Game 45: Winnipeg Jets vs New York Islanders pre-game report

After not winning consecutive games for close to two months the Jets have managed to get back on track defeating the Kings and Devils in the last few days. Today they go for three straight wins for just the third time this season and it would be the first time they’ve done it since end of October/start of November.

Part of the turnaround for the Jets has been the improved play of the second and fourth lines which have begun to produce finally. Winnipeg has started to produce more which has moved them from 27th overall to tied for 23rd. Still a far cry from the 5th overall team from last season but have scored 22 goals in their last six games.

The only health related question at this point is whether Morgan Barron, who wore yellow at an optional practice on Saturday, is ready to return. And if he is, who would come out of the lineup? Additionally, we learned on Monday that the team had placed Colin Miller on IR and had recalled left-shot defenceman Isaak Phillips, for the first time, up to the big club. The expectation is Luke Schenn will draw back in and Phillips will be the extra Dman but we will have to wait and see what morning skate tells us.

The Jets played a heck of a game the last time they played the Islanders but you have to go all the way back to game three of the season. Since that contest New York has established themselves as the 2nd place team in the Metro Division with a 25-15-5 record. They are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and are good both at home and on the road. One area of weakness is their power play which sits 30th in the NHL but they do have a solid penalty kill which ranks 10th.

Skate news:

Isaak Phillips on the ice for his first regular season morning skate with the Jets. Morgan Barron remains in a yellow, non-contact jersey.

It would appear there are no changes to the lineup although worth noting Neal Pionk didn’t skate. However, Gustav Nyquist skated in his spot.

Jets projected lines & D pairs:

Connor – Scheifele – Iafallo
Perfetti – Toews – Vilardi
Niederreiter – Lowry – Namestnikov
Koepke – Zhilkin – Pearson

Morrissey – DeMelo
Samberg – Pionk
Stanley – Schenn

Hellebuyck

Islanders projected lines & D pairs:

Lee – Barzal – Duclair
Drouin – Ritchie – Heineman
Shabanov – Pageau – Holmstrom
MacLean – Cizikas – Gatcomb

Schaefer – Pulock
Pelech – DeAngelo
Boqvist – Mayfield

Sorokin

As per Cory Wright who writes for the Islanders. This is how things looked at yesterday’s practice.

Players media availability:

To follow.

Coach media availability:

To follow.

Odds:

Winnipeg is showing signs of stabilizing after a choppy stretch, which helps explain why they’re given a slight edge on paper. Still, the Islanders won’t be an easy out, arriving with confident recent form and a style that can frustrate opponents when games tighten up. With the Jets trying to build momentum and New York capable of dragging this into a disciplined, physical contest, it shapes up as a competitive game where small details are likely to decide the outcome. For the latest Winnipeg Jets hockey odds, visit NHL betting site Betway.

Up Next:

Puck drop is at 7 PM 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.