Lots of question marks for today’s Jets game as to who would be in and who would be out of the lineup. However it was an optional this morning so we had to wait until coach Maurice spoke following the skate to get those answer. According to Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun the following Jets players weren’t on the ice including Connor Hellebuyck, Drew Stafford and Dustin Byfuglien. Coach Maurice confirmed that Little is back in the lineup, Hellebuyck is starting and the above players were taking an optional.
Projected lines & D pairs based on yesterday’s skate:
Ehlers-Scheifele-Laine
Stafford-Little-Wheeler
Dano-Lowry-Tanev
Connor-Copp-Thorburn
Morrissey-Byfuglien
Chiarot-Trouba
Stuart-Postma
Hellebuyck
Hutchinson
Player audio:
Bryan Little: Getting back into a gameday routine. How long does it take to get back into game mode? What does he focus on early on? Can he help the team with tips on faceoffs? When was the last time he has been through this type of inactivity? Does he feel fresh? On the Jets identity. What he can bring with his veteran presence? Is he nervous? Comfort returning to the lineup playing with Wheeler?
Blake Wheeler: Expectations on his centreman tonight? What can Bryan Little bring to the Jets? A lot of comfort/chemistry with Little? When you have a long break does the chemistry take awhile to return? How much does he change his game based on who he is playing with? What does he know/expect about the Devils? What has this November been like?
Mark Scheifele: On the grind of the schedule. Happy to be at the end of November? Getting Bryan Little back. Opportunity for his line as now opposing teams will have to match-up against more than just his line? On what Little brings to the lineup. On Little being fresh. Has he found any increased pressure being among the top scorers in the NHL?
Coach audio:
Paul Maurice: On Little’s status? On the things that Little does for the lineup? Optional skate today? Hellebuyck back in? On Little managing being out of the lineup? What does he like about the line of Stafford/Little/Wheeler? How will he look back at November? Is 17 games in 29 days the new normal in the NHL? On Perreault’s progress.
All audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.
Devils lines from warm-up
Cammalleri-Zajac-Palmieri
Zacha-Henrique-Parenteau
Wood-Josefson-Smith-Pelley
Kalinin-Fiddler-Lappin
Greene-Severson
Merrill-Lovejoy
Moore-Quincey
Schneider
Kincaid
