Game 42: Winnipeg Jets vs Nashville Predators pre-game report

The Jets have been off the ice the past two days so there remains a question mark surrounding the D after losing Colin Miller in the 1st period of the last game after he took a puck to the throat. Now the team didn’t make a recall from the Moose which could mean that Miller is fine or that perhaps Dylan Samberg is ready to return. The last time we saw the second pairing defenceman he was moving well but in a yellow, non-contact uniform as he worked on a return following his broken foot suffered on November 23rd.

Winnipeg is mired in a bit of a skid having lost three straight (0-2-1) including the first two couple of games of this eight-game homestand.

They face a Nashville team that has won their last two games but remain mired in the Central basement just five points up on a woeful Chicago team. They’ve actually been a decent home team but brutal on the road (5-13-4) which of course is where they find themselves this evening (although worth mentioning the two wins were both road victories). Of course it was just eight days ago in Winnipeg where they lost 3-0 to these same Jets. Their power play is 20th overall and their penalty kill has slide down to 3rd (it was 1st when these two teams faced off).

Skate news:

Dylan Samberg in a regular uniform and no Colin Miller as morning skate is underway here in Winnipeg.

Looks like only change is Coghlan in for Miller.

Jets projected lines & D pairs:

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Ehlers-Namestnikov-Perfetti
Niederreiter-Lowry-Iafallo
Barron-Gustafsson-Kupari

Morrissey-DeMelo
Stanley-Pionk
Heinola-Coghlan

Hellebuyck
Comrie

Predators projected lines & D pairs:

Forsberg – Stamkos – Marchessault
Nyqvist – O’Reilly – Hinostroza
Jankowski – Svechkov – Evangelista
Wiseblatt – McCarron – Sissons

Josi – Barron
Skjei – Blankenburg
Stastny – Schenn

Saros/Annunen

Player media:

Coach media:

Topics:
1. Update on Colin Miller.
2. Update on Dylan Samberg? (:52)
3. What’s he expecting from Preds? (1:14)
4. Common thread from last 3 games to clean up? (2:04)
5. Limiting rush chances (3:05)
6. Benefits to two days off the ice (3:57)
7. Decision to flip centres back (4:55)
8. Feeling like an underdog (5:04)
9. To what does he attribute not being taken as serious contender? (6:03)
10. How serious was the Miller situation? Did he go to hospital? (6:25)
11. Importance of team’s medical staff (6:54)
12. Where is he on the neck guard issue? (7:50)

Up Next:

Puck drop is at 7PM 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.