“We’re just trying to get our team game to a point where we’re happy with it. Everybody in here, you want to be going into the playoffs feeling good about your game personally, as a team, as a line, as a D pair. To be able to clinch tonight, you don’t want to be having to worry about other teams," said Brenden Dillon.
"We can control our own destiny. We’ve worked hard at that over the last 75 games or whatever it’s been. To be able to have a nice, celebratory end to this homestand, getting in and getting an X beside our name would be good.”
The Jets will be without Nino Niederreiter tonight as the Swiss forward was cut on the back of his leg on Monday night and is expected to miss at least a week. Former Flame Tyler Toffoli will line up in Niederreiter's spot on the left side of Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. Toffoli missed the last game with an illness.
Cole Perfetti will get another chance to play with Sean Monahan and Kyle Connor this evening after his impressive performance against the Kings. Head coach Rick Bowness obviously loves the fact that Perfetti produced offensively but he was thrilled with his effort in the defensive zone.
"When he gets in trouble he doesn’t stop, he roams and he takes himself away from the play. If you watch last game he stopped and started when he needed to to stay in the fight for the puck. That was a big improvement. And also defensively in our zone," said Bowness.
"You’re not going to score points every game, but you can’t be responsible for goals against every game. If you’re going to score and you offset it, that’s fine. So he’s improved his defensive play. His stop and starting, that’s big, because then you’re in the fight, you’re not chasing the game all over the ice. Those are the two big things we were looking for.”
Colin Miller will play his fourth game in a Jets jersey this evening and will pair with Dylan Samberg tonight against Calgary.
“Another right-hand shot back there. He’s had a couple of practices. He’s been in on all our meetings," said Rick Bowness.
"I think he’ll be a little more comfortable here tonight than he was the first game that he played here. And also going back to New Jersey, that was kind of an emotional night for him as well. But it’s time to get him back."
The Flames are currently 16 points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference but have beat the Jets twice this season.
"They’re a team that coming into the year, they had high expectations for a playoff spot," said Dillon.
"They’re a prideful group, so we’re going to have to expect their best tonight.”
STAT(S) OF THE DAY
Sean Monahan is riding a four-game point streak with three goals and an assist. It’s his longest point streak since joining the Jets in February. Dylan DeMelo is on a three-game assist streak. It’s tied for the longest assist streak of his career, which he has done eight times.
