GAMEDAY: Jets vs Devils

WINNIPEG -There is a certain sense of déjà vu heading into tonight's game for the Winnipeg Jets.
Of course, there is the storyline around how important the win and two points would be, that won't change for the next six games.
But for the second straight game, the Jets will welcome in an opponent on the second half of a back-to-back. And, for the second straight game, that opponent is coming in off a win and had to cross the border late last night.
But the Jets don't expect tonight's opponent, the New Jersey Devils (47-20-8), to use that as an excuse.
"We knew Detroit wasn't either and I thought it was full marks for our win the other night," said defenceman Brenden Dillon. "Everybody's first shift is really important. All four lines, all six D, you've got to get yourself into the game, whether that's getting a hit early, getting a good forecheck in, a good O-zone shift, a shot on net, whatever you do best, you need to get going on that early."

The Jets (42-31-3) come into the night with a two-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

Like Winnipeg, Calgary also plays tonight (ironically enough, they face Anaheim - a team also on a back-to-back), so the Jets know that in order to continue to control their own destiny, they need a win tonight against the Devils.
There are a number of aspects of their 6-2 win over Detroit on Friday that they'd love to apply tonight against New Jersey, who is battling for top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
"It should be a really test overall for us," said Dillon. "They've basically got two first lines, they've got enough great defence that are producing offensively and they've really been playing some solid hockey all season long."
The morning skate on Sunday was optional, but defenceman Josh Morrissey - who missed Friday's win over Detroit due to illness - was on the ice and is expected to play against New Jersey.
When Morrissey wasn't available on Friday, it was Dylan Samberg stepping into Morrissey's spot alongside Dylan DeMelo.
Samberg played 18:48 and finished plus-three. His ice time wasn't a season-high, but was in the top three for the 24-year-old.
"I felt good out there. Mel is a good partner to have," said Samberg. "He's consistent and you know what you're going to get out of him every night. Those are some big shoes to fill with J-Mo, but I thought we did well. Our team came out and played a really solid 60 minutes. That's what we need at this time of the year."

Samberg was one of 13 skaters on the ice for the optional pre-game session. The Jets didn't do line rushes, but should Morrissey play, it's expected that Winnipeg's line-up will look like this, with Connor Hellebuyck getting his 60th start of the season:
Connor-Dubois-Scheifele
Ehlers-Namestnikov-Wheeler
Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
Barron-Stenlund-Kuhlman
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Samberg-Schmidt
The Devils earned a 6-3 win over Chicago on Saturday and are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games.
They've already clinched a playoff spot (their first since 2018), partly due to having the league's second best road record at 27-7-4, but mostly because of their speed and having four players at 30 goals or more: Jack Hughes (40), Timo Meier (36), Jesper Bratt (31), and Nico Hischier (30).
"This is going to be a totally different game tonight," said head coach Rick Bowness. "we're not going to get the opportunities that we got the other night. We're going to have to really work for them tonight. We have to make sure we don't give them opportunities."

It's a challenge Dillon feels the Jets are ready for.
"We played Edmonton back to back a couple of weeks ago now. Colorado… a lot of teams we've played all year (are fast), but that's definitely (the Devils) identity," he said. "They have a lot of offence. All over the ice you've got to be aware of who is out there. They've got guys that can hurt you on any given shift. We have the mentality here of playoff hockey already with these last six or seven games, so it will be a good test for us."
There is also one aspect of the game that can't be overlooked. A win not only keeps the Flames at a distance, but also allows the Jets to look up the standings a bit as well.
"It also brings Seattle back into the fight," said Bowness. "They'll only be one point ahead of us."
Puck drop is set for 6 pm CT.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
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