WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets close out their five game homestand tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. The Jets are 3-1 so far on the homestand after a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres last night at Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg will be playing the second game of a rare back-to-back on home ice tonight. Arizona hasn’t played since Thursday when they beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, they are playing the last game of a five game road trip.
The Jets were outshot by Buffalo 28-18 but associate coach Scott Arniel didn’t seem concerned about that last night.
“We've been playing some really good hockey. We'll just go back over the video on this one, look at it, and see, try to improve against an Arizona team that's sitting here waiting for us. I'm sure half their coaches were sitting in the press box tonight, watching us. It's going to be a test tomorrow but, at the end of the day, we haven't been doing this for the last three or four or five games,” said Ariel Friday night.
“It's not like it's been snowballing, snowballing. We don't like it. We'll make some adjustments and improvements. Hopefully tomorrow, it's a little better effort. But I do not, I will never critique... That's two points. That's a huge two points.”
PROJECTED LINEUP
The Jets did not have a morning skate today but associate coach Scott Arniel did hold a media availability. Dominic Toninato was recalled from the Manitoba Moose today on emergency conditions, Arniel said he has some players that are banged up and he wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be short a forward for tonights game.
As for his defencemen, Arniel said it will be a game time decision if there will be any changes from last night’s group which saw Nate Schmidt as the odd man out and Logan Stanley playing in his second consecutive contest.
Laurent Brossoit will get the start in goal for the Jets against the Coyotes. Brossoit recorded his first victory in a Jets jersey since April 14, 2021 when he stopped 20 shots in a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators in his last start. Brossoit is 1-1-1 with a 3.25 goals against average and a .872 save percentage so far in 2023-24.
STAT(S) OF THE DAY
Kyle Connor leads the Jets in scoring this season with 20 points (13G, 7A). His 13 goals are tied for the NHL lead. Connor has scored seven goals in his past five games, which includes three multi-goal games. Connor’s four multi-goal games this season is tied for the NHL lead.
