Laine looking for encore against Blues
The last time the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues hooked up, Jets sniper Patrik Laine scored five goals.
Four of Laine’s tallies came against starting goalie Chad Johnson in less than two periods of work. So it’s a safe bet that Jake Allen will get the call on Friday when the Jets host the Blues.
Laine was held without a goal on Winnipeg ’s recent three-game road trip. By his standards, he’s due.
The teams have already played three times this season, with Winnipeg winning all three. Here are five things to watch for in Friday’s game:
1
Who’s in, who’s out? For the Jets, defencemen Dustin Byfuglien (concussion) and Dmitry Kulikov look most likely to return, with Josh Morrissey having an outside shot. For the Blues, forwards Alexander Steen and Jaden Schwartz, along with defenceman Carl Gunnarsson, are listed as day-to-day.
2 Avoid the post-road letdown:
Three wins in four days on their New York road trip have the Jets feeling good about themselves. Returning home can often lead to a letdown. With a struggling Blues team that’s 3-8-1 in its last dozen games, squandering these two points would be ill-advised.
3
Keeping the focus on D: Jets coach Paul Maurice loved his team’s overall defence on the road trip, particularly the way the forwards came back to help a depleted blue-line against the Islanders.
4
Give ’em the Blues: Interim St. Louis coach Craig Berube described his team as a “fragile group” after blowing a 2-0 lead to lose a shootout in Edmonton. Blown leads are a common theme for his team. The Jets would be wise to grab this game right out of the gate.
5
Goalie’s groove: Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck showed signs of his old self on the road trip. pfriesen@postmedia.com