Time: 8:30 CT
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: TSN 1290
Introduction:
After the first two games of this series it turns out that the Winnipeg Jets were only mostly dead – and mostly dead is slightly alive. After a big game three, the Jets are now fully back to life, and ready to face a St. Louis Blues team looking to redeem themselves after a shellacking. The biggest challenge facing the Jets will be to weather through the Blues response to that game. There will be a response. The Blues will come out hitting, skating, forechecking and throwing a lot of shots in the direction of Connor Hellebuyck.
The great thing is the Jets have been in this position before. In the playoffs last season they faced hostile crowds and desperate teams in Minnesota, Nashville and Vegas. This is where playoff experience counts. Play the same way whether they are up one or down one after the first period. Finish checks, but be disciplined. Get some traffic in front of Jordan Binnington and shoot at him a lot. From every where. Let the Blues take a few undisciplined penalties to take advantage of the special teams disparity in the series (Jets power play is clipping along at 33% so far). Mix that all together, and you have the recipe for a series tied at two, with game five in Winnipeg on Thursday.
Go Jets!!!!!!!!!
Random Prediction:
Bryan Little scores tonight! Bet on it!
Familiarity Breeds Contempt and Respect:
Having watched the Blues now for three games
Players I respect:
Oskar Sundqvist – Skates well, hits, nice scoring touch. And, I think he’s going to keep improving.
Colton Parayko – Why was this guy on some of the trade bait lists? He’s really good.
Players I Dislike, But Would Like if They Were on My Team:
Patrick Maroon – Annoying, but full respect to his chirping abilities.
Brayden Schenn – He makes me miss Brendan Lemieux. I think Schenn needs to go off for a fighting major, and Lemieux would have been the player I would tap on the shoulder for that. A first liner and a fourth liner in the box. That’s a good trade off.
WINNIPEG JETS
Forwards
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Blake Wheeler
Nikolaj Ehlers – Bryan Little – Patrik Laine
Andrew Copp – Adam Lowry – Brandon Tanev
Mathieu Perreault – Kevin Hayes – Jack Roslovic
Defence
Josh Morrissey – Jacob Trouba
Ben Chiarot – Dustin Byfuglien
Dmitry Kulikov – Tyler Myers
Goalies
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
Injuries
None
ST. LOUIS BLUES
Forwards
Brayden Schenn – Ryan O’Reilly – Vladimir Tarasenko
Jaden Schwartz – Oskar Sundqvist – David Perron
Patrick Maroon – Tyler Bozak – Robert Thomas
Zach Sanford – Ivan Barbashev – Alex Steen
Defence
Vince Dunn – Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester – Colton Parayko
Joel Edmundson – Robert Bortuzzo
Goalies
Jordan Binnington
Jake Allen
Injuries
Sammy Blais
