GAMEDAY: Jets vs Flames

WINNIPEG - Roughly 12 hours after the Winnipeg Jets dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Calgary Flames, Nikolaj Ehlers looked back on how close his team was to earning the full two points that night.
"Yesterday it could have gone either way. We want to put ourselves in a better chance to not make it a 50-50, but more of a 100-0," said Ehlers. "That's the plan tonight. We've done some video and we'll be ready to go."
Tonight, the Jets (5-3-1) and Flames (4-3-1) drop the puck on the second of three meetings at Bell MTS Place this week.
Even though Ehlers played a season-high 19:26 and fired five shots on goal on Monday, he expects more out of himself tonight.

"I didn't play well yesterday. It wasn't going for me," said Ehlers. "I wasn't really able to get into it the way I wanted to. I have to be better tonight."

His new-look line with Mark Scheifele and Andrew Copp was Winnipeg's best in terms of shot attempt percentage (54.55 per cent, according to Natural Stat Trick). They also out chanced their Calgary opposition 6-5, however the high-danger chances were tilted 3-1 in favour of the visitors when that particular trio was on the ice.
Still, it's something for the Jets to build on. Another look head coach Paul Maurice can go to if he wants. In fact, Maurice may have to change the lines again depending on the health of his players after last night's game.
The Jets held an optional morning skate on Tuesday and Maurice said he'd have to make tonight's line-up decisions based on health after his group goes through treatment this morning.
If the lines change again, or if they don't, Ehlers is ready.
"I think it's good to sometimes get a change," said Ehlers. "The lines get changed all the time, so it's a matter of trying to find chemistry with the guys you're playing with. It's nothing new for us."
The one change the Jets will make for sure is in goal. As they have all season, the goaltending tandem of Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit will split back-to-back situations - giving Brossoit his third start of the season tonight.
"We'll look really closely at the back-to-back games this year and not run our goalies back-to-back," said Maurice. "We also want to put ourselves in a position that if we need to toward the end, we could."

For his part, Hellebuyck made 25 saves on 28 shots from the Flames on Monday. Of course, the one that still sticks in his mind is the long range shot from Chris Tanev, taken from the Calgary blue line, that took a funny hop and beat the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.
"It looked like it was just skidding across the ice, until the last second when it picked up speed and took a wild bounce. It sucks but I thought I responded well," said Hellebuyck, who made a series of incredible saves in the third period, including a diving paddle save on Elias Lindholm with the game still tied at two.
"It's crazy because one of the flukiest goals I've let in for my entire career, then I make probably one of the best saves I've ever made in my career."
Ultimately, the Jets lost the game when Johnny Gaudreau - who had a goal in the game and hasn't been held off the score sheet this season - beat Hellebuyck with a series of quick moves in tight.
Hellebuyck smashed his stick, the result of a goaltender trying to will his team to a win.
"After that first goal went in, I didn't want it to define my game," said Hellebuyck. "I wanted everyone to see that I felt great in the net and I'm still a rock back there. To get the loss, it weighed on my emotions more than I usually let my emotions let out."

Maurice said he didn't really consider giving Hellebuyck the start tonight against the Flames on back-to-back nights. He remains as confident as ever in his goaltender.
"If you're going to bet on a Connor Hellebuyck game after a goal like that goes in, I think you bet on seeing exactly what you saw," said Maurice. "He made four incredible saves. The stick save alone was him fired up in the net.
"He wants to play every game now for the rest of the year now just because of that goal. That's his strength, that's his character."
Puck drop is set for 7 pm CT.
--Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
GAME NOTES
The Jets are in the midst of a seven-game home stand, during which they're 2-2-1.
This is the second of four consecutive games that the Jets will play the Flames.
It's the only time this season the Jets will play the same opponent in four consecutive games.
Tuesday concludes the third of nine back-to-backs the Jets have on their schedule this season.
The Jets are 1-1-1 in the fist game and 1-1-0 in the second game of back-to-backs so far this season.
READ THE GAME NOTES
READ MONDAY'S COVERAGE