Game 77: Jets vs. Blackhawks pre-game report

After six straight wins at Bell MTS Place the Jets are on the road for the final regular season road trip which begins tonight in Chicago.  With just six games remaining the Jets sure look like they are locked into that 2nd spot in the central division.

The Hawks on the other hand are out of the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08 and are just 2-6-2 in their last ten games.

The only change to the lineup for the Jets that we know of ahead of morning skate from the last game will be that Eric Comrie will be making his third start of the season between the pipes.  For now the projected lineup below is based on the last game and will be updated once morning skate gets underway.

Morning skate notes:

According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun all healthy Jets players were present and accounted for at the skate in Chicago.  He also said that Steve Mason joined the squad after the formal part of morning skate concluded.

Projected Jets lines, D pairs and starting goalie:

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

Morrissey-Myers
Chiarot-Byfuglien
Morrow-Poolman

Comrie
Hellebuyck

Scratches:  Dano, Matthias and Roslovic.
Injured:  Enstrom, Kulikov, Hendricks, Mason and Trouba.

Audio:

Dustin Byfuglien

Paul Stastny

Eric Comrie

Coach Maurice:  Assessing the season series with the Hawks.  What was the biggest thing he took from the six-game homestand?  Update on Trouba/Mason?  No changes to tonight’s lineup?  On Laine’s evolution.  How has Roslovic handled the last little while?  On Byfuglien’s game.  On how much of a factor Byfuglien can play in the playoffs.  On 33 being healthy for these playoffs vs previous ones in 2015.  On having a checking line that isn’t simply “holding water”.  The play of Joe Morrow.  Seabrook playing in his 1000th game, reflections on him as a player.

Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Health Update:

Defenceman Jacob Trouba ditched his non-contact uniform but it was clear the Jets are taking a cautious approach with their top pairing player.  Coach Maurice had this to say about the Michigan product “Jake was cleared to play on Monday and he wants back in, but he’s not playing tonight.  He has ripped the door off, he wants in, so I am going to avoid him today and we’ll have to talk about it for Saturday.”

The Jets bench boss added this about goalie Steve Mason who has been joining the group on the ice of late “Getting better, getting stronger, I think we’re looking for early to mid next week of him playing.”

Projected Hawks lines, D pairs and starting goalie:

Saad-Schmaltz-Kane
DeBrincat-Ejdsell-Sikura
Jurco-Anisimov-Martinsen
Sharp-Kampf-Hinostroza

Keith-Seabrook
Gustafsson-Murphy
Oesterle-Rutta

Forsberg
Delia

Chicago lineup comes via Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.