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Winnipeg got back into the win column on Saturday — a tidy 3-1 triumph over Chicago to snap a three-game losing streak — but the degree of difficulty with the next two opponents figures to be considerably higher than the rebuilding Blackhawks provided. It starts tonight with a visit from a Carolina Hurricanes team that has shaken off an uneven start and is now fighting for top spot in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers. That will be followed by the start of a four-game road trip on Thursday in Denver against the mighty Colorado Avalanche.
“Listen, this is a battle tonight. They have four lines, six D. They just keep coming,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said following the morning skate.
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“They play north, they play fast they play hard, and they play consistent. So it’ll be a totally different game from what we saw last game. Chicago plays a different way, every team plays a different way. There’s different characteristics about their team. This is a team that goes north, this is a team that gets online, this is a team that’s physical so this will be a really good test for them.”
Perhaps the Jets will get a boost from the news that forward Nino Niederreiter is sticking around, as the pending unrestricted free agent signed a three-year contract extension this morning that will pay him US$4 million per year.
Winnipeg will roll out the same skaters as they did against Chicago, meaning defenceman Declan Chisholm gets a second straight game in favour of veteran Nate Schmidt, who joins Logan Stanley as a healthy scratch. Forward Vlad Namestnikov continues to deal with a lower-body injury and won’t play.
Backup Laurent Brossoit will make his sixth start of the year, while Carolina counters with Antti Raanta.
Take note of the unusual start time of 6:30 p.m., as this is a nationally televised game on Sportsnet. The Jets will be sporting their new “Fly the ’48” alternate jerseys for the first time tonight.
Here’s some other information to get you set for puck drop:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: I jokingly asked Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour this morning if he might consider pulling his goalie for the entire game tonight and going six-on-five, considering how well that worked the last time his Hurricanes blew through town for their annual visit last year. You may recall that the Jets watched a 3-0 lead vanish in the blink of an eye as the visitors scored three straight goals in the waning minutes with their netminder on the bench for the extra attacker. (Winnipeg ultimately won 4-3 in overtime).
“That was a one-off there,” Brind’Amour said with a laugh. “Obviously we got fortunate at the end. Even that game wasn’t a terrible game, things didn’t really go our way. I don’t think we want to get in a shootout, that’s for sure.”
All kidding aside, I will be keeping an eye on the crease in this one, specifically the work on Laurent Brossoit. His performance has been quite spotty in his first five starts, including an ugly goal he surrendered against Nashville eight days ago in what turned out to be a 3-2 loss. It’s not surprising he’s playing tonight, with the Jets wanting to build in some rest for Connor Hellebuyck, who has started 18 of the first 23 games and will certainly get the call for the divisional battle in Denver on Thursday night.
The other burning question for me: can Winnipeg continue to feast on the East? They are an impressive 6-0-2 when playing out-of-conference opponents so far this season.
Cole Perfetti has now recorded at least a point in 13 of the past 15 games and scored in eight of the past 12 games to establish a career high with nine on the season. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press files)
KEN SAYS: If it feels like we’re talking about Cole Perfetti almost every game, it’s because we are. He’s now recorded at least a point in 13 of the past 15 games and scored in eight of the past 12 games to establish a career high with nine on the season. Perfetti is second on the Jets in goals, behind only Kyle Connor, who has 14 but has gone six games without denting the twine but has accumulated 22 shots on goal during that span.
Gabriel Vilardi saw his ice time rise by more than three minutes in his second game since returning from injury as he was promoted to the second line. He showed off his soft hands on a nifty move to feed Mark Scheifele for his eighth goal of the campaign. Vilardi’s skill set should mesh with Perfetti and I’m excited to see if those two can build some quick chemistry.
Winnipegger Seth Jarvis is off to a fantastic start in his third NHL season, sitting second on the Hurricanes in both goals (nine) and points (19). Jarvis, the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is a skilled player who isn’t afraid to play in traffic. He’ll be excited for his lone game in his hometown during the regular season.
Sebastian Aho isn’t necessarily underrated, but he’s probably still under-appreciated for his diligent two-way play. He leads the Hurricanes in scoring (eight goals, 22 points in 20 games) and has three goals and 13 points in 12 career games against the Jets. Ultimately, Aho figures to be someone the Jets will be keeping a close eye on.
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