GAMEDAY: Wild at Jets

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets continue their four-game homestand on Sunday night when they host the Minnesota Wild at Canada Life Centre. The Jets started the homestand with a 2-1 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night in the team’s home opener.

Mark Scheifele tied the game late in the third period and added his 300^th career goal in overtime. However, before Scheifele tied the game, Neal Pionk made a key play. The Jets defenceman cut off Chicago forward Ilya Mikheyev before he could put the puck into the empty net.

“Make him make a play. Make him go around me. I’ve always hated when defencemen back in and just play a two-on-one like there’s a goalie in the net,” said Pionk.

“If he beats me before the red line, he beats me. It’s a gamble. That’s why we have the empty net. I made the right play, and it helped out.”

Pionk is entering his sixth season with the Jets and always enjoys facing their geographical rival, the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s fun. It gets the adrenaline going, gets the juices going,” said Pionk.

“You almost get a playoff game in October, because you get that physicality, and you get that emotion into the game. The crowd will be rowdy. It will be a fun one.”

Here are the line rushes and D pairings from Saturday’s practice:

The Wild come into the Manitoba capital having lost Saturday night 5-4 in overtime to the Seattle Kraken. Joel Erickson Ek was injured in the loss and is a question mark for Sunday’s game.

"There's a nice rivalry there. Obviously, being so close to our neighbours to the south, we got some real spirited games. And I don't imagine that's going to change. We started (Friday) in our division and had success, you've got to continue that,” said Scott Arniel.

“[Minnesota] plays Seattle one night, back-to-back, so it'll be really important to get after them. But I don't think it's going to change. I still that our guys get fired up for those games."

The Jets have won their two games in different fashion. Wednesday, they dominated the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-0 win. Friday, they had to remain patient in the 2-1 OT victory against Chicago but admittedly, their execution was off.

“Let's give Chicago some credit too. They had some really good structure. They’re certainly a lot better team than they were last year. But part of it is on us,” said Pionk.

“We’ve got to execute a little better too, to get (the puck) behind them and go from there. We’re a good forechecking team and we can use that to our advantage.”

SCHEIFELE ANOTHER MILESTONE

The Jets number one centre hit the 300-goal milestone on Friday and will be playing in his 800^th career game today. Scheifele is the second Winnipeg Jet ever to score 300 goals joining his former Barrie Colt coach, Dale Hawerchuk. Arniel was impressed how the 31-year-old rose to the occasion on Friday to get to the milestone.

"I'd probably say 799 games. That's experience. I think going through it, being in a leadership role, playing in a top six role. Those guys all have a different mindset. Elite players have more of a calming influence in themselves. Where everybody else's heart rate might be running at a 200, those guys are in those moments — last minute of a game — and they're just normal. It's crazy,” said Arniel.

“You often hear about Michael Jordan. He [was] at his calmest when the game is on the line. Or whoever these great players are. You hear about Tom Brady. It's just they get in the moment and that's how they react. It's because they've been through that. They know that they need to be clam in those situations and let their skills take over and their hockey sense take over and pretty much what Scheif did (Friday night)."