The Jets sounded on Friday like a team that wasn’t phased by the 3rd period collapse in game 5 as they turned their focus to tonight’s elimination game in St. Louis. This is the fourth time the franchise has faced elimination in a playoff series (Ducks 2014-15 – loss, Predators 2017-18 – win, Golden Knights 2017-18 – loss) since NHL hockey returned to Winnipeg.
Coach Maurice indicating on Friday during his availability that Nikolaj Ehlers was feeling good and listed him as “probable” for tonight’s game. For now the Jets projected lineup is simply based on last game. If it changes we will update it.
Morning Skate Notes:
Updates from St. Louis come via Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun who indicated that without Nikolaj Ehlers on the ice (as we expected) the Jets dressed Mason Appleton, Par Lindholm and Matt Hendricks in white. Which obviously doesn’t really tell us anything. Ken added “Based on the colour scheme this morning, it looks like Perreault-Hayes-Roslovic is staying together. That would leave Ehlers/Lindholm-Little-Laine. Or #NHLJets HC Paul Maurice might just get the blender out later. Won’t know until the pre-game warm-up tonight.”.
Pre-game warm up skate:
Ken confirms that Nikolaj Ehlers skated alongside Bryan Little and Patrik Laine during line rushes.
Jets Projected lineup:
Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Little-Laine
Copp-Lowry-Tanev
Perreault-Hayes-Roslovic
Morrissey-Trouba
Chiarot-Byfuglien
Kulikov-Myers
Hellebuyck
Brossoit
Jets audio:
Adam Lowry
Josh Morrissey
Kyle Connor
Coach Maurice: Any lineup insight? Any change with tonight being an elimination game? On why this is the hardest game to win. What is special about this group? On the Jets “window” being open. What does he remember from game 7 in Nashville? How has the coach’s challenge changed the way they use time outs? The fact that no Stanley Cup playoff series has ever had the first 6 games won by the road team. On playing aggressive with the lead.
Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.
Up Next:
Puck drop is at 6:00 pm CDT. Be sure to head over to illegalcurve.com following the game for a recap of the action which includes post-game audio from the Jets room as well as from coach Maurice.
