Game 48: Winnipeg Jets vs Utah Hockey Club pre-game report

The Jets used Sunday as a travel day as they left for Utah for the first road trip ever to Salt Lake City as they take on their Central Division rival at their home in the Delta Center for the first time. They left Manitoba with a 4-2-2 record after their eight games at home and also with a plethora of healthy players for the first time this season. All eight of their D are available and we know that Vlad Namestnikov and Mason Appleton could be available for this road trip.

Tonight’s opponent is in a bit of a rough patch right now having gone 3-6-1 in their last ten games and sitting six points back of the second wild card spot. They’ve also not made their home rink inhospitable to the teams they face with a 7-11-4 record. They have the 13th ranked power play in the NHL and the 10th best penalty kill.

Skate news:

As per Mitchell Clinton of the Jets both Vlad Namestnikov and Mason Appleton are in regular uniforms for Winnipeg today at the Delta Center for morning skate. Rather than returning to the old lines it would appear that Namestnikov will bump Kupari down which bumps Dominic Toninato out of the lineup. He’s got the D pairings the same which means Haydn Fleury and Ville Heinola are your extras.

Dan Robertson of TSN said that head coach Scott Arniel confirmed that Mason Appleton will be a game-time decision for the game against the Avs.

Winnipeg projected lines & D pairs:

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

Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Stanley-Miller

Hellebuyck
Comrie

Utah projected lines & D pairs:

Keller -Cooley – Schmaltz
Maccelli – Hayton – Doan
McBain – Bjugstad – Crouse
O’Brien – Stenlund – Kerfoot

Maatta – Marino
Cole – Kesselring
Valmaki – DeSimone

Ingram/Vejmelka

Up Next:

Puck drop is at 8:30 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 11:10 PM CST as we discuss and analyze the results of the game.