The Winnipeg Jets are at a crossroads - and they know it. After getting steamrolled 5-1 by the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, frustration boiled over in the locker room, prompting captain Adam Lowry to call a closed-door meeting. That kind of move usually signals a shake-up is coming, and sure enough, the morning skate in Montreal brought some noticeable lineup changes.
Neal Pionk is back in the mix after missing time with injury, and he’s not alone. Elias Salomonsson and Cole Koepke are also drawing into the lineup, while veterans Luke Schenn, Colin Miller, and Gustav Nyquist will sit this one out as healthy scratches. That’s not just a tweak - that’s a message.
Here’s how the Jets are expected to line up against the Canadiens:
Forwards:
- Connor - Scheifele - Vilardi
- Namestnikov - Toews - Perfetti
- Niederreiter - Lowry - Appleton
- Koepke - Barron - Pearson
Defense:
- Morrissey - DeMelo
- Samberg - Pionk
- Stanley - Salomonsson
Goaltenders:
- Comrie
- Milic
On the power play, there’s another adjustment: Alex Iafallo gets bumped up to the top unit, while Cole Perfetti moves down to the second. That’s a subtle but telling change. Perfetti’s been solid, but the Jets are clearly looking to spark something - anything - with the man advantage.
Let’s be real: this isn’t quite a must-win game, but it’s getting close. Winnipeg has dropped nine of its last 13, and the margin for error in the Western Conference is razor-thin.
You can’t afford to wait until February to flip the switch. Points left on the table now could haunt you in April.
Tonight’s matchup against the Canadiens is a chance to stop the bleeding. It’s also the front end of a critical stretch.
The Jets will see the Sabres again Friday - this time at home - and then face the Oilers in Edmonton on Saturday in a back-to-back. Dropping tonight’s game would send them into that homestand with a 1-4-0 road trip hanging over their heads, and that’s not the kind of momentum you want to bring into a playoff push.
The Jets don’t need perfection - but they do need urgency. And after Monday’s blowout and a captain-led players-only meeting, all eyes will be on how this group responds.