Game 4: Jets vs. Predators pre-game report

The Jets and Preds do battle for the first time since Winnipeg eliminated Nashville in game 7 of the 2nd round of last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Should prove to be a good tilt tonight between these two rivals for top spot in the Central/Western Conference.

AM Skate notes:

Via Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press neither Dustin Byfuglien or Blake Wheeler are skating this morning.  Coach confirms that it will be the same lineup as last one against the Kings.  He also provided an update on the status of Nic Petan.

Jets lines, D pairs and starting goalie are:

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Little-Laine
Copp-Lowry-Tanev
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Perreault

Morrissey-Trouba
Chiarot-Byfuglien
Morrow-Myers

Hellebuyck
Brossoit

Audio:

Mark Scheifele

Joe Morrow

Coach Maurice:  On the Jets/Predators rivalry.  Did they need a playoff series for it to develop.  On Scheifele’s development as the go to guy.  500th NHL game for Mathieu Perreault.  How much has moving to the wing helped Perreault?  Status of Nic Petan?

All audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Predators lines, D pairs and starting goalie are:

Via Nashville Correspondent for NHL.com Robby Stanley we get this:

Forsberg-Johansen-Arvidsson
Fiala-Turris-Smith
Jarnkrok-Bonino-Hartman
Rinaldo-Sissons-Salomaki

Ekholm-Subban
Josi-Ellis
Hamhuis-Weber

Rinne
Saros

Up next:

Puck drop is at 7 pm.   So stay tuned to illegalcurve.com and on social media including Twitter | Facebook | Instagram both during and following the game for news as well as a full post-game recap.