FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Jets coach Scott Arniel juggled three of his forward lines on Friday night – only the top trio of Scheifele, Gabe Vilardi and Kyle Connor remained intact as the third period began – and I thought the new-look combos showed some instant chemistry. The Jets nearly erased a two-goal deficit, coming within an inch or two of tying the game.
Based on the line rushes at Saturday’s practice, it appears they’re going to remain that way for the time being.
You know who caught my eye the most against the Hurricanes? Gus Nyquist. I know he’s still searching for his first goal of the year, but he was all around the puck and making plenty of smart and highly-skilled plays. He’s overdue for a breakout game, and perhaps it can come against a Minnesota team he finished last season with following a trade from Nashville.
Will Winnipeg Jets winger Gustav Nyquist have a breakout game against his former team, the Minnesota Wild, on Sunday? (Matt Krohn / The Associated Press FIles)
Unfortunately, Luke Schenn had another tough night at the office, yet it seems like he’s going to remain in the lineup, for now. I just don’t see how this is sustainable, especially with the Jets hitting the road for the next five games. Without last change and the ability to try and shelter the Schenn-Logan Stanley pairing, that’s a recipe for disaster.
On the subject of parity, I asked Chynoweth for his take on why the standings – save for the runaway freight train that are the Colorado Avalanche – are so tightly bunched together as we approach American Thanksgiving.
Where’s the separation that is often starting to happen by now? He had an interesting take, citing the condensed schedule in this Olympic year and an incredible run of injuries that teams, including his, have faced already this season.
“There is parity in the league, there’s no doubt about it. We have a salary cap league and there is parity. It’s great for the fans. It’s not so great for a coach at times,” said Chynoweth.
KEN SAYS: Game 2 of Hellebuyck’s extended absence arrives in the form of the Jets’ biggest rival and they’re riding an incredible heater, so the Jets will need to be locked in when it comes to their defensive structure.
That structure was mostly sound at five-on-five against a Hurricanes team that is the best in the Eastern Conference and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, as the Jets limited them to one high-danger scoring chance at even strength according to Natural Stat Trick (though the high-slot tip by Jordan Staal for his second goal should have counted as another).
Vilardi scored twice after going three games without a point and he’s up to eight goals and 16 points in 20 games.
Defenceman Josh Morrissey has been on fire of late, extending his point streak to seven games as he’s up to 22 points in 20 games to sit second in the NHL among blue-liners, trailing only Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (who has 28 in 21 games).
Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey is on a seven game point streak with 22 points in 20 games so far this season, placing him second in NHL scoring by blue-liners. (Ryan Sun / The Associated Press FIles)
The Jets power play has been gaining traction again, having scored in five consecutive games and going six-for-12 during that span. However, the Jets did give up a costly shorthanded marker to Winnipegger Seth Jarvis on Friday – which was the first shortie allowed by them in 20 games.
The recent resurgence has pushed the Jets up to sixth in the NHL, while the Wild penalty kill is 28th overall (though they’re 15th on the road at 80 per cent efficiency).
It’s remarkable to see how the Wild have got things straightened out since the last time these two teams met last month in St. Paul. Minnesota has gone 8-2-1 since falling to the Jets in overtime to surge up the standings. Goaltending has been exceptional, with both Wallstedt and Filip Gustavson shining between the pipes.
Just how good have they been playing? Well, Wallstedt is 4-0 in his past four starts with a 1.22 goals-against average and .963 save percentage, while Gustavsson is 4-1-1 in his past six starts with a 1.95 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. This is the epitome of having both goaltenders pushing one another to be at their best.
The Wild have shown more cohesion since the return of Mats Zuccarello (who has a goal and seven points in seven games) and forward Matt Boldy continues to shine, as he leads the team in goals (13) and is one point behind Kirill Kaprizov, who leads in this category with 26.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS
- Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
- Namestnikov-Lowry-Perfetti
- Niederreiter-Toews-Nyquist
- Koepke-Barron-Iafallo
DEFENCE
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Samberg-Pionk
- Stanley-Schenn
GOAL
INJURED: G Hellebuyck (knee surgery), D Fleury (concussion protocol)
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Miller, F Pearson
MINNESOTA WILD
FORWARDS
- Kaprizov-Yurov-Zuccarello
- Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
- Foligno-Sturm-Trenin
- Ohgren-Jones-Pitlick
DEFENCE
- Brodin-Faber
- Middleton-Spurgeon
- Buium-Bogosian
GOAL
INJURED: F Tarasenko (lower body), C Rossi (lower body), F Hartman (lower body), RW Hinostroza (undisclosed)
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Hunt, F Haigh
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets goaltender Eric Comrie on when he found out Connor Hellebuyck might have to shut things down due to injury:
“I knew that for a long time. He’s been trying to play through it. He’s a tough guy. He’s trying to give everything to this team that he could, give everything he can to the city. He’s never dealt with an injury before in his whole career. I mean, it’s the first time he’s ever had it. Knock on wood, he gets no more. I want nothing but the best for him. He’s unbelievable. I hope his recovery goes along smoothly. But yeah, he’s been dealing with it for a little bit of time, and I it just shows you how good of a goalie he is. He can adjust his game and still play that good, considering how he was feeling.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Ken will have the game analysis of Jets vs Wild, while Mike have a secondary story out of the game. You can find both pieces online at www.winnipegfreepress.com and in Monday’s print edition.
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