WESTERN SHOW DOWN HAS PLENTY AT STAKE
The Vancouver Canucks visit the strong but staggering Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Ken Wiebe breaks down the matchup:
1 STOPPING THE SLIDE
For the first time this season, the Jets have dropped three consecutive games ( 0- 2-1). While they were able to grind through a busy stretch of games that included some extensive travel, they’ll play four more games this week against Western Conference opponents just as hungry for points as they are. The Jets were better defensively in Saturday’s 4- 3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they’ll need to continue that as they face a Canucks club coming off a 4- 2 Saturday night loss to the Calgary Flames.
2 FINDING HIS FORM
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is having a tremendous season and has carried his team for parts of it, but he’s given up nine goals during his past two starts. After starting the campaign with a .940 save percentage and a goalsagainst average under two, Hellebuyck is 15- 3- 4 with a .919 save percentage and 2.51 GAA. The numbers are very good, but they’ve regressed during the past month or so.
3 BEWARE OF BOESER
Former University of North Dakota winger Brock Boeser is having a dynamite rookie season, with 15 goals and 27 points in 27 games to lead Vancouver in scoring. Those are some pretty good numbers for a guy who was a healthy scratch early in the campaign. Boeser has a wicked shot and has 12 points on the power play.
4 FILLING THE BYFUGLIEN VOID
After losing Dustin Byfuglien to a lower- body injury in the third period of Saturday’s game, there was no official update on his status since the Jets took Sunday off. If he has to miss at least a game, that opens the door for Winnipeg’s rookie blue- liner Tucker Poolman to return to the lineup after 11 games as a healthy scratch. The Canucks have a big absence of their own, with Bo Horvat sidelined with a fractured foot.
5 MORE FOR PERREAULT
Jets winger Mathieu Perreault was limited to 7: 53 of ice time on Saturday, including 70 seconds on the power play. Perreault had only one shot on goal, but didn’t have enough ice time to get into much of an offensive rhythm. With six goals and 12 points in 13 games since returning from injury, look for him to get more involved on Monday.