GAME DAY: Preseason Game 3 - Jets vs Flames

WINNIPEG -Eleven members of the Winnipeg Jets will make their preseason debut tonight as the Jets host the Calgary Flames at Bell MTS Place.
Mark Scheifele is one of those players, and he's eager to see game action after a long summer of training.
"It feels like forever," said Scheifele. "You just want to get your feet wet early, and not try to do anything too much. You can't emulate a game until you're actually in one. The biggest thing for us is not try to focus on doing too much, just focus on what we do best, and letting the rest take over."

The 25-year-old had 60 points in 60 regular season games in 2017-18, and added another 20 points in 17 postseason games, with 14 of those being goals.
Scheifele, along with Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Dustin Byfuglien make up the Jets first power play unit, and tonight will be the first time they're all back together in game action.
"We were together for pretty much all year last year. We know what to expect," said Scheifele about the unit that helped the Jets to fifth in the NHL in power play percentage last season (23.4 per cent).
"We just have to go out and execute. If something is a little off at the start, not getting too frustrated, just knowing what we do best and going from there."

It's also the first time this preseason that defencemen Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien will play as a pair, with Myers - a right-handed shot - playing on the left side.
"They'll get into the regular season before we get a hard assessment on where they're at," said head coach Paul Maurice. "They're both veteran guys that you can sit and talk hockey with for as long as you want. They have a good read of the game. We'll be able to sit with them and talk about places that they're comfortable, things they want to change, and if they think it's working, and if we think it's working."
This will be Byfuglien's second game of the preseason, after playing 25:35 against Minnesota on Monday night. The 33-year-old wouldn't mind playing a little bit more as the preseason goes on.
"For me it's just much easier to go play a game of hockey than sit there and go over the X's and O's in practice. I enjoy playing," said Byfuglien, who looks forward to playing with Myers tonight.
"We just have to worry about defence, and once we get that under control, the game is in our hands."
Based on this morning's skate at Bell MTS Iceplex, the other defensive pairs will include Dmitry Kulikov and Ben Chiarot (also playing on his off side), as well as Peter Stoykewych and Nelson Nogier.

Nogier played 10 games at the NHL level to conclude the 2016-17 season, before a shoulder injury cost him nearly all of the 2017-18 campaign.
"I liked Nelson from day one in Penticton when he first came out. His positioning on the ice was really strong," said Maurice. "We want to play a fast game, and we want to move the puck quickly. We almost need him to relax a little bit, and not try to catch up in one training camp. We'll have lots of patience with him."

Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal, as the Jets conclude the first of three sets of back-to-back games over the course of the next week.
Puck drop is set for 7 pm CT with TSN GO and WinnipegJets.com providing the live stream, and TSN 1290 carrying the radio broadcast.
GAME NOTES
The Winnipeg Jets host the Calgary Flames tonight in Winnipeg's third game and second home game of the pre-season...The Jets lost 7-3 to the Edmonton Oilers last night at Rogers Place in Edmonton to drop to 1-1 in the pre-season...After an off day tomorrow, the Jets entertain the Oilers on Sunday on Bell MTS Place.
Top Line Debuts
Tonight the Jets top line of Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are scheduled to make their pre-season debut...The trio combined for 77 goals and 208 points last season...Wheeler averaged more than a point per game with 91 points (23G, 68A) in 81 games, while Scheifele had exactly a point per game with 60 points (23G, 37A) in 60 games...Connor led all NHL rookies with 31 goals.
Helle's First
Vezina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck is slated to make his pre-season debut...The Michigan product tied for the NHL lead with 44 wins last season, which was the most by an American-born goaltender in NHL history...He also had a career best .924 save percentage...Hellebuyck signed a six-year, $37 million contract with the Jets this summer.
More Debuts
Two rookie forwards are slated to make their Jets pre-season debuts tonight in C.J. Suess and Kristian Reichel...Suess was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Draft and played his college hockey at Minnesota State, while Reichel signed a contract with the Manitoba Moose this summer after playing two seasons in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels.
Three-for-Three
Forward Seth Griffith is set to play in his third game of the pre-season tonight and is the only member of the Jets slated to do so...He was a free agent signing on July 1, 2016 by the Jets after playing last season in the Buffalo Sabres organization...The product of Wallaceburg, Ont. has also spent time in the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers organizations.
Extinguishing the Flames
The Jets went 2-1-0 against the Calgary Flames last season...Most of Winnipeg's success against Calgary has come at Bell MTS Place, as the Jets are 4-2-1 against the Flames in Winnipeg since 2011...Mathieu Perreault led the Jets in scoring last season against the Flames with three points (1G, 2A) in three games...Blake Wheeler is the Jets franchise leader in scoring against the Flames with 16 points (6G, 10A) in 15 games.
Road Start
For the first time since 2016, the Jets start the regular season on the road, as they begin the 2018-19 campaign at Enterprise Center in St. Louis against the Blues on Oct. 4 and follow up with their second game in Dallas against the Stars on Oct. 6...However, Winnipeg plays the bulk of their October schedule at Bell MTS Place, as the team has seven of their first 10 games at home...The Jets have a season-high six-game homestand from Oct. 14-24.
Pre-Season Sked
Last night, the Jets began a stretch of six games in eight days, including three back-to-back sets ...Winnipeg plays their usual pre-season counterparts twice each - Minnesota, Calgary, and Edmonton - and host the New Jersey Devils on Sept. 27 in their lone pre-season game against an Eastern Conference opponent.
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