Note: Illegal Curve goes team-by-team for our NHL Trade Deadline Preview Special starting at 8 am until 11 am CST. Guest: Craig Custance (Senior NHL writer for ESPN The Magazine).
Note II: Following today’s Jets Papers, you can ensure you are up to speed with our game set-up written by Ezra Ginsburg. After the game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction. As soon as the site is updated we notify you via twitter @illegalcurve and Facebook.
Note III: For away games we have our #ICGWG contest. Make sure to @ tweet @illegalcurve with your guess. Remember that for your vote to qualify you must send in your guess using a hashtag (#). (i.e. #ICGWG Trouba).
Jets news:
Winnipeg Free Press: Pavelec a Punching Bag—Ondrej Pavelec has been under the microscope all season long, and that will only increase as the team plays key games during the playoff stretch drive.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets optimistic, have eye on wildcard spot. There are no easy games in this league and you have to think that the Predators are going to be gunning to pick up two critical points at home.
Winnipeg Sun: Pavelec’s net presence. Plenty of debate raging on both sides of the divide as to whether or not Pavelec is a number one goalie. Coach Maurice takes the approach one expects from a head coach. Kirk also looks Slater’s conditioning, mistaken identity between Scheifele/Byfuglien and standing pat with 4th line.
Winnipeg Sun: Competitive spirit. Going to be some pressure on the 4th line because there are some alternatives for coach Maurice to draw from right now.
Global Winnipeg: Pavelec still not fan of shootout. At least he is consistent….in his disdain for the shootout. Despite recent success he hasn’t changed his position in favour of the shootout.
Illegal Curve: Coach Maurice scrum (audio). Fiddle with the lineup? Challenges presented by Nashville. Rhythm of playing every second day. Having Kane and Slater back in the lineup. 4th line talk. Shootout strategy. Play of Ondrej Pavelec his growth and the criticism he faces. Talk about Pavelec’s numbers.
Predators news:
The Tennessean: Pekka Rinne makes first rehab start with Milwaukee. Talk about a walk in the park as he won easily in his conditioning stint down on the farm. Jets fans have to be happy they aren’t facing him today.
The Tennessean: Predators face big test. The Preds are looking at this game as an opportunity to jump back into the playoff race as they await the return of Pekka Rinne.
Winnipeg Free Press: Rinne Soon to Return—The Nashville Predators have kept themselves in the playoff discussion despite being without their all-world goaltender for a bulk of the NHL season. Will his imminent return be enough to propel them into the playoffs?
IceCaps news:
The Telegram: IceCaps down B-Sens for fifth win in a row. St. John’s continues their impressive streak as they won rather handily last night. The teams will meet again tonight at Mile One Centre.
