The Jets departed Anaheim on Saturday following a frustrating overtime defeat against the Ducks in a match where they could not afford to drop an extra point while trying to re-enter the playoff race from a significant deficit. Additionally, they were contending with injuries as Vlad Namestnikov was sidelined week-to-week after a collision with captain Adam Lowry during the second period, while Mark Scheifele suffered a knee-on-knee hit in overtime. Winnipeg’s top center did not participate in practice yesterday, but his head coach indicated it was simply a maintenance day.
The roster will see some adjustments for the visitors as Walker Duehr is set to make his season debut with the Jets, while Haydn Fleury takes over for Ville Heinola on defense. Fleury has been sidelined since January 6th after crashing into the boards during a match against the Golden Knights.
San Jose recently secured a 5-4 win against Edmonton on Saturday, which might benefit Winnipeg if they can exploit their rival’s potentially fatigued players. The Sharks are currently five points ahead in the standings and have shown greater comfort at home with a record of 15-10-3, whereas Winnipeg has struggled with inconsistency away from home, holding a record of 11-15-4. In terms of special teams, the Sharks rank 17th in power play and 21st in penalty kill.
Updates on the skate scene:
No practice session this morning.
Projected lineups and defensive pairings for the Jets vs Sharks:
Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Perfetti-Lowry-Iafallo
Jets versus Sharks
Koepke-Barron-Pearson
Stanley-DeMelo
Samberg-Salomonsson
Schenn-Fleury
Hellebuyck
Projected lineups and defensive pairings for the Sharks:
Sherwood-Celebrini-Smith
Jets versus Sharks
Eklund-Misa-Toffoli
Desharnais-Dickinson
Askarov’s performance in the jets vs sharks matchup was noteworthy.
According to Sheng Peng from the San Jose Sharks.
Probabilities:
The Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks are both facing significant stakes, with a narrow gap between their performances. Winnipeg’s tactical approach may lead to a more deliberate and strategic game, whereas San Jose’s home-ice advantage provides them with a subtle lift. With both teams feeling the pressure, a single moment of sustained offensive play could be the key to distinguishing one from the other. For the most current odds on Winnipeg Jets hockey, check out the NHL betting platform Betway.
Coming Up:
The puck will drop at 3 PM CST. Make sure to visit illegalcurve.com after the game for a summary of the events. You can also tune in to our YouTube channel for the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show at approximately 5:40 PM CST, where we will review and discuss the game’s outcomes.