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After wrapping up an impressive homestand by securing eight of a possible 10 points available, the Winnipeg Jets open a three-game road trip tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Perhaps, it’s because these teams were once Southeast Division rivals, but for two teams that only meet twice per season these days, the battles are often highly entertaining and emotional.
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Why is that?
“I don’t know, it’s just top players going against top players and they love the matchup,” said Jets associate coach Scott Arniel, trying to make sense of it all. “I know our guys are pretty excited coming in here against a team that’s playing real well right now. (Nikita) Kucherov, (Steven) Stamkos, (Victor) Hedman, these guys are rolling and at the top of their game. It’s a big challenge for us.”
Even without star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is nearing a return from back surgery after missing the entire season to date, the Lightning have done a solid job staying in the race in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings.
Jonas Johansson makes his 17th start in goal for the Lightning and will go up against Connor Hellebuyck, who starts for the 14th time in 18 games.
“(Johansson) has been outstanding for us,” said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. “I’ve said this from the opening night game, goaltending has not been an issue for us.”
Kucherov is among the league leaders in both goals (13, third in the NHL) and points (28, second in the league), so the Jets had best pay close attention when he’s on the ice, both at even strength and on the Tampa power play.
Kyle Connor (14 goals, 22 points) and Mark Scheifele (seven goals, 21 points) continue to drive the Jets offence. But the team continues to get contributions throughout the lineup, and has earned at least one point in 11 of the past 13 games.
Here’s some additional information to help get you ready:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
KEN SAYS: The matchup is a classic case of two teams playing well – with both the Jets and Lightning riding three-game winning streaks, so something will have to give.
The Lightning are coming off an emotional game against a division rival (the Boston Bruins), while the Jets also beat a division rival (Arizona Coyotes) in their previous game. I don’t see a letdown coming for either team.
Jets forward Cole Perfetti had his eight-game point streak snapped Saturday and he will be looking to get another one started. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has feasted on the Jets over the course of his career – dating back to the Atlanta Thrashers days – recording 30 goals and 57 points in 42 prior meetings. He’s off to another strong start this season, with seven goals and 20 points.
Fred Greenslade / The Canadian Press filesJets forward Cole Perfetti will look to get points back on the board against the Lightning at Canada Life Centre tonight.
Lightning blue-liner Victor Hedman is recharged after having a full summer of training and is back playing at a high level, with 20 points in 19 games.
There’s plenty of star power in each lineup, so this should be a game that features plenty of highlight-reel moments.
MIKE SAYS: Can the Jets continue to feast on the East? They’ve gone 4-0-2 against out-of-conference opponents but now face the daunting task of trying to keep the good times going through the state of Florida.
That’s never an easy task — the Edmonton Oilers just went 0-for-2 against the Lightning and Panthers, for example — so this should be a good test for a Winnipeg team that took care of business during the longest homestand of the season and continues to play a strong overall brand of hockey.
Tampa Bay may not be the same calibre of powerhouse that led to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 but it’s still loaded with high-end talent and, at least in my eyes, should still be viewed as a measuring stick.
The Jets haven’t played since Saturday, so I’m curious to see if they come out flying and immediately dictate the pace, or will it be a more cautious, even sloppy start for the visitors given the rest between games. I know which one I’d recommend.
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