Game 35: Jets vs. Predators pre-game report

The Jets kick off three games on the road before the Christmas break which begins in Nashville.  It is the final game of four straight they’ve played against the central division.

The team didn’t skate on Monday so we don’t know yet if there will be any lineup changes or whether it will be Connor Hellebuyck or Steve Mason between the pipes.

Morning skate notes:

According to Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun all Jets players are skating this morning except for Tyler Myers.  Update:  Coach Maurice confirms that Myers will play tonight and that Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal.

Jets projected lines, D Pairs:

Connor – Scheifele – Wheeler
Ehlers – Little – Laine
Copp – Lowry – Tanev
Perreault – Hendricks – Armia

Morrissey – Trouba
Kulikov – Myers
Chiarot – Poolman

Hellebuyck
Mason

Extras:  Matthias, Dano and Melchiori.

Audio:

Blake Wheeler

Coach Maurice:  The number of shots the Jets have been generating.  What does he expect from the Predators?  How has his prep changed for 3 on 3 in the last couple of years?  On teams defaulting to using two D in OT.  On OT without Byfuglien.  Status of Myers.  Is Hellebuyck starting?  Staying disciplined against Nashville.  Importance of special teams.  On the evolution of Bryan Little’s game.  Good week to be on the road in advance of holidays?  The Preds Ryan Johansen seeing similarities between Nashville and Winnipeg.

Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Predators projected lines, D Pairs:

Forsberg-Johansen-Arvidsson
Fiala-Turris-Smith
Hartnell-Sissons-Aberg
Jarnkrok-Bonino-Watson

Josi-Ekholm
Emelin-Subban
Irwin-Weber

Rinne
Saros

The above Preds linup comes to us from Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.