Game 74: Jets vs. Ducks pre-game report

The Jets come into tonight’s game having won three straight to kick off this six-game homestand.  Game four has them playing a Ducks team fresh off a big 4-0 win over the Flames in Calgary on Wednesday night.  The victory by Anaheim had helped them to leapfrog ahead of the Kings into third spot in the Pacific but they fell back into the second wild card spot after the Kings pummeled the Avalanche last night 7-1.

The projected lines are based on yesterday’s practice and don’t yet include Jack Roslovic who is dealing with the flu.  Coach Maurice said Roslovic could play tonight based on how he is feeling this morning.

Pre-game skate notes:

As per Jamie Thomas of Jets TV “It appears Patrik Laine will take morning skate today and will see how it feels afterwards.” That was unexpected considering he was originally not anticipated to be available for a couple of games.

Morning skate notes:

In addition to the news that Patrik Laine is making an unexpected appearance, as per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun the Jets also have Jack Roslovic on the ice this morning.  He was dealing with flu-ish symptoms which kept him off the ice yesterday according to his coach.  Ken also adds that Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom are not skating this morning but suspects its simply maintenance.

Projected Jets lines, D pairs and starting goalie:

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Stastny-Laine
Perreault-Copp-Little
Tanev-Lowry-Armia

Morrissey-Myers
Enstrom-Byfuglien
Morrow-Chiarot

Hellebuyck
Comrie

Game-time decisions:  Laine draws back in, Roslovic was out for the pre-game skate but didn’t take part in line rushes.

Extra:  Roslovic, Dano, Matthias, Poolman.
Injured: Kulikov, Trouba, Hendricks, Mason, Hutchinson.

Audio:

Blake Wheeler

Patrik Laine

Coach Maurice:  On Laine’s status.  What will it take for Laine to play?  Is he hesitant at all to let Laine play?  Status of Jack Roslovic?  Is Roslovic a game time decision?  On a player making a pitch to play in a game.   On the Jets reduction in penalty minutes.  How did Patrik plead his case?  Will he put blockers on Laine?  How beneficial would it be to clinch sooner rather than later?  On whether they would rest guys (i.e. What Nashville is doing).  On Perreault’s game.

Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Health Update:

“He wants to play.  We’ll give him the afternoon to make sure it continues to go in the direction its going but he was pretty direct with me on his ability to play tonight” said coach Paul Maurice on the status of Patrik Laine.  As to whether he is hesitant to put Laine back into the lineup the coach indicated there are three boxes that have to be checked “first the doctors and we’re sure with this type of injury that it won’t go backwards anymore than any other player who got hit, the next would be fitness and he hasn’t been out long enough for that to be a concern, but the big one is player confidence and he has lots of confidence that he is a player tonight.”

Jack Roslovic was not on the ice yesterday “He came off a bit of the flu, we’ve had four or five guys go through that.  He feels he can play tonight.”  As to whether he is a game-time decision “We’re going to wait to see how the afternoon goes.  If it goes the way yesterday went he’ll be looking to be a player tonight and I’ll be fine with that.”