Mood more serious as Jets tackle Flames in final pre-season test

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This article was published 04/10/2014 (4001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s still only a pre-season game and it still counts for nothing in the standings.

But tonight’s Winnipeg Jets-Calgary Flames tilt at MTS Centre is also the last pre-season test before the Jets open their regular season next week.

And so the mood was a little more serious at Jets practice Saturday morning as the club skated with a lineup that will in all likelihood be a close approximation to the team that will open the regular season next Thursday in Glendale against the Arizona Coyotes.

“We’ve got to play this one like it’s the real deal,” Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba said following practice. “We’re getting close and it’s time to start playing well, getting back together as a team and start clicking.”

Jets centre Bryan Little said the end of the pre-season is coming at just the right time. “I feel like you get to a point where training camp starts to drag on a bit. We’re getting around that time right now where you’re just looking forward to playing that first real game.”

Jets rookies Nikolaj Ehlers, Nic Petan and Josh Morrissey didn’t skate at practice this morning and will not play tonight, while rookie Adam Lowry did practice and will play against the Flames.

Whether that’s a harbinger of things to come as the Jets make their final cuts in the days to come — the club needs to trim eight players by next Wednesday — remains to be seen.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said following practice that Ehlers, Petan and Morrissey are still with the NHL team but are sitting tonight in part because Ehlers and Petan have already played an exhaustive pre-season schedule and in part to make way for other players to get a chance to play tonight.

“Petan and Ehlers have played nine games in about 21 days. That’s enough hockey for anybody. And we don’t necessarily make them better by putting them in game after game after game.”

Maurice left little doubt, however, about where Lowry stands with the Jets coaching staff right now. “I don’t really have any questions or concerns about whether this young man is going to play and play for a long time. He’s going to be a really good player in this league,” said Maurice. “He’s going to be a really solid two-way player.”

The Jets will also use tonight as a chance to take a fresh look at forward T.J. Galiardi, who played just one pre-season game before injuring his eye, and defenceman Paul Postma, who had a lower body injury and will see his first pre-season action this evening.

The Jets are 2-4 in the pre-season and are coming off a most recent 4-2 loss in Calgary to the Flames on Thursday.

The Jets lines at practice on Saturday featured Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Michael Frolik; Evander Kane, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler; T.J. Galiardi, Jim Slater, Anthony Peluso; Mathieu Perrault, Adam Lowry, Matt Halischuk.

The defensive pairings were Postma and Toby Enstrom; Trouba and Mark Stuart; and Grant Clitsome and Adam Pardy.

Also on Saturday, the Jets announced forward Eric Tangradi had cleared waivers and has been re-assigned to the club’s AHL farm team in St. John’s.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek

 

 

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