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The Winnipeg Jets will try to quickly return to their recent winning ways when they host the New York Islanders tonight to close out a four-game homestand.
They’ll get a major boost with the return of top goal-scorer Kyle Connor, who has been out since Dec. 10 with a knee injury, a span of 16 games in which they still went a stellar 12-2-2.
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“We’ve missed him. Listen, he’s an elite player, elite goal scorer. So, he just gives us, obviously, another weapon,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said this morning.
“He’s incredibly important to the success of this team moving forward. So, the sooner we get him back the better. But again we wouldn’t rush him. If he tells us he’s good to go and the doctors tell us he’s good to go, then he’s good to go.”
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for No. 1 centre Mark Scheifele, who will miss a second straight game with a lower-body injury. He’s being placed on injured reserve today, but it’s more of a paper move to create an immediate roster spot for Connor. Scheifele can be activated at the end of the week, and the hope is he’s ready to play when the Jets start a three-game road trip Saturday in Ottawa.
Forward Gabriel Vilardi missed the morning skate as he battles a bit of a bug, but Bowness is optimistic he will play tonight.
The Jets are coming off a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday that snapped an eight-game winning streak and 14-game point streak. They still have the highest winning percentage in the NHL and face a struggling Islanders club that has dropped two in a row, including a 5-0 decision Monday night in St. Paul, Minn., against the Wild.
Between the pipes, Connor Hellebuyck is expected to face Ilya Sorokin. They were the finalists for the Vezina Trophy last year to winner Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins.
Here’s some other information to get you set.
FROM THE PRESS BOX
KEN SAYS: The return of Connor will dominate most of the headlines — and rightfully so. He was in good spirits this morning and is eager to get back into action. As well as the Jets have been playing of late, they’ve missed his game-breaking scoring ability, as he continues to lead the team with 17 goals despite missing five weeks and two days of action. Connor also has the ability to provide the power play with a spark.
“I mean, you guys all know my game. I’m just going to bring a lot of speed and try to get back to what makes me successful and try to push it as much as I can,” said Connor. “Obviously, when you’re out for five weeks and a couple of days, I’m itching at every single chance. I’m pretty excited about this game.”
The Jets have been blanked just twice in 42 games, so it will be interesting to see how they respond offensively after losing in regulation for the first time in 15 games.
The Islanders have hit a bit of a rough patch, dropping four of the past five games, but there should be some urgency in their game as they are just one point out of the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.
I first watched Mathew Barzal live at the Western Canadian Bantam Championship long before he made it to the NHL and it’s no surprise he’s leading the Islanders in scoring again with 45 points in 42 games. He’s a skilled forward who has six goals and nine points in eight career games against the Jets while generating 26 shots on goal.
New York Islanders’ Mike Reilly (2) skates into teammate Sebastian Aho (25) as they both go for the puck against Nashville Predators centre Colton Sissons (10) during the second period on Jan. 13 in Nashville, Tenn. (Mark Zaleski / The Associated Press files)
MIKE SAYS: I’m curious to see what we get from the visitors. They gave up the game-winning goal with eight seconds left in regulation on Saturday in Nashville against the Predators, then followed up heartbreak hotel by pretty much no-showing in St. Paul, getting drubbed by the Wild while being outshot 40-21. You’d think they’d be a surly, desperate squad tonight.
I’m just as curious to see how Winnipeg responds to its first loss in seemingly forever. The Jets didn’t play badly against the Flyers, but looked like a team that was playing for a ninth time in 15 days. Now, they’ve finally got some much-needed rest.
The Jets have only scored the first goal in two of their last eight games. Given how stingy they are defensively — 32 straight games surrendering three goals or less, just three off the modern-day NHL record — getting on the board first would go a long way, especially against a fragile, road-weary opponent.
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