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The Winnipeg Jets have had a solid lengthy homestand so far, going 3-1-0. The Arizona Coyotes have made hay on their long road trip, with a 2-1-1 record.
Now, worlds collide this evening at Canada Life Centre, with the Jets playing their final game before they pack their bags, and the Coyotes making one last stop before returning to the desert.
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It should be a dandy.
Winnipeg and Arizona are separated by just two points in the standings, but the visitors may have an advantage in that they’ve had an extra day of rest between outings. In fact, much of the Coyotes staff got to pre-scout the Jets in person Friday night, watching them skate to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
“We have an opportunity to finish the trip on the right note,” said Coyotes head coach André Tourigny. “The last time we played (the Jets), they were really impressive. We watched the game last night again and they play really structured hockey. Probably the best structured team we’ve played this year.”
Connor Hellebuyck gets a well-deserved night off, with Laurent Brossoit making his fourth start (he’s 1-1-1 so far). Karel Vejmelka will mind the net for Arizona.
There’s some questions about the Jets lineup, with Dominic Toninato recalled earlier today from the Manitoba Moose on emergency conditions.
Jets associate coach Scott Arniel said Toninato was an option to play, but is here more for precautionary reasons.
Defenceman Nate Schmidt was the lone healthy scratch last night, but could return to the lineup on Saturday, though Arniel didn’t disclose if any changes on the blue line are expected.
Arniel did share a few thoughts on what he learned about the Coyotes during the first meeting of the season.
“It’s another team with good young skill,” said Arniel. “This back end, though, really comes (at you). This is six guys (on the defence corps) coming all the time. All of them are built to skate and they’re going to be (involved) with the rush. We did a really good job with our numbers in Arizona, not allowing them those odd-man looks. They’re a skilled team and they’re going to make plays if you (mess) around with the puck and make the wrong decisions.
“We’ve got to be smart about how we handle our moments out on the ice. Don’t feed any of their transition.”
Here’s some additional information to get you ready:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: I’ll be watching this one from a distance tonight, as a week of holidays are officially underway (Kenny has the upcoming three-game road trip through Florida and Tennessee) and my wife and I should be landing in Las Vegas right around puck drop.
The Jets weren’t at their best last night but still managed to get the job done. Now, playing against a rested opponent, they’ll need a better overall effort to finish the homestand with a flourish.
Laurent Brossoit will likely have to be sharp to give his team a chance, especially early in the game when the Coyotes — who have lots of speed and skill — will probably be trying to pounce knowing the Jets might have some heavy legs having played 24 hours earlier.
Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Laurent Brossoit (39) will have his fourth start this season tonight. (Fred Greenslade / The Canadian Press files)
Winnipeg is a terrific 4-1-0 in the Central so far this season, after going 18-8-0 against their closest rivals last year. Those proverbial four-point games go a long way to determining the divisional standings. We’re already starting to see some separation occurring, and there’s no question the Jets would love to start leaving as many teams as possible in the rearview mirror.
KEN SAYS: The last time these two teams met, it was Jets winger Nino Niederreiter driving the offence by completing his third career NHL hat trick. On Friday, he played the role of facilitator, as he found Mason Appleton on the doorstep for a perfect tap-in in the blue paint. The line with Adam Lowry in the middle is sure to be getting a heavy dose of the matchup with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz in this one. Appleton (12 points), Niederreiter (12 points) and Lowry (10 points) have done an excellent job of providing secondary scoring along with facing the opposition’s most skilled line on many nights.
The Jets were a bit too loose defensively on Friday night, allowing three breakaways and that’s something they will be looking to eliminate as they play a skilled Coyotes team that is good in transition.
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