The Winnipeg Jets head into St. Louis looking to shake off a rough patch and settle in on the road.
After an overtime loss in Chicago and a regulation defeat to Carolina, Winnipeg will try to end a two-game slide tonight against a Blues team that’s also coming off back-to-back losses. St. Louis was beaten 5-2 by Nashville on Saturday, setting up a matchup between two Central Division clubs both trying to stop the bleeding.
For the Jets, this trip does more than just put them in the road sweater. It gives them a chance to focus on a pair of division opponents, with Dallas waiting on Thursday after tonight’s game.
It also pulls them away from the noise around Connor Hellebuyck, which has picked up since Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that the goaltender’s suspension will end on Friday. Players and coaches have said they’re trying to block out the distractions and keep their attention on the games in front of them.
Winnipeg will have to do that while missing Josh Morrissey and Vlad Namestnikov. That puts more pressure on the rest of the roster to fill the gap and help the Jets get back in the win column.
There was some buzz around Brayden Yager after the Jets recalled the prospect from the AHL, but he skated as an extra at practice yesterday. Whether he makes his season debut tonight remains to be seen, and Winnipeg could also stay with the same lines it used on Monday.
Here is how the Jets were lined up in practice:
Connor-Scheifele-Perfetti
Iafallo-Björck-Vilardi
Rosén-Lowry-Niederreiter
Koepke-Barron-Lambert
Samberg-Pionk
Ferraro-DeMelo
Fleury-Bauer
Skinner
Stevenson
The Blues’ projected groups, as reported by Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic from Monday’s practice, were:
Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
McMichael-McTavish-Berggren
Neighbours-Dvorsky-Buchnevich
Kaskimaki-Suter-Stenberg
Broberg-Barron
Jiricek-Parayko
Fowler-Carlo
Hofer
Binnington
Morning skate will provide the final update on those lineups.
The game starts at 11:30 AM CT. Winnipeg enters as the road team, with the Blues carrying a slight edge on home ice.
A fast start, cleaner play without the puck and production across the lineup will be important if the Jets want to leave St. Louis with two points.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Face A Brutal Test With Their Offense Going Cold
The Jets early-season wobble has arrived at a tough moment, with three straight losses exposing an offense that has gone quiet and a lineup that is already dealing with significant injuries. Connor Hellebuyck and Josh Morrissey are among the key absences, and Winnipeg has managed just 12 goals over its last five games while several forwards are still looking for their first of the season.
Brayden Yager has been summoned from the prospect ranks as the Jets try to find some life before a difficult stretch of games, and the timing underlines how quickly a promising start can get complicated. Winnipeg does not just need goals, it needs answers, and the next few days will show whether the club can manufacture them with a depleted group and a schedule that offers little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Face A Hellebuyck Decision That Could Get Very Awkward
Connor Hellebuycks situation has sat over the Jets like a deadline since he was suspended for failing to report to training camp, and the clock is about to force everybodys hand. Winnipeg has been working through the fallout quietly, but the practical options are narrowing fast as the organization tries to avoid letting an already uncomfortable situation spill into the regular season picture.
If a trade still does not come together, the alternative paths are messy in their own ways for the Jets. They could keep paying him to stay away from the active roster, or bring him back into the fold under circumstances that would immediately test the locker room. NHL insiders have also floated the possibility of a conditioning stint in the AHL, which only adds another layer to a situation that has already become one of the leagues strangest early-season storylines. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Let A Tight Road Game Slip Away Despite Strong Goaltending
A tight road game in St. Louis still left Winnipeg with the sort of empty feeling that lingers after a one-goal loss. The Jets got strong work in net from Stuart Skinner, who made 26 saves, and they had enough of a push to stay right there with the Blues, but Joel Hofer was just as sharp at the other end with 32 stops as the game stayed close into the third period.
The difference came on special teams, where the Blues were perfect on the penalty kill and cashed in once on five power-play chances. Philip Broberg delivered the decisive goal on the man advantage, turning a hard-fought matchup into a 2-1 loss for Winnipeg and leaving the Jets with one more missed opportunity than they could afford. [Read more 🡒]