Time: 6:00 pm CST
Channel: Sportsnet
Radio: CJOB680/Power 97
Well, looks like no one else is going to do one…so here is my rushed preview.
The Winnipeg Jets (30-11-4) limped into Toronto after being severely outplayed in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. The game showed how important Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi are to the Jets, as they created very little offense against the B’s and that resulted in their defensemen having to play defense for too much of the game. Waiting for Winnipeg at the Scotiabank Arena are the Toronto Maple Leafs (23-14-8), who are coming off a 4 game road trip that ended with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken.
For the 3rd place Winnipeg Jets, both Connor Hellebuyck (2.17 GAA/.925%) and Laurent Brossoit (2.18 GAA/.923%) have been excellent on the season, but it is the latter goalie who will get the start in Toronto. I’m still waiting on an update from the Jets’ morning skate and will update this article once I hear who is going to play and where they will line up.
Okay, here’s the update….looks like Vilardi was absent from the morning skate and Scheifele was in a regular practice uniform, but was skating as an extra. It does appear Rick Bowness & his assistants have juggled the lines and here is a possible lineup for tonight.
The Toronto Maple Leafs currently have the 13th most points in the NHL and are being led by goal scoring phenom Auston Matthews (38 goals in 44 games) & recently inked William Nylander (61 pts in 45 games). The Leafs have followed their usual pattern of being a great offensive team (6th in GF) while only being average defensively (18th most GA). Part of the reason for that is the franchise’s goaltending struggles (Ilya Samsonov’s .866 save %), but they have been getting better tending from veteran Martin Jones lately (.911 save %).
Will the Jets find a way to right the ship and rediscover their missing offense against a dangerous Maple Leafs squad? It will have to start with a desire to go hard to the net and have a consistent forecheck pressuring Toronto’s defensive core.
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