GAME DAY: Jets look to clinch playoff spot with win over Predators

Be sure to catch the JetsTV Live Pre-Game Show with Jamie Thomas, Mitchell Clinton & more beginning at 6:00pm CT right here on WinnipegJets.com and the Jets mobile app, as well as YouTube and Facebook Live.
WIN AND YOU'RE IN
Tonight, the Jets can officially clinch a berth in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win over the Predators, or a single point (OT/SO loss), combined with a regulation loss by Anaheim Ducks, who are in Edmonton to face the Oilers at 8:30pm CT.
AT THE MORNING SKATE
WINNIPEG - Sunday night could be a special night at Bell MTS Place.
A win over the Central Division leading Nashville Predators tonight would clinch a playoff spot for the Winnipeg Jets. But that doesn't change anything in the mind of head coach Paul Maurice.
"You want to accomplish that goal, you want to have that done as soon as you possibly can for sure," said Maurice. "But I wouldn't have said that we would have tried to play harder in our last game even though we couldn't clinch, or harder tonight than we will in the next game if we have clinched.
"Handle the day we're handling, and all the other things will take care of themselves."

The Jets (45-19-10) could also clinch by gaining a single point tonight, and have the Anaheim Ducks lose to the Edmonton Oilers in regulation.
But the Jets are focused on "handling their day," as they've said all season. That means focusing on the Predators, who have beaten the Jets in three of the first four meetings this season.
While Nashville (48-16-10) has lost two straight, including a 4-1 setback in Minnesota last night, they also went 15 games without a regulation loss over the course of a month prior to those two losses.
"The reason they're sitting with 106 (points) is they play a playoff game," said Maurice. "They've gotten themselves to a level… That's part of the way they play.
"We're going to play a hard game in front of their net, there's going to be stuff after the whistle. You hope the referees are looking at it on both sides. If it doesn't go your way, you have to kill a penalty. But we have to play that aggressive game."
The Jets have won four in a row to start a six-game home stand, and held an optional skate this morning.

Captain Blake Wheeler has a goal and six points over the course of the home stand, and sees the fact that Nashville played last night as an opportunity for the Jets.
"We want to continue to try and elevate our game, and try to bring a lot of speed here tonight. We know they played last night, so we want to get off to a good start," he said.
"They're always a tough team. Whether they played last night, or whatever the case may be, they always seem to find a way to keep games close.
"It's going to be a good measuring stick once again, and always nice to have the best team in the league playing in your building."
There will be a change on the Jets back end tonight, as Maurice announced the team is likely shutting down Toby Enstrom for the remainder of the regular season so the defenceman can heal up the multiple injuries he's currently dealing with.
Enstrom left Friday's 3-2 overtime win over Anaheim after the second period with a lower-body injury.
With Enstrom out, Tucker Poolman will draw in.
"We've liked his games that he's in," Maurice said of Poolman's 18 NHL games. "Confidence is the one thing he should gain every time he's in a game, just by experience. It's a good opponent (he's playing), so he's going to be under quite a bit of pressure under the forecheck."
Speaking of defencemen, the Jets know they'll have to keep an eye on Nashville's defence. Two of them - P.K. Subban and Roman Josi - sit third and fourth on the team in points with 53 and 47 respectively.
The last time the Predators were at Bell MTS Place, they escaped with a 6-5 win, with Josi recording five assists.
"It's a big trend in the NHL, getting your defensemen up in the rush and activating them in the play," said Josh Morrissey. "When you have some of the skill and guys they have on their back end, they're dangerous all the time.
"We talk a lot about being on it and above it, and being responsible with our high man in the offensive zone, because they can turn what looks like a promising chance for us offensively into a chance the other way on an odd-man rush getting those D up the ice."
Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal for the Jets, with puck drop set for 6 pm CT.
ICE CHIPS
Enstrom has missed a total of 31 games this season, 23 of which were for an upper-body injury sustained in a win over New Jersey on Nov. 18, 2017.
The other eight came in two, four-game blocks between Feb. 26 and Mar. 15.
"He's in probably that top five of toughest players I've ever coached in terms of what he can endure," said Maurice. "He's going to end up doing it again by the fact he goes into the corners first and plays in traffic. We want to give him a chance to feel good.
"Based on his history, he's going to want to play next week. It's a good idea today maybe, but in a week he's going 'I can play.' But we're looking at trying to give him a little bit more of a structured game plan."
- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
JETS GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets tangle with the Nashville Predators tonight in the third matchup in less than a month between the two teams...The Jets improved to 4-0 on their six-game home stand with a 3-2 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday...Winnipeg's home stand concludes Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins.
Jets vs. Predators Notes
- Winnipeg has points in four of their last seven games against Nashville (3-3-1).
- The last six meetings between the Jets and Predators have been decided by two goals or less.
- The winning team has scored at least five goals in five of the last eight games between these two teams.
- The Jets and Predators have combined for 33 goals in the first four meetings this season.
Magical Time of Year
The Jets magic number to clinch a playoff spot sits at two on the Los Angeles Kings and three on the Anaheim Ducks...The Jets can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight or by gaining a point and having the Ducks lose in regulation to the Edmonton Oilers...Winnipeg's magic number to clinch home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs is nine...Based on points percentage, the projected points needed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference is 97 points, which the Jets have achieved with eight games remaining in the regular season.
Making a Positive Difference
The Jets enter tonight's game with a plus-53 goal differential on the season, which is a franchise high...This is just the fourth season in the 18-year franchise history that the Jets have had a positive goal differential...The previous record was plus-20, set during the 2014-15 season...The Jets need to limit their opposition to 13 goals or less in the last eight games to set a record for least amount of goals against in a season (excluding the lockout-shortened season)...The 2014-15 Jets allowed a franchise low 204 goals, while this season the Jets have allowed 190 goals against.
Home, Sweet Home
The Jets enter tonight's game on a five-game home winning streak...Winnipeg's last loss at Bell MTS Place was Feb. 27 to Nashville 6-5...Winnipeg leads the NHL in points at home with 58 and wins at home with 28...Winnipeg has also scored a league-high 142 goals at home this season, while the Jets have allowed just 91 goals, which is tied for fifth-fewest...Despite being 1-for-17 (5.9%) on with the extra man in its last five home games, Winnipeg's power play at home is tied for fourth in the NHL at 26.1%.
Helle Good
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck won his 38th game of the season on Friday, which is third in the NHL this season...The win was also Hellebuyck's third consecutive victory and fourth straight win at Bell MTS Place...Hellebuyck leads the NHL with a 26-5-2 record at home, while boasting a 2.30 goals-against average and .921 save percentage on home ice...The Jets have scored 205 goals when he's been in net this season, while he's only allowed 140 for a plus-65 goal differential.
Keeping Up with KC
With six goals in his last five games, including back-to-back game winners in overtime, Kyle Connor has moved to second in NHL rookie goal scoring with 28 goals in 68 games...He's one goal behind Vancouver's Brock Boeser, who is out for the rest of the season with an injury, for the rookie goal scoring lead...Connor has a share of the NHL rookie game-winning goal lead with five game winning tallies this season...Connor needs two goals to reach 30 and pass Ilya Kovalchuk (2001-02) for the second-most goals by a rookie in a season in franchise history...Connor is eight back of the 36 goals Patrik Laine scored last season to set the franchise rookie goal scoring record...Three of the top five rookie goal scoring seasons in franchise history have been done in the last three seasons.
Assists Leader
Blake Wheeler notched his 63rd and 64th assist of the season on Friday against Anaheim to extend his assist streak to five games...He joins Marc Savard (69 in 2006-07) as the only two players in franchise history to reach 60 assists in a season...Wheeler leads the NHL in assists and needs six assists in his last eight games to set a franchise record for most assists in a season...Wheeler also leads the NHL with 45 primary assists...Since the all-star break, Wheeler has 24 assists in 24 games and hasn't gone back-to- back games without an assist since Jan. 23-25.
Jets vs. Predators All-Time Records
Overall: 15-19-5
At Bell MTS Place: 5-7-0
At Bridgestone Arena: 6-11-2