Jets ready to attack Panthers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/02/2018 (2813 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets can turn a solid homestand into a super one with another win tonight at Bell MTS Place, but the red-hot Florida Panthers stand in their way.

Winnipeg (34-15-9) has gone 5-2-1 in the first eight games of 10 straight on home ice, including a 6-1 rout of Colorado on Friday. That has helped the Jets jump into a first-place tie in the Central division with the Nashville Predators, who have one game in hand.

Florida (26-23-6) comes to town on a three-game winning streak, including a 6-3 victory Saturday night in Calgary. They arrived in the early in the morning and will be playing back-to-back. They are currently six games out of the final wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Manitoba’s James Reimer is expected to be in net for Florida.

Jets coach Paul Maurice is going with the same lineup that won the last game, including Connor Hellebuyck making his eighth straight start in goal. Winnipeg will also be looking to improve on the NHL’s best home record, as they are now 22-5-2 with 12 dates remaining including tonight.

“We know we can beat anybody if we come out and put our best effort into every game,” defenceman Dmitry Kulikov told reporters following the morning skate. “In my opinion it’s the toughest place to play in the NHL.”

This is the second and final meeting of the year between the Jets and Panthers. Florida took the first game by a 6-4 score back in early December.

After tonight, Winnipeg wraps up the epic homestand on Tuesday against Los Angeles.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

There was some good news on the injury front Sunday morning. Forwards Shawn Matthias and Brandon Tanev both joined the morning skate wearing non-contact jerseys, and goalies Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson both took shots for the first time. All four players could soon return to action if they continue on this path.

Assistant coach Charlie Huddy will mark his 1,500th game behind the bench tonight.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.