FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Tick, tock. It feels like tonight could be an important game for a few players — I’m looking specifically at you, Gus Nyquist and Tanner Pearson — who shouldn’t be all that comfortable with their current job security
The NHL’s roster freeze ends at midnight and I suspect the Jets are looking at some potential internal fixes to their many problems. However, calling anyone up right now from the Manitoba Moose would mean having to put a current roster player on waivers. Nyquist and Pearson, along with healthy scratches Miller and Cole Koepke, are all potential candidates for demotion.
Nyquist started last game on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, only to be demoted all the way down to the fourth line by the second period. He’s still looking for his first goal of the season, now 26 games in. Pearson (6 points in 29 games) is also bouncing all over the lineup and now finds himself with Adam Lowry and Morgan Barron.
Winnipeg Jets Gustav Nyquist. (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press files)
How’s this for a truly Wild scenario? Minnesota currently sits third-overall in the NHL standings based on point percentage. If the playoffs started today, their reward would be having to hit the road for their first-round series, facing the No. 2 Dallas Stars. And the winner of that would likely then have to go through No. 1 Colorado.
The Central has always been a beast, but having the current 1-2-3 teams in the league is quite something — especially since Winnipeg is just a season removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
This is the start of a stretch that will see the Jets play 11 of their next 16 games on home ice, where they were dominant last year but just 8-7-1 so far this season.
“First 35 is in the rearview mirror,” said Morrissey.
“We can sit here and think about how the start has gone or hasn’t gone all those things. But at the end of the day, it’s about tonight’s game. And this next block here till the Olympic break. We have some big games. We got a lot of home games, games where we can make up ground on teams.
“So, you know, it’s sort of that push here for us. I think we know what kind of team we have. We believe in the group here, and like I said, that next segment starts tonight, and it’s an opportunity for us to come out against a great team and get back to where we want to be.”
KEN SAYS: Welcome back. Hope you enjoyed the holiday season.
After enjoying a five-day break between the games, the Jets had ample time to unplug and reflect and it was clear the message is to leave the past in the rearview mirror and focus on the road ahead.
For the Jets, that means dialing things up in this Central Division battle. Improving their 4-6-1 record within the division is one of the ways Winnipeg can start trying to dig themselves out of the hole that has them below the playoff line.
One thing we know for sure is that secondary scoring is going to need to improve during these final 47 games and the Jets have a number of candidates who are looking to get things turned around offensively.
At the top of that list is Vladislav Namestnikov, who has no goals and one assist in 23 games, but he’s got plenty of company, including Jonathan Toews (no goals, one assist in 19 games) and Nino Niederreiter (no points in 11 games) to name a few.
Toews has 18 goals and 52 points in 55 career games against the Wild.
Winnipeg Jets Jonathan Toews has no goals and one assist in 19 games. (Joe Puetz / The Associated Press files)
It will be interesting to see how Hughes looks with his new team. After being traded for the first time in his career, the Norris Trophy winner is just starting to settle in with his new teammates. Hughes has a goal and four points in six games with the Wild while averaging just over 28 minutes per game of ice time, so he hasn’t exactly been eased into things since his arrival in the blockbuster trade and you can understand why.
Hughes is a dynamic offensive player and he’s someone that is going to make life in the Central Division even more interesting for opponents — because finding a way to limit his impact is a major challenge.
What we’ve learned this season is that Morrissey has been up for the challenge of going up against fellow Norris Trophy candidates, including Hughes, whom the Jets faced on Nov. 11.
Morrissey is sixth in scoring among NHL defencemen with 28 points in 35 games and he is someone that can drive play at both ends of the ice.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS
- Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
- Perfetti-Namestnikov-Iafallo
- Barron-Lowry-Pearson
- Niederreiter-Toews-Nyquist
DEFENCE
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Samberg-Pionk
- Stanley-Schenn
GOAL
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Fleury, D Miller, F Koepke
INJURED: None
MINNESOTA WILD
FORWARDS
- Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
- Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
- Trenin-Yurov-Tarasenko
- Foligno-Sturm-Hinostroza
DEFENCE
- Hughes-Faber
- Brodin-Spurgeon
- Middleton-Bogosian
GOAL
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: F Pitlick, D Jiricek, D Kiersted
INJURED: D Hunt (lower-body)
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jets forward Kyle Connor, who along with Mark Scheifele is tied for the team scoring lead with 17 goals and 43 points, on whether there’s anything more the dynamic duo can be doing to help the team:
“We can do a lot more. There’s always room to improve. We can bring guys into the fight, we can try to lead and push other guys as well. In this league, you gotta never be satisfied. I think there’s tons of chances this year I’ve missed, or even simple assignments.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I’ve played a perfect game. That’s where my mindset’s at — I’ve got to be better and bring everybody along. I know Scheif’s the same way, he’s the hardest working guy I know on this team and pushes everybody.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Ken will have the game analysis of Jets vs. Wild from the downtown rink. You can find it online.
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