5 things to watch for as Jets battle Blackhawks
The Winnipeg Jets continue their quest to the playoffs when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to town Sunday night. The Jets (39-24-12) are coming off a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday and, with a couple days of rest between games, should be ready to go.
As for the Blackhawks (44-24-6), they’ll look to snap a two-game slide of their own, including a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
With that, here are five things to consider heading in to Sunday’s game.
Playoff push
As it stands, the Jets are currently on the right side of the playoff line, wedged in the final wild card spot in the west, three points up on the Calgary Flames.
Needless to say points are at a premium right now, with every game holding the power to shift the standings.
Only eight points separate the third and ninth place teams in the Western Conference, meaning every game from here on out for the Jets could make or break their chances of making the playoffs.
Perreault good to go
He was one of the Jets hottest players before a lower-body injury knocked him out of the line up in mid-February. Now, 17 games later, Mathieu Perreault says he feels good enough to return, but knowing quite well it’s going to take a few games before he feels 100 per cent again.
“It’s just a matter of getting some minutes, trying to get back in to game shape,” admitted Perreault following practice Saturday.
“You can skate as hard as you want but you’re never in game-shape until you play, so, for me, I want to come back and help the team make the playoffs and get back in to my game.”
Jets coach Paul Maurice has liked the look of his top three forward lines so Perreault will play in an unusual spot, centering the fourth line between Chris Thorburn and Matt Halischuk. That being said, expect Perreault to be back on the power play, a role he dominated before getting hurt.
Stafford surging
It’s no longer becoming a question of if, but when, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will put ink to paper on a new contract for forward Drew Stafford. Stafford, who was acquired by Winnipeg in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres in early February, has been everything and more for the Jets since his arrival.
The 29-year-old has 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) in 19 games with Winnipeg this season and is currently riding an eight-game point streak, scoring four goals and 10 points during that stretch.
Stafford looks right at home playing on the Jets second line alongside Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The trio have been leaned on to provide the Jets’ primary scoring, especially with the absence of Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault due to injuries.
That pressure to produce offensively continues tonight as the Jets get ready to face a Blackhawks team rich with talent at all ends of the ice.
Riding the hot hand
In any other game the obvious choice of whom the Jets should start in net would be Ondrej Pavelec. Pavelec has won his last six starts for the Jets and has been the primary reason they remain in the playoff picture.
“He’s fresh, ready and playing the best hockey I’ve seen him play,” said Maurice.
But when you consider just how difficult times have been for Pavelec against the Blackhawks over his career and how well current back-up Michael Hutchinson has been against Chicago this season, it’s easy to double guess the hot hand.
Hutchinson has played all four games against the Blackhawks this year, posting a 3-0-1 record with 1.23 goals against average and a .961 save percentage.
As for Pavelec, in five career games against Chicago he’s yet to earn a win and has averaged 4.61 goals against per game with a dismal .867 save percentage.
But that’s all in the past for Maurice, who says it’s now up to Pavelec and the rest of the team to control what happens in the future.
“It won’t matter because at some point you’ve got to change your history against every team if you want to get to where you want to,” he said.
Pavelec has posted godly numbers in the month of March, posting a 6-1-0 record with a save percentage of .963 and one shutout. If the Jets hope to push past the Blackhawks, they’ll need a similar performance from Pavelec tonight.
What’s up in Chicago
The Blackhawks will start Corey Crawford in net tonight. Crawford should be a tad fragile as he returns between the pipes after being pulled in a 5-2 loss to the Blue Jackets on Friday.
Crawford allowed four goals on 13 shots in the game before getting pulled late in the first period. In eight games against the Jets, Crawford is 4-4-0 with a 2.07 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
Another main focus tonight will be on the Hawks power play. Chicago went 0-for-5 against the Blue Jackets and allowed a short-handed goal late in the first period. Chicago has scored just one goal in 13 tries on the man advantage in the last six games.
This season the Hawks are 1-3-0 in four games against the Jets with Winnipeg outscoring Chicago by a score of 11 to 5. Chicago did win the most recent match, edging the Jets 2-1 in overtime back on Feb. 6 in Winnipeg.
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