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Welcome to “Frozen Frenzy,” which is what the NHL has dubbed this day. And no, it has nothing to do with the change in weather outside. All 32 teams are in action, and the 16 games are being staggered so none are starting simultaneously. It begins at 5 p.m. CT when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Washington Capitals and concludes with a 10 p.m. puck drop in Vegas as the Golden Knights host the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Blues with the unique first faceoff set for 7:45 p.m.
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Both teams are coming off wins. Winnipeg downed Edmonton 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night, while St. Louis took care of business on home ice against Pittsburgh by a 4-2 score.
Here’s everything you need to know to get you set.
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: If the Jets are going to make some noise in the Central this year, they need to be at their best when facing their closest rivals. Tonight is the first of 26 head-to-head battles within the division, so I’m curious to see if they can get things pointed in the right direction off the hop. Standing in their way is a St. Louis club that always seems to play them tough, regardless of what the roster looks like. And make no mistake, the Blues are undergoing a bit of a change on the fly here as they try to re-tool. Exhibit A would be the line combinations listed below.
Winnipeg is just 1-2 so far on home ice, so asserting some dominance in its own building is also crucial. It’s also important, when trying to put together a successful season, to string together multiple victories in a row. The Jets followed up their first win of the year (against the Florida Panthers) with two straight losses at Canada Life Centre (against the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights). Now, a chance to put together their first little “streak” of the new campaign.
Finally, the absence of coach Rick Bowness is being felt by the club, at least in an emotional sense. He’s taken a leave of absence to be with his wife, Judy, who is hospitalized after suffering a seizure on Sunday night. The Jets are in good hands with associate coach Scott Arniel and company, and there was plenty of talk after Monday’s practice about wanting to do right by “Bones” and come out with a rock-solid effort.
KEN SAYS: After rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Oilers, the Jets will be looking to build some momentum before heading out on a two-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents who are off to solid starts.
Speaking of solid starts, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey is having one of his own, with a goal and six points in five games to leave him tied for the team scoring lead with Mark Scheifele.
Morrissey started the comeback with a power-play marker, then found Scheifele for a perfect redirection for the OT winner on Saturday night. He’s averaging 24:38 of ice time per game to lead the team in that category and is playing with a lot of confidence.
Winnipeg Jets’ goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes the save on Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) during overtime NHL action in Edmonton Saturday. (Jason Franson / The Canadian Press)
Connor Hellebuyck is set to make his fifth start of the campaign and is coming off his best performance of the new season, turning aside 38 shots against the Oilers. In 20 appearances against the Blues, Hellebuyck is 13-5-2 with a 2.04 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and four shutouts.
The Blues have been led by goalie Jordan Binnington, who is off to a fantastic start, posting a 2-0-1 record with a sparkling 1.26 goals-against average and .959 save percentage, giving up just four goals on 98 shots on goal so far.
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