start to his second stint in Winnipeg. He’ll likely need to continue that trend tonight for the Jets to have a chance. Keep an extra-close eye on that Matthews character, who is four tallies ahead of Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart in the NHL goal-scoring race heading into tonight’s action.
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