FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: The Jets simply can’t afford to ease their way into this homestand and fall victim to the proverbial “first game back after a long trip” trap. They know it, too.
“I’m not sure maybe what the numbers say about it, but you know, we try to kind of approach every game putting aside, I guess, the excuses,” Barron told me this morning.
“Whether you’re on the back end of a long road trip, like we were there the last few games, or coming home again with the schedule, it always seems like there’s a reason or an excuse to be tired or an excuse to come out flat. But ultimately, the teams that are going to kind of be on top of the standings are going to be the teams that kind of put that aside.”
The Jets should look a lot more like their recent successful selves with the lineup they can now roll out, but whether that proves to be true remains to be seen.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not a big fan of pairing Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn together. I think that duo is too slow to play at an NHL pace. While Stanley’s game has been steady this season, Schenn has struggled mightily. Arniel is obviously seeing something I’m not by keeping them together. One slight advantage is that he can control their matchups a bit more on home ice with having last change, but I still don’t like it.
Now that all the forwards are healthy, I’m a bit surprised to see Cole Koepke as the odd man out. I like the speed and energy and physicality he brings, and he’s been a great pairing with Barron on the penalty kill. I’d suggest Tanner Pearson shouldn’t get too comfortable in the lineup, as he’s the most likely player to come out for Koepke.
“He’s not a guy that’s going to sit (too long),” Arniel said of Koepke. “We have the one extra forward by design and the two extra D. He’s been good, he was good for us early, unfortunately he got banged up. Right now, for this lineup tonight, this is how we’re going. But we’re going to need everybody.”
How tight are the NHL standings? Consider this: The Jets currently are third in the Central Division and in a playoff spot, but they are also currently tied in points with the Edmonton Oilers — who are technically 11th in the Western Conference. That’s some serious congestion as we conclude the first quarter of the league calendar and really drives home how big each and every game is.
KEN SAYS: With the Jets in the midst of a stretch that features 11 of 14 games on the road, it’s time to see if they can take advantage of some home cooking this week.
By virtue of winning two of the past three games, the Jets were able to stay in the thick of things in the Central Division race, but any cushion they’d built has evaporated by losing four of five games to start the six-game road trip.
Winnipeg Jets’ Cole Perfetti (91) and Vancouver Canucks’ Kiefer Sherwood (44) vie for the puck during the first period in Vancouver during the Nov. 11 game. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press files)
Cole Perfetti eased a bit of early frustration by scoring his first goal of the season on Saturday, a power-play marker that moved him to two points in four games since returning from a high ankle sprain.
Perfetti is someone the Jets are counting on to have a massive impact offensively and if he can get hot, it will provide a big boost for the second line with Toews and Vladislav Namestnikov.
One adjustment for Perfetti is he will be looked upon as a trigger man on that line. Of course, his vision and playmaking ability will still be a factor, but Perfetti has an underrated shot and he needs to unload it a bit more often.
Namestnikov got off to a tremendous start with six goals and seven points, but he’s now gone six games without recording a point.
Toews has three goals and eight points in 18 games, but just one point (a goal) in his past six games.
With secondary scoring a hot topic around these parts, that trio will be looking to chip in a bit more offence, while also trying to limit the goals against.
It will be a memorable night for Dominion City product Denton Mateychuk, a second-year pro who is set to play his first NHL game in his home province on Tuesday. Mateychuk, a mobile, puck-moving D-man that has four goals and seven points in 18 games this season while averaging 19:21 of ice time per game. Mateychuk is expecting there to be somewhere in the range of 150 people in attendance supporting him.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS:
- Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
- Namestnikov-Toews-Perfetti
- Niederreiter-Lowry-Iafallo
- Pearson-Barron-Nyquist
DEFENCE:
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Samberg-Pionk
- Stanley-Schenn
GOAL:
INJURED: D Fleury (concussion protocol)
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Miller, F Koepke
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
FORWARDS:
- Wood-Monahan-Johnson
- Voronkov-Fantilli-Marchenko
- Sillinger-Coyle-Olivier
- Aston Reese-Lundestrom-Bel Belluz
DEFENCE:
- Werenski-Provorov
- Mateychuk-Severson
- Christianson-Fabbro
GOAL:
INJURED: D Gudbranson (hip), F Jenner (upper body)
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Mayo, LW Chinakhov
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets captain Adam Lowry on trying to take advantage of an opponent playing for a second straight night:
“Columbus played last night and got in late and it is important to not have a sleepy first period, to get out there and do what we do best and skate, forecheck and play well defensively and get the puck through the neutral zone.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Ken has an early story coming on Denton Mateychuk, while Mike will handle the game analysis tonight. You can find both pieces online at winnipegfreepress.com and in Wednesday’s print edition.
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