The Jets returned home from a disappointing 2–4–0 west-coast road trip, but they’ve had a day to rest and another to practice since getting back. On the bright side, both Morgan Barron and Cole Koepke were activated from injured reserve, though based on Monday’s practice it appears only Barron will draw in tonight when the Blue Jackets visit.
Columbus arrives after a home shootout win over Montreal last night, which delayed their post-game travel to Manitoba. The Jackets are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and currently hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Winnipeg’s special teams have settled in. The power play has rebounded, climbing from 13th to 8th, while the penalty kill has dipped slightly but still sits 8th overall. If tonight’s game turns into a parade to the box, that should benefit the Jets—Columbus enters with the league’s 21st-ranked power play and 26th-ranked penalty kill.
Skate news:
Only change is Eric Comrie gets the net. Haydn Fleury in a yellow, non-contact.
Jets projected lines & D pairs:
Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Namestnikov-Toews-Perfetti
Niederreiter-Lowry-Iafallo
Pearson-Barron-Nyquist
Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Stanley-Schenn
Comrie
Hellebuyck
Blue Jackets projected lines & D pairs:
Wood-Monahan-Johnson
Voronkov-Fantilli-Marchenko
Sillinger-Coyle-Olivier
Aston-Reese-Lundeström-Del Bel Belluz
Werenski-Provorov
Mateychuk-Severson
Christiansen-Fabbro
Merzlikins
Greaves
As per Ohio based sports reporter Dave Maetzold.
Players media availability:
Coach media availability:
Topics:
1. Idea that after long road trip, first game is tough.
2. Games being decided by one goal (:48)
3. Centre depth with Barron back (1:32)
4. Competition for 4th line spot (2:25)
5. Barron back on the PK (2:59)
6. Difficulty in guys getting back to speed after long layoff (3:36)
7. Getting Samberg right back in all situations (4:36)
8. How long does it take to get everyone on same page (with recent additions) (5:59)
9. Samberg’s summer and what he did to ‘level up’ (6:50)
Odds:
The Jets square off against a Blue Jackets team that played just last night, while Winnipeg comes in refreshed after a few days between games. Both clubs are riding the momentum of recent wins, but the scheduling tilt—and a slight lean from the oddsmakers—gives the Jets a favorable setup on paper. Now it’s on Winnipeg to turn that advantage into execution and begin the homestand with a big W. For the latest Winnipeg Jets hockey odds, visit NHL betting site Betway.
Up Next:
Puck drop is at 7 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 9:40 PM CST as we discuss and analyze the results of the game.
