Game 43: Jets vs. Flames pre-game report

The Jets will be back in business tonight playing the Flames.  They will be wearing their Heritage Classic uniforms for the second time this season.  With Patrik Laine sidelined with a concussion the lines have been adjusted with veteran Chris Thorburn drawing back in for Winnipeg.

Bryan Little wasn’t on the ice for morning skate but coach Maurice confirmed that it was just for maintenance.  Here are your projected lines, D pairs with Hellebuyck getting the start:

Perreault-Little-Wheeler
Ehlers-Scheifele-Stafford
Matthias-Lowry-Armia
Copp-Petan-Thorburn

Morrissey-Byfuglien
Enstrom-Trouba
Chiarot-Postma

Hellebuyck
Hutchinson

Audio:

Drew Stafford:  Opportunity to jump into a top line role.  Is it a case of getting Ehlers the puck?  Importance of a bounce back game.

Jacob Trouba:  Approaching tonight’s game against the Flames.  Adjusting to life without Laine.  On what the Flames can do and what Jets need to do to offset it.

Coach Maurice:  Little’s status?  What does he take from the last Flames game?  On Stafford going up to the line with Scheifele and Ehlers.  Thorburn in?  On Laine’s status?  When does a hit go from generating excitement from a hit to health/safety concerns?  On how Laine is handling the ‘adversity’.

All audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

The Flames skated after the Jets did this morning and via Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Winnipeg we get a look at Calgary’s projected lines, D pairs and starting goalie:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Chiasson
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Versteeg-Bennett-Ferland
Bouma-Stajan-Hathaway

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Wideman
Jokipakka-Engelland

Johnson
Elliott