FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS:
On paper, this has “uh oh” written all over it for Winnipeg.
They’re coming off two intense divisional battles this week, a hard-fought win over Minnesota on Tuesday and then the back-and-forth affair in Chicago on Thursday, with travel mixed in. And their next two games are also against Central rivals.
With Carolina, a non-divisional, non-conference opponent which is nice and rested, you’d think the Jets might be primed for an emotional, and maybe a physical, letdown.
And I would normally agree with that theory if the Hurricanes didn’t happen to be the reigning champs. If you can’t get up for a game against them, you’re probably in the wrong business.
“Oh, yeah, we’re gonna be pumped for this one,” Alex Iafallo told me when I put the question to him following the game inside United Center. “It’s a huge test and I think everybody’s waiting around for it and excited to get it going. Good team coming in and we gotta be ready to go from the drop of the puck.”
(Fred Greenslade / The Canadian Press) The Jets earned a win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
That’s been a bit of an issue for the Jets this week, with sloppy first periods against both the Wild and Blackhawks. Can they clean up their act right off the hop?
How about some praise for defenceman Neal Pionk, who seems to be relishing taking on an even bigger role in Morrissey’s absence. It’s not just the five points (1G, 4A) he’s put up in the last two games, but his attention to defensive detail and other intangibles.
“I think my main goal is just to get the puck in the forwards’ hands, play good defense, and I don’t really measure it on points,” Pionk said when I asked him about stepping up in a big way. “Whether you play good or you play bad, whether you have a point or you don’t. I mean, winning is the important thing.”
Pionk nearly had his sixth point of the week in overtime against the Blackhawks, as a one-timer which would have won the game was stopped by Spencer Knight. The Jets are going to need more of that from Pionk and his teammates going forward.
KEN SAYS:
Might this be the game the dam finally bursts for the Jets’ second line?
Well, there were certainly some more encouraging signs in the OT loss to the Blackhawks. Nino Niederreiter had his strongest game of the season, generating seven shots on goal and four hits as he spent a lot more time around the opposing crease than he had in the four other outings. Niederreiter took an avoidable offensive-zone minor, but in the grand scheme of things, this was an important step forward for him if he wants to remain a regular in the lineup.
Viggo Bjorck had another glorious chance for his first NHL point but was denied in tight by Knight. Bjorck was on the ice for the overtime goal against, but he did the right thing by staying with his check (Connor Bedard) after the drop pass.
One gets the feeling if Bjorck finds a way to get on the board, a bit of a weight will be lifted for both he and linemate Gabe Vilardi, who has three assists in seven games and is still searching for his first goal of the campaign.
As for the Hurricanes, you can be sure Ehlers is going to have a little extra bounce in his step as he makes his first visit to Winnipeg since becoming a Stanley Cup champion. Ehlers did an outstanding job of changing the narrative about his post-season play. Often his harshest critic, Ehlers ended up providing exactly what GM Eric Tulsky and head coach Rod Brind’Amour were looking for when they signed the Danish forward as an unrestricted free agent.
(John Locher / The Associated Press files) Nikolaj Ehlers will be making his first visit to Winnipeg since becoming a Stanley Cup champion.
Ehlers brought a dynamic element which had sometimes been lacking in Eastern Conference final losses, but he also embraced the Hurricanes style of play and flourished on what was more of a checking line with Staal and Jordan Martinook. By the time the final buzzer had sounded, Ehlers had produced at an elite level and worked his way into consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy (which was won by Staal).
Speaking of Winnipeg connections, Jarvis is on the trip and Brind’Amour told reporters that he was hopeful the feisty winger might see his first game action of the season before they head home. But it won’t come on Saturday afternoon.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS
- Connor-Scheifele-Perfetti
- Niederreiter-Bjorck-Vilardi
- Rosen-Lowry-Iafallo
- Koepke-Barron-Lambert
DEFENCE
- Samberg-Pionk
- Ferraro-DeMelo
- Fleury-St. Ivany
GOAL
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Bauer
INJURED: F Namestnikov (lower body), D Morrissey (wrist), D Salomonsson (shoulder), D Brown (lower body), RW Duehr (lower body)
CAROLINA HURRICANES
FORWARDS
- Carrier-Aho-Svechnikov
- Nadeau-Stankoven-Blake
- Ehlers-Jankowski-Martinook
- Robinson-Koktaniemi-Unger Sorum
DEFENCE
- Slavin-Chatfield
- Miller-Walker
- Gostisbehere-Reilly
GOAL
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Valimaki
INJURED: RW Jarvis (shoulder), C Staal (calf), LW Hall (upper body)
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets head coach Scott Arniel on what he’s seeing from Gabriel Vilardi and Viggo Bjorck:
“There’s chemistry there, but both of them are also gripping their sticks real tight. Hoping to get that first one to open up (the floodgates).”
MAILBAG CALLOUT
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WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Mike is back from the Windy City and will handle the game analysis, while Ken is planning to catch up with former Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers. Both stories can be found online at winnipegfreepress.com and in Monday’s paper.
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