Winnipeg Jets vs Dallas Stars

Apparently, today is Groundhog Day in Winnipeg. Last year and this year, coincidentally, the Jets are playing the Dallas Stars in game #59 of the Jets schedule. But, that’s not all. The “what’s old is new again” scenario was front and center yesterday. Now, for those us that like to do our homework and look for past trends in articles and statistics, the article entitled “the Carolina Hurricanes need to fire Paul Maurice again” was making the rounds over the past 24 hours.

The article, written in 2011 by Andrew Hirsh, looked at the plight of the Carolina Hurricanes and how under Paul Maurice, the team had not met the expectations. The article is like a laundry list of what’s “ailing” the team today...the schedule, playing veterans over younger players, line juggling to the extreme, lack of emotion, the strength and speed of the opposing team, etc.. However, I feel it’s necessary to give a reminder of the following quote...

Now, I’m included in the bunch that have “tweeted” the hell out of that article. However, I find it interesting that some may have been quick to dismiss it, labeling it a “reach”.

The reasons given in the article were the same excuses used in very, very recent press conferences, boxscore sheets, video replays, and other statistical data & media that are readily available online, even this site in the form of articles and game day content. Author Andrew Hirsh, now a beat reporter for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, was surprised to hear that history is repeating itself.

Update 3:30pm - In other parts of the NHL, the Canadiens waste no time in making a coaching move, and it keeps the “what’s old is new again” theme going...

Who: Winnipeg Jets (25-29-4) vs Dallas Stars (22-25-10)

When: 7:00 pm CST

How: TSN, TSN1290, FS-SW, KTCK

Projected Lineups:

Winnipeg Jets:

Nikolaj Ehlers - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler

Andrew Copp - Mark Scheifele - Patrik Laine

Shawn Matthias - Adam Lowry - Joel Armia

Mathieau Perreault - Nic Petan - Drew Stafford

Ben Chariot - Dustin Byfuglien

Josh Morrissey - Jacob Trouba

Mark Stuart - Paul Postma

Connor Hellebuyck

Micheal Hutchinson

Dallas Stars:

Jamie Benn - Cody Eakin - Patrick Eaves

Antoine Roussel - Radek Faksa - Tyler Seguin

Lauri Korpokoski - Devin Shore - Patrick Sharp

Curtis McKenzie - Adam Cracknell - Brett Ritchie

Esa Lindell - John Klingberg

Dan Hamuis - Jordie Benn

Jamie Oleksiak - Stephen Johns

Kari Lehtonen

Antii Niemi

For more on the Jets’ opponents, check out Defending Big D.

3 Questions:

1. Again, can Hellebuyck continue to play up to the level of confidence the team, the coaching staff, and the management of the Winnipeg Jets have in Pavelec?
2. Can the Winnipeg Jets maintain it’s disciplined play and not allow the other team to secure a valuable power play opportunity? The Jets only took 3 minor penalties against the Tampa Bay Lightning, two of which were by Dustin Byfuglien.
3. Can the Winnipeg Jets become a consistent defensively minded team?

Players to watch:

Winnipeg Jets: Byfuglien. Can Buff the Magic Rover balance out his defensive responsibilities with his offensive abilities?

Dallas Stars: Can Sharp regain his scoring prowess? In the 31 games he’s appeared in this season, Sharp has 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points.

Prediction: The Jets, not the Stars, take the game 5-3.