Game 33: Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues pre-game report

While the Jets did let a point slip away in their last game on Monday against the Senators they have secured three of four points which for a team like Winnipeg which was on a precipitous slide down the standings isn’t insignificant. They also didn’t allow a power play goal against for the first time in eight games which is also big given Ottawa has a Top 5 PP.

They are on the road for three tough Central Division games starting tonight against the Blues. There has been a lot of talk about St. Louis being sellers this year but it’s worth noting these two teams are separated by just one point (although Winnipeg has two games in hand). The goal differential is also significant with the visitors being just -1 while the home team is at a whopping -37 which is the worst in the NHL.

Skate news:

As per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press it was an optional this morning.

Jets projected lines & D pairs:

Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi
Niederreiter – Namestnikov – Perfetti
Barron – Lowry – Iafallo
Koepke – Toews – Nyquist

Morrissey – DeMelo
Samberg – Pionk
Stanley – Schenn

Hellebuyck

Blues projected lines & D pairs:

Buchnevich-Thomas-Fabbri
Stenberg-Dvorsky-Neighbours
Schenn-Suter-Berggren
Toropchenko-Sundqvist-Joseph

Broberg-Parayko
Kessel-Justin Faulk
Fowler-Mailloux

Hofer

According to Lou Korac, who covers the team for the NHL website, this is how he expects the Blues to look this evening.

Coach media availability:

Odds:

Oddsmakers had Winnipeg installed as slight favorites in this one, but a road matchup in St. Louis figured to be anything but straightforward between two middling teams. The Blues have been uneven at home, while the Jets continue to alternate strong performances with frustrating lapses, making consistency the biggest question on both sides. If St. Louis could establish its forecheck early, it had a chance to tilt the game in its favor, but Winnipeg’s ability to stay structured and capitalize on limited chances gave them a narrow edge in what projected as a tight, low-margin contest. For the latest Winnipeg Jets hockey odds, visit NHL betting site Betway.

Up Next:

Puck drop is at 7 PM CST. Be sure to head over to illegalcurve.com following the game for a recap of the action. You can join us on our YouTube channel for the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show around 9:40 PM CST as we discuss and analyze the results of the game.