Jets coach not messing with lineup, Connor Hellebuyck gets second-straight start

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This article was published 31/10/2017 (2873 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice won’t do any alterations to a lineup that hammered the Pittsburgh Penguins two nights ago.

Connor Hellebuyck gets his second-straight start in net — and seventh of the 2017-18 NHL season — as the Jets battle the host Minnesota Wild. Game time is 7 p.m.

Winnipeg (5-3-2) will go with the same forward units and defensive pairings that worked wonders against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions on Sunday at Bell MTS Place. Jets captain Blake Wheeler led the way with three goals in a 7-1 drubbing of the Penguins.

Minnesota (4-3-2) defeated Pittsburgh 2-1 a night earlier.

Maurice said his club, which has earned points in seven of its last eight contests, has moved on from the lopsided triumph and is solely focused on yet another tough battle with the Wild.

“We left that game there. We came out right against Pittsburgh and you’re not going to have that event happen too often, so back to the grind,” he said. “With (the Wild), we’ve always played one-goal games. It seems like the vast majority are just grinders and we’ll expect that coming in here tonight.

“They’re coming off a win and so are we, so both teams are feeling confident right now.”

It’s the second meeting of the season between the Central Division rivals. Winnipeg right-winger Patrik Laine fired a pair of goals in a 4-3 home-ice win Oct. 20.

During a stretch of some solid play, the club’s speed and aggression on the forecheck has been noticeable. Wheeler, a Plymouth, Minn., product, reiterated the team mantra again this morning, following an optional pre-game skate.

“Continue to skate, that’s the biggest thing for our team. When we’re skating, using our speed, matching the pace of play, we’re in games. We have an opportunity to win games,” he said. “The games where we haven’t had success, we came out flat and weren’t skating, and that’s no good for us.

“(The Wild) skate tremendously well, transition tremendously well. They don’t do anything crazy or fancy, they’re going to make you work for your scoring chances and we need to make them do the same. The team that executes their opportunities is going probably win the game tonight.”

Rookie left-winger Brendan Lemieux will play his fifth career game, after scoring his first-ever NHL goal Sunday.

Meanwhile, injured centre Adam Lowry, still listed as day to day, was on the ice in a yellow no-contact jersey this morning. Maurice said there’s a chance he could return to the lineup Saturday when Winnipeg hosts the Montreal Canadiens.

Before that, the team hosts the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed this morning winger Nino Niederreiter will return to action after missing six games with a high ankle sprain.

Boudreau is giving Alex Stalock, who hails from St. Paul, the starting assignment in net, in place of Devan Dubnyk.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell