Game 44: Jets vs. Sabres pre-game report

The Jets are in Buffalo tonight to kick off their final three games before they have their five-day break.  The Sabres sit last in the Eastern Conference, have lost three straight games, are just 5-10-3 at Keybank Center and have a goal differential of -51.  Meanwhile the Jets are looking to improve a road record which sits at just 9-8-6 on the season.

Morning skate notes:

Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun indicates that Steve Mason is taking “the shooting drills prior to the morning skate normally reserved for the starter” and also indicated that Adam Lowry is not on the ice.  There were no line rushes according to Ken so coach Maurice is keeping folks guessing as to how he will configure his crew.  Brandon Tanev did come out in a yellow non-contact uniform towards the end of morning skate reports Wieber.

Coach Maurice confirmed in his scrum that he will use the same lineup as he did against San Jose with the only change being Steve Mason in net.

Jets projected lines, D Pairs:

Connor – Wheeler – Laine
Perreault – Little – Ehlers
Matthias– Copp – Armia
Roslovic– Hendricks – Dano

Morrissey – Trouba
Kulikov – Myers
Enstrom – Byfuglien

Mason
Hellebuyck

Extras: Lemieux and Chiarot.

Injury:  Lowry, Scheifele, Tanev.

Audio:

Nikolaj Ehlers

Patrik Laine

Coach Maurice:  What makes this game a good one to get Steve Mason into?  Status of Adam Lowry.  Same lineup as last game?  Might we see Mason two out of three this week?  How has Mason handled things?  What has made the Myers/Kulikov pairing work?  On having the offence clicking.  On the Kane/Bogosian trade changing the complexion of the team.  On the change in identity.  What is the biggest danger from the Buffalo Sabres?  Has he seen anything different in Laine’s game?  Was there a message to Laine and Connor in final 10 of the 3rd period?  Thoughts on the Sharks players who made comments about Winnipeg?

Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Sabres projected lines, D Pairs:

Girgensons-Eichel-Okposo
Kane-O’Reilly-Pominville
Wilson-Rodrigues-Reinhart
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan

Scandella-Ristolainen
Beaulieu-Bogosian
Guhle-McCabe

Lehner
Johnson

Projected lineup via Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.