|
Remember what the last day of school before summer break was traditionally like? Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness does, and he’s warned his troops not to get ahead of themselves as they play their final game tonight before a week-long hockey hiatus that will see players scatter for warmer locales.
“We talked about it (Friday), so there are no excuses. Show up and be ready to go. No excuses. None,” he told the Free Press this morning.
Advertisement
Of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in the same boat as they make their annual visit to Canada Life Centre for what should be a spirited affair in front of a raucous crowd.
“This is always a great atmosphere here. The Leafs bring out their fans. This is a great rink to play in when it’s full, and it’s a great rink to play in when there’s a lot of noise in the stands, which there will be tonight,” said Bowness. “The Leafs bring out the best in everybody. They’ll be better tonight than they were Wednesday, we know that. So, we’ll have to be better.”
Toronto skated away with a 1-0 overtime victory earlier this week as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, Auston Matthews beat goalie Laurent Brossoit in the final minute of three-on-three action.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) scores on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit (39) during overtime NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday. (Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press files)
Connor Hellebuyck gets the start between the pipes tonight, and the Jets are also expected to welcome forward Gabe Vilardi back into the lineup after he missed the last two games with injury. Josh Morrissey should play, too, after leaving in the first period Wednesday when he took a shot to the groin.
“We’ve got to make sure when (Vilardi and Morrissey) arrive tonight they’re ready to go, but (it’s) a very good bet they will both play,” said Bowness. He wouldn’t reveal what his lines might look like, so take our projections below with an extra grain of salt. Mark Scheifele will miss a sixth straight game with a lower-body injury as the Jets continue to be extra cautious.
As for the visitors, Ilya Samsonov will be back in net following his 32-save shutout Wednesday. They should also have forward Tyler Bertuzzi back after he missed Wednesday’s game for the birth of his child (replacing the injured Bobby McMann), and Winnipegger Ryan Reaves is expected to come into the lineup for the first time since Dec. 14, taking the spot of Calle Jarnkrok who suffered a hand injury at practice on Friday. Defenceman Mark Giordano, who was a healthy scratch last game, will take the spot of Connor Timmins.
Here’s some other information to get you set:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Is this the night the power play finally wakes up? Bowness certainly hopes so, given the struggles of late including a pair of third-period chances on Wednesday in a scoreless game that, rather predictably, came up empty.
“There’s been too many games, late in games, where it could have made a difference by scoring,” the bench boss bemoaned this morning. “Obviously, the Toronto game comes to mind as well. There’s five or six of those games… we had a late power play and we did nothing with it. So, yeah, it’s cost us a couple of points. There’s no question.”
Getting Vilardi back should help the cause, with Scheifele likely to follow after the break.
The Jets haven’t done much scoring of any kind lately, be it with the man advantage of at even strength, with just three goals to show for the three-game road trip (1-1-1). Yes, their defence has been stellar, keeping them in every game. But a little help at the other end of the rink would go a long way. There are several players right now in prolonged droughts.
I’m anticipating the third sellout of the season at the downtown rink, and it’s always a blast to see (and hear) Winnipeg and Toronto fanbases going back and forth.
Winnipeg’s last home game came on Jan. 16, and they won’t play here until Feb. 10. That’s a stretch of 25 days. In other words, savour tonight.
KEN SAYS: Greetings from Playa Del Carmen where I’ve started the bye week and NHL All-Star break early, though I will be tuning in. The tilt in Toronto was a fantastic one to witness and there was plenty of action for a game that featured only one goal that came in the final minute of overtime.
The Jets did an outstanding job of containing Matthews — until he got open in front and tipped home a pass from Morgan Rielly to secure the extra point in the first meeting of the season for the two clubs.
The Jets had an excellent first period and were all over the Maple Leafs, pushing the pace and causing them all kinds of difficulty with a ferocious forecheck.
Bowness felt it was one of the best periods the Jets had played all season, and I tend to agree. The problem was a parade to the penalty box — three minors in the second, four in a row stretching into the third period and five penalties total — was the equivalent of playing with fire for the Jets. They didn’t get burned by the Maple Leafs power play, but the penalties completely disrupted the flow of the game for them.
Keep a close eye on Jets left-winger Kyle Connor, who is set to play his fifth game since returning from the knee injury that kept him out of 16 games. Given the recent offensive struggles (including just nine goals during the past six games — well below the season average of 3.14 per contest), Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers need to be the guys driving the offence right now.
Aside from the big guns for the Maple Leafs who should garner major attention, Nick Robertson seems to be settling into his role. He chipped in an assist on the OT winner to give him four goals and five points during his past six games. And keep an eye on Maple Leafs rookie Matthew Knies, a former linemate of Chaz Lucius at the University of Minnesota. Knies, who turned pro at the end of last college season and jumped into the Maple Leafs lineup for the Stanley Cup playoffs, has eight goals and 17 points in 44 games this season.
Programming note: The monthly Free Press Jets mailbag is now open for submissions. Send your questions about the hockey club to Mike and Ken (either individually or just by replying to this email). The next edition will run online on Feb. 11.
|
