It’s game day!
The Winnipeg Jets take flight tonight to face the Vegas Golden Knights at the Canada Life Center in game four of the Winnipeg Jets season.
See how your Winnipeg Jets shape up tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Previous Game Recap & Statistics
The Winnipeg Jets would lose 5-1 on Tuesday, October 17, in an abysmal effort to the Los Angeles Kings. Jets head coach Rick Bowness started Iafallo – Kupari – Vilardi against their former team as a nod of appreciation.
First Period
The first period was a typical period of hockey, except for Gabriel Vilardi being injured early in the first period with an MCL sprain. Vilardi would not return to the game. Anytime Dubois touched the puck, the fans made sure to let him know which team he quit on as they rained down boos on the former Winnipeg Jet.
Second Period
Of all people, Pierre-Luc Dubois would open the scoring for the Kings, silencing the Canada Life Center as the Kings led by one goal. Trevor Moore scored the Kings’ second goal of the period, putting the Kings up by a pair of goals.
However, what happened before the Kings scored fires me up. The refs lost control of this game as the second period was getting underway. With a hit on Jets forward Cole Perfetti, it was clear the referees had no control over the game. Dylan Samberg, teammate and friend of Cole Perfetti, would jump to Perfetti’s defense and drop the gloves with Andreas Englund. Samberg got his stick caught, and Englund wasted no time when it came to teeing off on Dylan Samberg’s face. Englund received five minutes for fighting, while Samberg received two for instigating, five for fighting, and a ten-minute misconduct.
The Kings would take a run again at Perfetti later in the period, and a scrum broke out. Thankfully, the referees got it right by giving two roughing penalties to Los Angeles and one roughing and cross-checking call to Winnipeg.
Third Period
Winnipeg couldn’t cut any deficit as Los Angeles continued to dominate this game in more ways than one. Arthur Kaliyev scored early for the Kings, putting his team up by three goals. Trevor Moore would score his second goal of the game just 12 minutes later, pushing the lead to four goals. Phillip Danault scored the final goal on the powerplay for the Kings, putting the Kings lead to five goals. However, Mark Scheifele wasn’t letting the Kings get a shutout victory in Winnipeg by scoring the Jets’ first and only goal of the game late in the third period.
The Jets would lose the game five goals to one.
Season Statistics Up Until Now
Across three games this season, the Winnipeg Jets are 1-2-0, placing them sixth in the central division. The Jets look to improve to an even record with a win against the undefeated Vegas Golden Knights.
Preview of Winnipeg Jets vs Vegas Golden Knights
Tonight’s Projected Lineup
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Mason Appleton
Nikolaj Ehlers – Vladislav Namestnikov – Cole Perfetti
Alex Iafallo – Adam Lowry – Nino Niederreiter
Morgan Barron – Rasmus Kupari – David Gustafsson
Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Brendan Dillon – Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg – Nate Schmidt
Laurent Brossoit & Connor Hellebuyck
Lineup Changes From Last Game & AHL Callups
Gabriel Vilardi was injured in the previous game against the LA Kings and is out with a sprained MCL for 4-6 weeks. Mason Appleton will take Vilardi’s spot, Niederreiter will take Namestnikov’s spot, Namestnikov will take Perfetti’s spot, and Perfetti will take Niederreiter’s spot.
Additionally, Brendan Dillon and Neal Pionk have been reunited, whereas Dylan Samberg and Nate Schmidt have been reunited.
Hellebuyck will sit tonight, while Brossoit will get the start against the team he won a Stanley Cup with.
There have been no AHL call-ups ahead of this game.
Key Things To Look For In Tonight’s Game
Look at some of the key things to look for in tonight’s 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs rematch against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Brossoit Finally Gets His First Start
Bro”soit gets the start against the undefeated Vegas Golden Knights, a Jets’that Brossoit won a Stanley Cup with. The “you’re a backup” chants are water under the bridge, according to Brossoit, but the Jets’ current backup goaltender could prove to be something more than just a backup. As the Jets look to become more competitive, they need to find their footing and Hellebuyck’s consistency again. Gone are the days of Connor Hellebuyck playing 60 games a season; I think Brossoit can take 30-40 games off of Hellebuyck’s workload. Imagine a work where Connor Hellebuyck is perfectly rested for the playoffs; we might have a better fighting chance this year compared to last year.
Bowness Looks To Plug Gaps With Vilardi Injury
Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness has a lot of work to do. After the abysmal 5-1 loss against the LA Kings, which also saw us lose forward Gabriel Vilardi. With the Jets updating their injured reserve list, they will look to the Manitoba Moose to potentially bring in a player to help boost the Jets’ lineup.
That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Parker Ford get called up to the NHL for a few-game stint.
Which Winnipeg Jet Is Close To Career Milestones
- Nikolaj Ehlers is four points away from 400 career points. He could achieve this tonight versus Vegas if he records a four-point game.
- Mark Scheifele is one point away from 650 career points. He could achieve this tonight versus Vegas if he scores a point tonight.
- Mason Appleton is two assists away from 50 career assists. He could achieve this tonight versus Vegas if he records two assists tonight.
- Vladislav Namestnikov is three assists away from 150 career assists. He could achieve this tonight versus Vegas if he records three assists tonight.
- Brendan Dillon is three assists away from 150 career assists. He could achieve this tonight versus Vegas if he records three assists tonight.
- Declan Chisholm can record his first career NHL point if he scores a goal or records an assist in tonight’s game versus Vegas.
