Jets shuffle lineup ahead of game against Rangers

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This article was published 18/12/2015 (3578 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There will be lineup switching for the Winnipeg Jets tonight against the New York Rangers.

The Jets look as if they’re going to use wingers Matt Halischuk and Joel Armia, freshly called up from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on Thursday, to flank rookie centre Andrew Copp on the team’s fourth line.

The wingers will take the place of Adam Lowry, who was sent to the Moose Wednesday, and Anthony Peluso, who will probably sit out tonight.

Halischuk spent all of the previous two seasons playing for the Jets, while this will be Armia’s second NHL game. He played one in 2014-15 for the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Jets last February.

Armia was recalled to the Jets in late November but didn’t dress.

“I’d like them to play the game they’ve been playing for the Moose,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice. “For Joel, it’s a newer look, right? We haven’t seen him in our uniform yet. He’s a skilled guy but has made some real good strides with the Moose.

“Matt, we’re looking for the game he’s always played for us and the game he was playing — a high-energy guy on the puck and really smart on his routes.

“He’s the senior guy on that line. He’ll have a guy who’s playing his first year at centre (Copp) and a guy who’s playing his first game on the left wing. Matt’s an incredibly positive influence on the bench and during the games.”

The 14-15-2 Jets have lost two in a row and look to be coming back with goalie Connor Hellebuyck tonight.

The Jets are 3-10 in Central Division games this season — one of the biggest reasons for their predicament outside the playoff picture — and 11-5-2 in games outside the Central.

“I don’t think there is (an explanation),” said captain Andrew Ladd today. “It’s probably just how it rolls out. I honestly can’t come up with a reason.”

Jets winger Mathieu Perreault, like Ladd, said he couldn’t really think of a difference, though he did say the team might be able to find a way to ramp up its intensity for Central games that remain.

“I don’t know. Maybe we have to find a way to get more jacked up about the Central Division games, understanding these are the most important games, they matter the most,” Perreault said. “They’re four-point games most of the time.

“Our last two games against Chicago, we’re right there. If we win those two games, maybe we’re in and they’re not. You’ve got to have that understanding that the Central games are the most important and try to get up for it more and play as hard as we possibly can for those games.”

But the focus is on tonight, Perreault said.

“We’ve got to get into a playoff mode because we’re six points back right now,” he said. “We can’t afford to lose too many games right now, at this stage of the season. Tonight … we’ve got to find everything we can to win this game.”

The Rangers, finishing their ninth back-to-back set tonight (5-2-1 on the second night so far), will be starting goalie Henrik Lunqvist tonight.

He had to play in relief of starter Antti Raanta last night after Raanta was injured.

The Rangers called up goalie Magnus Hellberg and defenceman Chris Summers from Hartford of the AHL today, and sent defenceman Brady Skjei back to the Wolf Pack.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca