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PITTSBURGH — There’s a display case on a wall in the Pittsburgh Penguins dressing room that has a puck from every win they’ve racked up this season, situated in rows of 10. The visiting Winnipeg Jets will be trying to prevent a 23rd souvenir from being added to the collection as both teams return from a lengthy hockey hiatus owing to the player and All-Star breaks.
Winnipeg can snap a three-game, season-high winless slide (0-2-1). But this is a much different Jets lineup than the one we last saw in action 10 days ago. Top centre Mark Scheifele returns to the lineup, and Sean Monahan makes his debut as the new second-line centre following last Friday’s trade with the Montreal Canadiens.
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Standing in their way is an up-and-down Penguins club that is currently five points out of a playoff spot.
“Pittsburgh has to start winning some games to get back in the playoff picture,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said following his team’s morning skate. “There’s going to be a lot of those games. It’s more now a battle for positioning, both to get in and to keep your position where you want it. So, the games get tougher.”
This is the start of an all-Pennsylvania week for the Jets. They’ll wrap a quick two-game road trip on Thursday night in Philadelphia, then play host to Sidney Crosby and company on Saturday night in Winnipeg.
Connor Hellebuyck and Tristan Jarry get the starts in net.
To clear a roster spot for Scheifele coming off injured reserve, the Jets placed forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby on waivers this afternoon. He will report to the Manitoba Moose unless another NHL team makes a claim by Wednesday afternoon. Forwards Rasmus Kupari and Dominic Toninato and defenceman Logan Stanley will be the healthy scratches, while David Gustafsson remains on the injured-reserve list
Here’s some other information to get you set:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: First off, did you miss us? We certainly missed you, although it was nice to get a bit of a break. But we’re back, and ready for what should be a fun stretch run to the playoffs.
I always enjoy covering games in Pittsburgh, which is the scene of my biggest press-box blunder. Several years ago, I accidentally knocked my phone over the ledge — yeah, I’m clumsy that way — and then watched helplessly as it bounced off the concrete steps far, far below. Fortunately, no fans were in the building yet — it was still a couple hours until puck drop — or else that could have been ugly. And, incredibly, my Otter Box paid for itself and them some, with absolutely no damage done.
This Jets franchise has dropped plenty of games here over the years, with just two wins to show for the last 21 visits dating all the way back to 2007 when they were still the Atlanta Thrashers. Overall, Pittsburgh has gone 16-4-0 in its last 20 meetings against Winnipeg.
Speaking of PPG Paints Arena, Madonna played a concert here Monday night and apparently didn’t take the stage until close to 10:30 p.m. No doubt it was a frantic overnight rush to get the rink ready in time for morning skate. I wonder if the ice conditions, combined with the expected rust of two teams that haven’t played a game since Jan. 27, will make for a bit of a slopfest tonight, especially in the early going.
“Just get the legs going. It’s probably going to be the first period before it irons itself out, for both teams,” said Bowness. “When you take that much time off, the important thing is to get the legs going. Nothing else works if you don’t get the legs going. So, we’ll keep short shifts and we’ll push high tempo, we’ll push the puck north as fast as we can, just to get everyone into it and get their legs going.”
The Jets return after the break with Mark Scheifele (left) back to the lineup, and Sean Monahan making his debut as the new second-line centre following last Friday’s trade with the Montreal Canadiens. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press)
KEN SAYS: There will be plenty of eyes on Monahan’s debut and rightfully so, but I’ll also be watching the return of Scheifele closely. The Jets struggled to score with Scheifele sidelined, denting the twine just nine times in six games, and his return should also provide a boost to linemates Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi.
This is also the deepest forward group the Jets have iced in recent memory, with a fourth line that now features Vladislav Namestnikov between Morgan Barron and Alex Iafallo, all on the verge of joining the double-digit goal club.
What can the arrival of Monahan and the return of Scheifele mean for a struggling power play? To borrow a line from Bowness: “We’ll see.” But having the experience of Monahan in the bumper position should help with puck movement and creating some additional shooting lanes. He’s been a beast on the power play this season, with 16 of his 35 points coming with the man-advantage through 49 games.
On defence, it wasn’t necessarily a warning shot sent by Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, but Ville Heinola is getting healthier and has now suited up in 10 games with the Manitoba Moose as he works his way back from an ankle injury. So, that means there will be some pressure on Nate Schmidt to continue to show why he deserves to remain on the third pairing with Dylan Samberg.
As for the Penguins, Sidney Crosby is having another remarkable season, leading his team in goals (27), power-play goals (six) and points (50) through 49 games. He’s the driver of the offence and continues to deliver an outstanding two-way game. He also has shown a propensity to go off against the Jets, producing 18 goals and 59 points in 42 games against the franchise during his career (dating back to the days of the Thrashers).
Left-winger Jake Guentzel (22 goals, 49 points in 46 games) is a guy who will be in demand if GM Kyle Dubas can’t extend him and ends up putting him on the market. The Penguins also generate ample offence from the back end, with Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson part of the defensive corps, so it’s best to beware of the second wave on the attack.
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