Brossoit starts, Hellebuyck rests as Jets host slumping ‘Hawks

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This article was published 11/12/2018 (2461 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The surging Winnipeg Jets will take on a Chicago Blackhawks team tonight at Bell MTS Place that is a shell of its former self, having dropped seven straight games to sink to the bottom of the NHL standings with a 9-17-5 record.

It’s a strange look for a team that captured the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015 and still has several key pieces, including Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Laurent Brossoit will get the start in goal for the Jets, who are 1-1-0 on the current four-game homestand and 18-9-2 overall. They followed up a 1-0 defeat to St. Louis with a 7-1 pounding of Philadelphia on Sunday. Winnipeg is just one point out of the Central Division lead behind both Nashville and Colorado, with a game in hand on both teams.

No other lineup changes are expected for Winnipeg, meaning Sami Niku and Nic Petan will again be the healthy scratches. Joe Morrow and Andrew Copp remain on injured reserve.

Brossoit is 5-1-1 with a 2.16 GAA and .935 save percentage through six previous starts and one relief appearance. He’ll give Connor Hellebuyck a rest, even though the Jets No. 1 goaltender has allowed just one goal in three consecutive games.

“What we’re looking for is to try to manage some of the numbers, it’s more about what we know we have coming out of the Christmas break,” said coach Paul Maurice. “There’s a seven-week block there where we’re going to end up running (Hellebuyck) fairly hard. We like the balance. (Hellebuyck) has been in for a bunch of games and he feels good. We want to keep him there.”

Winnipeg wraps the homestand Thursday with a visit from the Edmonton Oilers, then heads to the Windy City for a rematch with the Blackhawks Friday night.

“There are a block of teams right now that aren’t two or three points (out of a playoff spot). This is their time and they know it,” Maurice said of the Blackhawks. “A lot of those games you’re talking about are tight games, with goals at the end of games. They put up five on us (on Nov. 29 in a 6-5 win for the Jets), so that’s in our heads. We didn’t like the defensive part of our game against this team. Beyond that, when you delve into the analytics (for the Blackhawks), their offensive numbers — minus their power play, which is going to put a bunch of really good players on the ice — their analytics are really strong offensively. They’re a desperate team, with really good offence and players who can win games on their own makes them very dangerous.”

Cam Ward is expected to start for Chicago. He is 4-3-4 with a 3.91 GAA and .888 save percentage.

Mathieu Perreault remains in the Jets lineup despite leaving Sunday’s game in the third period after taking a big hit from Philadelphia’s Dale Weise. The veteran forward missed practice Monday but declared himself good to go following today’s morning skate.

It just felt like I got hit really hard, to be honest, when it happened. I didn’t really see him coming so I didn’t have time to brace for impact or anything. I just took a hard hit and just took yesterday off to recover and today I skated and felt fine so I should be good,” said Perreault.

“It’s kind of my bad for putting myself in that position, really, cutting across the middle. I kind of look, kind of see him coming, and then the puck bobbles on me and I got back to reach and I got hit. I put myself in a vulnerable position so I kind of take responsibility for it.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg