Jets vs Leafs Preview (Mar 31 & Apr 2, 2021)

Tonight the Winnipeg Jets will host the Toronto Maple Leafs for game one of their two-game series at Bell MTS Place. Winnipeg is back on home ice after 12 out of 14 of their previous games being on the road. This will also be the commencement of a 4-game homestand for the Jets. Winnipeg will finish playing their 17th game in March tonight. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be the final team within the all-Canadian Scotia North Division to visit the Bell MTS Place this year. The first four matchups between these two teams were played at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

With a record of 13-6-1 in their past 20 contests, Winnipeg earned important points in 14 of those games and notched a season-high four-game win streak. During their past two games, the Winnipeg Jets’ power-play went scoreless, however in their previous ten games they went 33.3% with the man advantage. And in those past ten games at least 10 of the Winnipeg Jets skaters have an average of half a point per game or more.

Utilizing the same 18 skaters and two goalies during their previous 11 contests, head coach Paul Maurice might look to not change things up too much tonight. That line shuffle from March 29th’s win in Calgary is likely to be the starting lineup tonight. If all goes according to Paul Maurice’s plan tonight, we should see the same lineup on Friday night as well.

The Jets are 17-0-0 when scoring 4 goals or more this season, which is a hell of a feat considering that means the jets have actually scored 4 or more goals 17 times! This is extra impressive when you consider the Jets have 21 wins, total, meaning they’ve managed 4+ goals in 80% of their wins, and in 42% of all games played this season.

Streaking Jets

Nikolaj Ehlers’ 15 goals, Mark Scheifele’s 15 goals, and Kyle Connor’s 15 goals make the Winnipeg Jets the sole team in the National Hockey League that has three skaters with a minimum of 15 goals.

Registering his first multi-goal game of the season Monday night, Mark Scheifele ranks fifth league-wide in total points with 43. Tallying 15 goals and 28 assists in just 36 games, the Jets alternate captain should be in the NHL Awards chatter.

Milestone Watch

Mark Scheifele is one power-play goal away from passing the recently-traded Patrik Laine for third place in Jets history.

Josh Morrissey can reach 100 assists for his NHL career with just one more.

Kyle Connor is one goal shy of passing Dustin Byfuglien for ninth place all-time within the franchise.

Lineup

GO JETS GO!