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Jets Host Senators in Pre-Season Matchup, Key Factors For Game #2 |
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The Winnipeg Jets will host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday in their second pre-season game. After being blanked by the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, the Jets added some much needed offense to the lineup to get things going.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, who played Sunday against the Oilers, will not play tonight. The rest of the projected top-six will be slotted in, though, as well as 3 of the projected NHL defensemen.
Pre-Season Lineup for Game #2:
Connor-Scheifele-Ehlers
Perfetti-Lowry-Wheeler
Maenalanen-Toninato-Eyssimont
Limoges-Nikkanen-Torgersson
Morrissey-Lundmark
Samberg-Pionk
Dillon-Heinola
Salminen
Hellebuyck
This will be a pretty exciting roster to watch. We get to see some exciting youth play, including Perfetti, Nikkanen, Torgersson, Samberg and Heinola. Not to mention, Oskari Salminen getting the start.
The Ottawa Senators will not be sending their top group to Manitoba, as their projected lineup is:
Motte-Pinto-Joseph
Kelly-Kastelic-Sokolov
Reinhardt-Brassard-Boucher
Dal Colle-Gambrell-Hawryluk
Brannstron-Guenette
Heatherington-Bernard-Docker
Larsson-Thomson
Sogaard
Mandolese
This Ottawa team will be tough, as almost every player is battling for their NHL roster spot. Where the Jets have the advantage, is the players that are already established leading the way.
Back to the Jets roster, I expect Cole Perfetti will get some time at center, which could be very exciting. While it is not something I want to worry about until there is reason to, if the Dubois situation re-surfaces and the Jets seem pressed to trade him, getting a young, elite center back would be the ideal pickup, but if Perfetti can fill that hole, the Jets may be able to get more assets looking to gain pieces elsewhere.
Seeing Heinola and Samberg in the Jets defense group is also exciting. They should both get some good opportunities to show Rick Bowness how important they can be to the teams success. The thing about pre-season is, everybody can earn a spot. It might be tougher for some, but if you show that you deserve it, there will be room made for you on an NHL lineup.
This is a really good combination of veterans and rookies. It is okay if the rookies take over, and the top line only plays 14 minutes. Not that I expect that to happen, but the Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler line know they have NHL spots, and Rick Bowness knows that, too. Part of the pre-season is seeing how some players work with a bigger caseload, and while winning doesn't matter, you still want to do it. If the Jets bottom lines are struggling, the top lines will get more time and ability to take over the game against the thin Senators group. It is all about earning your opportunity.
Oskari Salminen is also going to be fun to watch. Coming off of an elite season in Finland, he is being given a chance to see if he can keep that run going. I don't expect Salminen to take over for Rittich on the NHL club, but crazier things have happened. It is especially tough for goaltenders in the pre-season, because there is so much pressue, so much on the line, in such a small sample size. Even if a goalie plays 3 pre-season games, and gets 3 shutouts, he isn't guarunteed a spot on the NHL lineup. The Jets have a few goalies who are another year or two away from being capable NHL backups, so it will be really interesting to follow that storyline throughout the season, whether it be seeing goalies get a chance in the NHL, of how their season goes in the AHL, or even following them in Europe.
No matter what, it should be a fun game to watch tonight. The Jets bringing a strong mix of established skill and blossoming prospects, against the Senators tough group all fighting for jobs.
Let me know your thoughts on the lineup ahead of tonights game in the comment section, and there is a little personal comment from me in there as well. Enjoy some Jets hockey tonight!
Winnipeg Jets Blogger • 
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