The Jets are getting ready for their fourth game of the season. Lines and defence pairs come to us from Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press for today’s skate:
Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Perreault-Stafford
Connor-Burmistrov-Armia
Matthias-Lowry-Tanev
Morrissey-Byfuglien
Enstrom-Myers
Chiarot-Postma
Hutchinson
Hellebuyck
Leafs lines from Mark Masters of TSN:
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner
Michalek-Kadri-Komarov
Martin-Holland-Brown
Rielly-Marincin
Gardiner-Carrick
Hunwick-Zaitzev
Andersen
Player Audio:
Patrik Laine: Is this the type of media response he was expecting? What’s all the hype of this game like for him? Can he understand the Laine/Matthews hype? Does he feel a rivalry with Matthews? How would he assess his first three NHL games? Does he like these big stage games? Are there any rivalries between players that he grew up watching? What are his impressions of Winnipeg? How does it compare to his hometown? Does he get stopped on the street here?
Joel Armia: What are his expectations for tonight’s game? Is that (difficulty of opposition) something he has learned? With spotlight on Laine and Matthews does he have less pressure? How tough is it for Patrik to move away from Finland? What does he miss most from home? Does he go out of his way to make it easier for Laine?
Nikolaj Ehlers: On what Laine brings to the team. How would he describe his “confidence”? Facing a fellow Dane tonight in Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen. What does he know about Auston Matthews? Did his (Ehlers) dad (coach in Swiss Elite League) give him some insight into how to stop Matthews? Does he talk to his dad a lot before games?
Blake Wheeler: On Laine and how he approaches the game. Does he get the sense that playing Matthews means something? What do they do to avoid the 2nd period let down? What does he know about Matthews? On the Boston game being a building block. Importance to get above the line. What does he expect from the Leafs tonight?
Coach Audio:
Paul Maurice: Main differences between coaching young players vs. a veteran roster. Is getting a power play righted an exact science? How much do guys like Ehlers/Connor benefit from the Laine spotlight? How much can the team’s slow start be attributed to his (and some players) absence at World Cup of Hockey? Evaluating goalie performance? How much importance is there in learning the game away from the rink? The Bruins game being a “building block”. How does he envision Shawn Matthias role on this team? Because the players ease through the early years of hockey, does the adjustment to the NHL change the pressure these top picks are under? Scheifele talks about seeing the pressure that Laine is under and how he is impressed by how he has handled it.
