CHICAGO - The Winnipeg Jets visit Chicago tonight to conclude the four game season series between the two Central Division clubs.
The Jets (34-15-5) are 2-0-1 against Chicago this season, and are also coming off another divisional win - a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild at Canada Life Centre.
As for the Blackhawks, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday which dropped their overall record to 15-39-3.
EHLERS EXPECTED TO PLAY
Nikolaj Ehlers, who didn’t take part in Thursday’s practice, left no doubt about his availability for tonight’s game at United Center.
“I’m playing tonight,” he said after the team’s optional morning skate. “If I wasn’t good enough to play, I wouldn’t play.”
Tonight begins a stretch of 21 games in 39 days for the Jets with 11 of those coming on the road. So far, the Jets are 15-8-3 on the road, with the 26 games they’ve played away from the Manitoba capital being the third fewest in the National Hockey League.
With that schedule in mind, Ehlers says he and his teammates will be sure to take time off the ice as needed.
“Especially with the month of March we’re going into, there probably isn’t going to be a lot of practices,” he said. “We’re playing every other day and with back-to-backs. It’s about keeping the body right and working on it, giving it the rest you can so we can play at our best during the game. You’ll see that more and more.”
Connor Hellebuyck didn’t take part in the optional skate but is expected to start in goal for the Jets.
TIGHT GAMES
Despite the fact the Blackhawks sit in last spot in the Central Division, each match-up has come right down to the wire.
Winnipeg won the first one by a 3-1 score on December 2, before Connor Bedard’s two-goal performance on December 27 gave Chicago a 2-1 overtime victory.
On January 11, the Jets trailed Chicago 1-0 into the final minutes of regulation, before Gabriel Vilardi and Ehlers scored 2:24 apart to give Winnipeg a 2-1 victory.
Petr Mrazek, who will start in goal for Chicago tonight, has faced the Jets twice this season and has a 0.955 save percentage - stopping 63 of 66 shots.
“The way they play, they’re on you,” said Ehlers. “They have a young group that can skate and who are on you as soon as you get the puck. That makes it hard for you to make a play. You have to play the game a little more simple. They’re a young group that skates well, have a lot of skill. They’re tough games and it’s not going to be any different tonight.”
Of the four goals that Chicago has scored against the Jets this season, Connor Bedard has three of them. The 18-year-old has points in three of the four games he’s played since coming back from a broken jaw - an injury he sustained on January 5 before returning February 15.
“You have to know he’s on the ice because when he gets the puck, something is going to happen,” said head coach Rick Bowness. “He’ll make something happen out of absolutely nothing. When you think you have everybody covered he makes these blind passes - they’re blind to us, but not to him - he sees people and sees plays develop.”
MONAHAN’S MOMENTUM
After starting his tenure with the Winnipeg Jets with no points in the first four games, Sean Monahan has caught fire over the last three.
He’s scored five times (including a natural hat trick in 5:17 against Calgary) which leads the team since the return from the All-Star Break.
The 29-year-old is also a sparkling 58.5 percent in the face-off dot.
“He’s winning face-offs, he’s killing penalties, he’s really helped the power play,” Bowness said. “We’re trying to get more offence out of that second line, and we’re getting there. He’s been everything that we heard about him and more. He’s fit in with us perfectly.”
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
