Morning Skate Report: Jets vs Stars

WINNIPEG - Nikolaj Ehlers is expected to make his return to the line-up tonight as the Winnipeg Jets take on the Dallas Stars (30-20-3) with two precious points up for grabs at Canada Life Centre.
All three of the previous match-ups between the two teams have gone past 60 minutes, with the Jets winning in a shootout in Winnipeg, while the Stars won both of February's meetings in Dallas in overtime.
So the Jets (24-21-9) are thrilled to welcome back Ehlers to their line-up for such an important tilt.
"He impacts the game in so many ways," said Kyle Connor. "Obviously he's very gifted offensively. He just works so hard; he's crucial to that power play as well. I think he's a big part of our team."
Ehlers has 13 goals and 25 points in 34 games this season, including an assist in Winnipeg's win over Dallas back on November 2.
In total, the speedy forward has racked up 19 points in 21 career games against Dallas, so it's another offensive weapon that interim head coach Dave Lowry can use in his forward group.

But even with that addition, Lowry says the Jets don't just need their top six or top nine to play well.

"I'm a firm believer that you need everybody. You can put numbers on lines. And if they're your fourth line you still need them," said Lowry after Friday's morning skate. "Nikky brings a certain dynamic back into your lineup. He brings speed, and he brings finish. And that is something, when these types of players are out, you miss."
Winnipeg's projected line-up is expected to look like this, with Connor Hellebuyck getting the start in goal:
Stastny-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Dubois-Svechnikov
Copp-Lowry-Ehlers
Vesalainen-Toninato-Harkins
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Beaulieu-Schmidt
Both the Jets and the Stars are coming into tonight's game with victories in their last outing.
Dallas scored three unanswered goals in the second period to turn a 3-1 deficit to the Los Angeles Kings into a 4-3 lead that they didn't give up.
Speaking of unanswered goals, the Jets know a thing or two about those.
Their win over Montreal on Tuesday was full of them. Winnipeg scored the first four goals of the game, only to have Montreal rattle off four of their own to tie the game in the second period.
But an Andrew Copp power play goal late in the middle frame started another run of four straight for the Jets, who became the first team in National Hockey League history to relinquish a four-goal lead before winning by four goals.
"For a team, it's communication. You talk about it on the ice, but off the ice it's something too," said defenceman Brenden Dillon about staying even keel. "For all of us, especially this time of year when you're getting to that 25 or 30 games left, the stress levels are a little high, emotions are high, penalties, whatever the case might be - there are a lot of things going on in a game where you want to do your best to keep calm."
At this point, Dallas is one point back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference, while Winnipeg is seven points back. In fact, that same deficit holds true for the top wildcard spot, held by the Nashville Predators - who are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.

The opportunity to gain ground is there. For the Jets to do so, they'll have to pick up a win in regulation over the Stars tonight.
"We know every game the desperation level's got to go a little higher," said Dillon, who played 149 games for the Stars to begin his career.
While he knows a number of the faces over there, he says those friendships pause when the puck is dropped.
"I think when the puck drops you're not necessarily like 'oh that's a certain guy I'm not going to hit' or whatever the play might be," he said. "Whether it's bragging rights, or you see a guy in the summer time in your summer skates, or you text after the game, whatever it might be, when the puck drops that's something that's unique about hockey - you're playing for your team, your city, and your bunch of guys."
These two teams have been so evenly matched throughout the season that Lowry believes it can all come down to one play. It's just impossible to know when that play will occur.
"I really believe the team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to be the one that wins," Lowry said. "There isn't a lot of space. And that's been the way they've played against us. That's usually the way we have success against them as well. You manage the neutral zone, you get pucks through, you get pucks to the goal line. You create opportunities that way."
Puck drop is set for 7 pm CT.