Note: The Jets hit the ice for practice on Wednesday in Toronto as they prepared for tonight’s second game against the Leafs in this three-game series. The most significant news of the day was that defenceman Nathan Beaulieu is going to be out of the lineup for weeks. However whether his replacement will be Sami Niku or Logan Stanley wasn’t revealed by Jets bench boss Paul Maurice (UPDATE: Stanley recalled and will play tonight). Which means you’ll have to stay tuned to the pre-game report which will coincide with morning skate which gets underway at 10:30 AM CST. Puck drop tonight is at 6 PM CST.
Note II: The Moose and Heat needed OT last night for the second straight game and for the second straight game it was Stockton winning it in extra time. No rest for these two teams as they are back in action for the third time in four days at the IcePlex. Manitoba could have Kristian Vesalainen back for tonight’s game. Puck drop is at 6 PM CST.
Jets news:
The Athletic Winnipeg: Q & A with Jets’ Dylan DeMelo. (Paywall). Murat spoke to the defenceman on making the most of NHL opportunities, using his platform, becoming a dad and more.
Winnipeg Sun: Jets plan to be stingier in rematch. A few different Jets topics touched on in this column.
Winnipeg Sun: ‘Boy, what a year it’s been’: pandemic taking its toll on Jets, all of us. Hard to believe it has already been a year since the pause.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets blue-line showing signs of progress. (Paywall). It will be interesting to see how things play out with Beaulieu out of the lineup for weeks. Will the Jets make a trade to help solidify the backend before the trade deadline next month?
Winnipeg Free Press: One year after COVID-19 changed the game, brighter days ahead. (Paywall). With vaccinations for the general population seemingly around the corner things could look very different once that happens.
Jets video:
Sportsnet: Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor are two elite Winnipeg Jets that don’t get enough attention. Host of Hockey Central Jeff Marek joins Lead Off to discuss Nik Ehlers and Kyle Connor as two players that always stand out, that nobody ever seems to talk about, and why he would take the Winnipeg Jets as the best top 6 in the NHL.
TSN: Jets looking to tighten defensive end to limit Leafs’ chances. After allowing 39 shots against the Maple Leafs in their win on Tuesday, the Jets believe that they can tighten things on the defensive end to limit Toronto’s opportunities. While Winnipeg admits that they expect the Leafs to make adjustments to try and end their three-game skid, they don’t believe it will be anything too drastic.
TSN: Andersen on ‘Fredzilla’ nickname, facing Hellebuyck. Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen updates how he’s feeling health-wise since returning from a lower-body injury, gives his thoughts on the new nicknames his teammates have given him, and discusses whether he tries to measure himself against reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck when they square off.
Jets audio:
92.1 Citi FM: Jets talk with Sean Reynolds. What worked for the Jets in their win over the Leafs…and what was going through Sean’s mind in the clip from last season of him stuck on the big screen during the national anthem.
TSN Toronto 1050: First Up with Landsberg & Colaiacovo. James Duthie joins the show to discuss the Maple Leafs vs Jets round 2, which team has the better top 6 forwards, the ESPN NHL Broadcast deal, the CFL/XFL discussions and more.