NEW YORK - A five-game road trip continues tonight for the Winnipeg Jets as they take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
The Jets (43-19-5) have won two in a row, outscoring their opposition (the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets) 12-1 in that span. However, their game will be tested against the Rangers (45-19-4), who currently hold down top spot in the Metropolitan Division and are second overall in the National Hockey League with 94 points.
"Up and down the line-up they have a lot of skill, they have guys that can do it all, they’re strong up the middle, and great goaltending," said Mark Scheifele, who has 10 goals and 15 points in 17 career games against the Rangers. "We have to be ready for a tough test here and be ready right from the get go."
Like the Jets, the Rangers have also won two games in a row overall, and three in a row at home. Their 24 home wins are the second most in the National Hockey League (behind Colorado's 26), while their special teams have been a strength all season. Their power play is sixth best at 25.4 percent and their penalty killing is fourth-best at 83.4 percent.
Analytically speaking, Winnipeg's advantage could be at five-on-five. The 95 goals Winnipeg has allowed at five-on-five is the fewest in the NHL, and in terms of shot attempt percentage and high-danger percentage, New York is in the bottom third of the NHL, ranking 20th and 22nd in those categories respectively.
"That’s where we’ve found success this year is five-on-five, not really giving up a lot of chances," said captain Adam Lowry. "When we get ourselves in trouble, we get away from that and create offence for the other team. We’re really looking forward to the challenge."
New York outlasted Winnipeg in their only other meeting of the season, which came at Canada Life Centre on October 30. The Jets had goals in regulation from David Gustafsson and Nikolaj Ehlers, but ultimately fell in overtime by a 3-2 final.
To even up the season series, the Jets know they'll have to be at their best, even if the Rangers are missing some key pieces in Filip Chytil (upper-body injury), Blake Wheeler (lower-body injury), Jacob Trouba (lower-body injury), and Ryan Lindgren (lower-body injury).
"It’s a huge game against a real good opponent," said interim head coach Scott Arniel. "We have a big challenge ahead of us, and hopefully the guys are all ready to go."
PROJECTED LINES
The Jets will make only one change to the line-up that has produced the past two victories. Dylan Samberg will draw in on the blue line after sitting out the last two games and will be paired with Nate Schmidt.
"We’ve got these eight D and we want to keep everyone up and running," said Arniel. "Dylan had a chance to sit back and work on some things. (Logan Stanley) stepped in and did a fantastic job. It’s not the best position you want to be in, it’s hard to tell those guys that aren’t playing. At the same time we need the depth and everyone has to keep rolling at this time of year."
Here is what the line-up is expected to look like, based on the morning skate:
Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
Ehlers-Monahan-Toffoli
Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
Barron-Gustafsson-Namestnikov
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Samberg-Schmidt
Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal.
THINKING OF THE HEAD COACH
The Jets announced early on Tuesday that Rick Bowness won't be on the bench tonight against the Rangers due to a minor medical procedure. He's returned to Winnipeg for treatment, which means Arniel will be the interim head coach.
"I kind of knew that he had something happening," said Arniel, who had a couple conversations with Bowness in the last day or so. "They know what it is and he’s going to go home and get looked at. He might even be back, we’ll see how it goes, he might even be back for the end of the trip. We’ll see how things work out."
Arniel has served as interim head coach for 13 games this season while Bowness spent time with his wife, Judy, as she recovered from a seizure in October.
"It’s important that family comes first," said Lowry. "We know that and your health is a major priority. (Arniel) and the rest of the coaching staff have done a great job in his absence of making sure we’re prepared, our details are right, and the messaging stays the same."
The team knows the best way to put their coach's mind at ease is to come out with a strong performance against the Rangers.
"That’s what brings teams together is that stuff, and we’ve been through it before so we know what to expect," said Scheifele. "Our focus is just on the game and let Rick take care of himself, take care of his body, and get back to being healthy."
