The Maple Leafs come to Winnipeg to play the Jets tonight. The Jets are currently in a 2 game losing streak and will be looking to end that tonight. The Maple Leafs also lost their last game against the Wild (I know, right? The Leafs lost to the most boring team in the league)(Oh wait. The Jets lost to them too)(My goodness, the Wild must be boring their opponents to death out there)(Moving on…).
Keys to the Game
Winnipeg Jets
-Watch out for Van Riemsdyk: James Van Riemsdyk can work some serious magic out there when he gets going and shutting him down and not allowing that to happen will be important for the Leafs. Ditto, Phil Kessel.
-Don't take silly penalties: Make sure that you aren't goaded into any silliness on the ice. The Maple Leafs power play is pretty decent and the Jets will regret giving them that option.
-The Leafs are without Joffrey Lupul (no surprise there, really) and Nazem Kadri tonight and also some guy named Peter Holland. They have also been feeling those losses to their team and struggled against the Wild. Taking advantage of the fact that they are down a few players would normally be helpful for the Jets, but the Jets themselves are injured beyond belief. The only benefit to these injuries happening more recently to the Leafs is that the Jets have gotten somewhat used to not having their injured group around and have had more time to adapt.
Toronto Maple Leafs
-I've been saying this all season, but tonight watching what lines the Jets are icing will help the Leafs immensely. Focus on having your best out when the Jets worst is out and you should be okay to a certain extent.
-Be sneaky: Those really pretty high light reel goals are most likely not going to cut it tonight. It’s going to take those dirty little ugly goals to get past Michael Hutchinson (aka: the goalie so good the Blackhawks had some scared feels about facing).
Player to Boo Mercilessly
PHILIP. J. KESSEL.
s/t to Pension Plan Puppets and @corkgaines for the gif
Prediction
I don't really know about this one.
Uh.
Hmm.
Jets 2
Leafs 3
?
