Game Day: Golden Knights at Jets

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets close out their three-game homestand against the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights tonight.

On Wednesday Rick Bowness announced that the team will be without Gabe Vilardi for the next four to six weeks as the 24-year-old forward has a sprained MCL that he suffered in the first period of the Jets 5-1 loss to Los Angeles.

With that, there have been changes to personnel, lines and defence pairings. 

Starting with Mason Appleton moving onto the right side with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

"Mason has played with those guys before and they like having a right-hand shot playing with them. So, you put those two together and Mason is the logical guy to go up there," said Bowness today.

"That doesn’t mean Rasmus (Kupari) won’t go up there sometimes, but we like what we saw last year when Mason played with those guys because of injuries, and we are in that same situation this year."

The Wisconsin product is excited about the promotion and understands that he can't change his game.

"I think I can be that guy that is relied on to win battles and get them easy pucks and get around the net,” said Appleton following today’s optional skate.

“They’re so elite, kind of all over the ice but especially on the outside controlling the puck and I can try to penetrate the inside a little bit more and get around the net and free some space up for them.”

PROJECTED LINE-UP

Connor-Scheifele-Appleton

Perfetti-Namestnikov-Ehlers

Iafallo-Lowry-Niederreiter

Barron-Kupari-Gustafsson

Morrissey-DeMelo

Dillon-Pionk

Stanley-Samberg

Laurent Brossoit will start in goal.

GUS AND STAN’S SEASON DEBUT

David Gustafsson will play on the right side with Kupari and Morgan Barron on the Jets fourth line. The Swedish forward has familiarity with Barron but will be playing with Kupari for the first time, which shouldn’t be a problem because he knows Kupari’s game from playing against him.

“We played a lot of Sweden versus Finland and a lot of national teams, so I’ve known him for a while,” said Gustafsson.

“I’ve seen what he can do and I’m excited to play with him for the first time.”

Logan Stanley will come in for Nate Schmidt on the blueline for the Jets tonight, Stanley will also make his season debut being paired with Dylan Samberg. Schmidt will be a healthy scratch and Bowness explained why he decided to make the change.  

“First of all, the team has given up way too many goals, we are. We have to tighten this thing up. There are a couple areas of Nate’s game that we need him to work on, we are very clear with that to him,” said Bowness.

“So, Logan gives us that big physical presence back there. This is a very big team we’re playing tonight, and we need some size back there. Logan will give us that.”

FIRST MEETING SINCE PLAYOFFS

Outside of wanting to improve from their last game against the Kings, tonight will be the first time Winnipeg meets Vegas since the Golden Knights eliminated the Jets in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April.

“I mean obviously, it’s on all of our minds. They kicked our butts late in that series and we’ve had a sour taste all summer,” said Appleton.

“We’re excited for the opportunity tonight and we’re gonna jump on it and capitalize.”