MONTREAL – The primary time the Winnipeg Jets took on the Montreal Canadiens this season, ahead Nikolaj Ehlers’ damage prevented him from enjoying towards shut buddy Patrik Laine.
That gained’t be the case tonight.
“I went for dinner with him final night time,” mentioned Ehlers with a smile. “Not a lot chirping concerning the sport tonight, however hopefully we’ll be on the market towards one another. We’ll undoubtedly be speaking.”
The Jets (34-14-3) will look to comb the season sequence towards the Canadiens (24-20-5) tonight. Within the first assembly again in December, Winnipeg earned a 4-2 win with two objectives approaching the facility play.
The truth is, that sport began a streak of seven straight with a minimum of one energy play objective. Throughout that stretch, Winnipeg had 4 multi-goal outings with the person benefit, and went 11-for-27.
After all, the facility play is only one storyline going into tonight’s contest. The Jets know they’ll should be at their greatest in all sides of the sport in the event that they need to hand the Canadiens their third straight defeat.
“They play aggressive and so they’re enjoying rather well,” mentioned Josh Morrissey. “They’re within the hunt for the playoffs within the East. They’re a younger group making an attempt to take that subsequent step. That’s a harmful staff, so we’ve to be able to go.”
Tonight’s tilt not solely kicks off a three-game highway journey, it’s additionally the start of 5 straight video games towards the Jap Convention. To date, the Jets are 12-5-0 towards the East and 8-4-0 towards the Atlantic Division.
“It’s just a little completely different. Generally you don’t see these guys for some time however we’ve obtained to see Montreal in our constructing,” mentioned head coach Scott Arniel. “It might be good, clearly, to get the journey began on the appropriate be aware. You play towards these groups of their constructing, you actually should be accountable in the way you play the sport.”
The one change anticipated in Winnipeg’s line-up is available in objective. After Eric Comrie turned apart 20 of twenty-two pictures in Sunday’s win over Calgary, Connor Hellebuyck will probably be again between the pipes on the Bell Centre.
The road rushes in entrance of him at morning skate appeared like this:
Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Perfetti-Namestnikov-Ehlers
Niederreiter-Kupari-Appleton
Barron-Gustafsson-Iafallo
Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Fleury-Stanley
Regardless that the Canadiens are winless of their final two – they dropped a 4-3 time beyond regulation determination to New Jersey on Saturday – they’re nonetheless 6-2-2 of their final 10 video games. That run has them sitting simply two factors again of Tampa Bay for the ultimate wildcard spot within the Jap Convention.
Montreal can also be 13-8-4 on dwelling ice.
“They’ve been actually good currently. You have a look at their staff, they’ve a fairly good staff,” mentioned Ehlers. “We all know they’ve loads of ability, they’ve loads of pace, and so they grind pucks as effectively. It’s going to be a troublesome sport. Video games in Montreal are at all times enjoyable to play, they’re at all times onerous, however they’re loads of enjoyable. We’re excited for this problem tonight.”
Stylistically, the Jets count on a little bit of a shift from their two opponents from the house stand in Utah and Calgary. Utah is a staff among the many Nationwide Hockey League’s greatest when it comes to minimizing high-danger possibilities towards (in line with Pure Stat Trick), and the sport towards Calgary was tight proper till the Jets broke it open within the third.
It’s that sort of affected person sport that Winnipeg desires to convey on the highway.
“it’s a hockey cliché, nevertheless it’s doing all the easy issues,” mentioned Ehlers. “And never simply doing them at dwelling or on the highway, however doing them each single time you step on the ice. You would possibly chip it in and go get it as an alternative of making an attempt to make performs on the blue line on a regular basis and turning it over – particularly in a constructing like this, you possibly can’t have turnovers on the offensive blue line.
“Normally, enjoying the appropriate method will get you a good distance.”
Irrespective of the type of play, nevertheless, the Jets are assured of their capacity to stay to the construction that has them atop the Western Convention.
“You’ve gotten to have the ability to win video games other ways,” mentioned Morrissey. “We’ve tried to only be constant – whatever the rating, whatever the opponent – in the best way we play and our construction, the habits we’ve as a gaggle.”
Puck drop is ready for six pm CT.