Preview: Winnipeg Jets @ Montreal Canadiens
As the month of January nears a conclusion leaving us with about 2 and a half more months of regular season hockey on the horizon, the NHL/NHLPA’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament has also come into view. The True North franchise will suit up for just 5 more games before the mid-season break begins on February 8th, allowing the majority of the players to have a little rest before the final push.
The Winnipeg Jets find themselves on a 3 game winning streak as they head out of province for a 3 game road trip, which kicks off on Tuesday with a match up against the Montreal Canadiens. Still battling for the top spot in the league, the Jets are deadlocked with the Washington Capitals for the #1 position while Les Canadiens are just outside of the wildcard picture in a tie for 19th.
Winnipeg (34-14-3) has limited the opposition to only 2 goals in their last 3 contests despite being without their top defensive player, captain Adam Lowry. The shutdown center will not get back on the ice until after the break, but has opted to join the squad on the road to provide morale support. Other than some kind of illness running its’ course through the Jets’ players, the franchise is lucky to have the rest of the roster healthy enough to play. Defensemen Colin Miller and Ville Heinola have been healthy scratches for the past 3 & 5 games respectively, so will either get a chance to get back on the ice tonight? They do need to see some action soon, but Haydn Fleury was excellent in his last game and Logan Stanley hasn’t been playing as terrible as he normally does so coach Scott Arniel may be hesitant to make changes.
The Jets’ powerplay continues to burn red hot, as their 33.3% success rate has never been accomplished by any NHL team over a full NHL regular season in the long history of the league. There is a long way to go before we reach that point, but Winnipeg already set a new standard with their amazing start to the season, so why not add another entry to the record book? NHL officials seem to be determined to limit the chances they get, as our squad has seen the least amount of PP’s since Christmas, but Montreal may test their determination since the Habs are the most penalized team in the NHL (169).
Montreal (24-20-5) seemed to find a new gear recently, putting up an impressive 13-3-1 record over a 17 game stretch before dropping their two most recent contests. Coach Marty St. Louis has his group playing well right now on the back of good goaltending by Samuel Montembeault and 23 yr old Jakub Dobes, allowing the Canadiens to nip at the heels of Eastern wildcard holders Boston Bruins & Tampa Bay Lightning. The Habs have been strong when playing in Montreal this season (13-8-4), while also having the 9th best penalty kill in the league.
The pre-game skates are going to get underway shortly, but in the meantime we can rely on PuckPedia to provide predictions for tonight’s starting lineups:
The Montreal Canadiens’ top players this season have been Nick Suzuki (50 pts), Cole Caufield (46), and diminutive rookie defenseman Lane Hutson (39). I probably should include former Jet Patrik Laine in that list as even though he has missed significant time, the Finnish sniper has still put up 18 pts in 21 matches.
The Winnipeg Jets’ leading offensive contributors include Kyle Connor (63 pts), Mark Scheifele (56), Gabriel Vilardi (47), Nikolaj Ehlers (44), Josh Morrissey (42), and Neal Pionk (32). On the other end of things, the key personnel include the stellar, yet expected great play of Connor Hellebuyck and the somewhat more surprising play of defender Dylan Samberg. The big Minnesotan defenseman has excelled in replacing the departed Brendan Dillon on the 2nd pairing and has somehow managed to even make his playing partner Neal Pionk not look like a nightmare in his own end. That is not an easy task. If you happen to want to get drunk during tonight’s game, then I suggest you take a shot or pound a beer every time Sammy uses his stick to deny a Hab’s zone entry attempt or helps Winnipeg clear their own end….I think you will have a good time, but your Wednesday might be a bit rough.
Time for the numbers in ESPN’s look at the goalies and our Match Up graphic showing how the two franchise’s season stats compare:
Alright, that is all I have time for this morning….so let us hear your thoughts about the upcoming game against the Habs in the Comment section. Predictions welcome, though others might be a bit scared to take on the talents displayed by SaskatoonJet recently.
I am not going to make any specific prognostication, but I do sense a win coming for the True Northers.
Go Winnipeg!!!!!!...
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