Jets make roster changes for Hurricanes game to turn around recent nosedive

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This article was published 21/10/2014 (3983 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets will make two roster changes tonight in an effort to help pull them out of an early-season nosedive.

Defenceman Grant Clitsome will make his season debut Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes while Matt Halischuk will suit up for just his second game as the Jets work to stop a four-game losing skid. Clitsome was paired with Paul Postma at Tuesday’s game-day skate – bumping Adam Pardy from that spot – while Halischuk draws in for Anthony Peluso and will play on a line with Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn.

Ondrej Pavelec is again expected to start in goal.

“I’m just going to try and help this team as much as I can,” said Clitsome. “I’m not worried about a few games from now, I’m worried about tonight’s game.”

A day after dropping an ‘F-bomb’ in his address to the media, coach Paul Maurice was a little more relaxed – but no less intense – as he faced the press after Tuesday’s skate.

Asked if tonight’s contest was more important given the backdrop, or just another of the 82-game schedule, he said:

“How we approach this game tonight really shouldn’t be different than how we approach any other game. There are times, when you’re talking about an over 82-game block, when your focus gets lost a little bit… except it shouldn’t be right now. It has to be all focus, all eyes in on this. If you’re 4-1 and maybe it takes you a period to figure out how hard the game is played. But I would suggest there should be quite a bit stronger focus given our situation, but not in so much as if we win tonight that for the next one we’re casual about it.”

“I don’t think it really matters what game you play, you’ve got to play desperate,” added defenceman Jacob Trouba. “For me, that’s how you’ve always got to play: with an edge and a little desperate.

“They’re all important.”

The Jets will be facing a Canes squad which is winless to start the season, but has picked up points in back-to-back shootout losses to Buffalo and the Rangers.

Winnipeg, meanwhile, has had its own struggles – scoring just two goals in the four-game losing streak and failing to tally a single marker through 14 power-play opportunities.

What’s the first step to turning this around?

“Getting a win,” said Zach Bogosian with a shrug of the shoulders. “We’ve just got to make sure we’re doing all the right things. We’ve shown in spurts that we can do the good things, but it’s consistently playing three periods of hockey that’s going to be a big thing for us.”

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait

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