GAMEDAY: Jets vs Canadiens (Game 4)

MONTREAL -It's impossible to accomplish one's goals without taking the first step.
The ultimate goal for the Winnipeg Jets is to come all the way back from the 3-0 series deficit they face to the Montreal Canadiens. Before they can do that, though, they need to get that first win.
And they need that victory tonight.
"We've got to win a game. It's pretty simple," said Nikolaj Ehlers. "So, we're excited for it and we're going to go out and play better than we did last game."

Winnipeg's 5-1 loss in Game 3 put them in this position, but it was also a night where the score could have been a lot different.
At 1-0 Montreal, both Ehlers and captain Blake Wheeler hit the crossbar.
Shortly after, it was 3-0 Montreal.

The Jets want to make life difficult on Carey Price, the goaltender who has backstopped Montreal to a six-game postseason win streak dating back to their Game 5 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We've just missed opportunities to go to the front of the net, and we got to get there," said Ehlers. "That's how you score goals in this league, especially in the playoffs. We've had our chances but it hasn't worked out - and tonight it will."
That's perhaps how this series against the Canadiens is different than the one against the Oilers, according to Maurice.
The Edmonton series was all about the rush - both stopping it and generating off it - while this series is being battled out in a different area.
"This series is blue paint," said Maurice. "They've gotten to ours and we haven't gotten to theirs. That's an absolute fact."
Paul Stastny thinks the best way the Jets can improve on that is to keep things simple.
"We've just got to get there and kind of create havoc," he said. "Sometimes it's not those shots that get through but it might hit something and all of a sudden bounce to someone else that's open."
Tonight, is the second time this postseason that the Jets have played on back-to-back nights.

Through the regular season, Winnipeg was 5-3-0 in the second game of back-to-backs, then won Game 4 over the Edmonton Oilers in the exact same situation.
"After we won, there were guys that were talking about how it would have sucked if we would have had to fly back to Edmonton to play another game (after triple OT in Game 4)," said Stastny. "You just never know in these series. They've been close games. Sometimes the score doesn't indicate that, but we know what we've got to do."
Stastny played 16:25 in Game 3, his first game of the series after missing the first two with an undisclosed injury.
Having Stastny back in the line-up gave head coach Paul Maurice more options with his forwards, as he shuffled the lines a few times throughout Game 3, looking for a spark.
In tonight's Game 4, Stastny's off-ice presence will be just as important as what he contributes on it.
"There's good leadership in this group, starting from our coaches to our captains," said Stastny. "So when you're in that situation, there's a lot of belief and whether it happens tonight or not, I think we have belief within ourselves, of this group of what we can do and we just put our best foot forward and just kind of leave it all out there."

The Jets didn't have a morning skate on Monday, instead opting for a meeting at the rink. Maurice wouldn't reveal his line-up - other than to say they may have a question mark or two.
"We will do video today, not just about 'Hey, we've got to get back to our game.' We're looking to get better," Maurice said, adding he wants his players to play with freedom and not be afraid to make a mistake.
"You want to be on the ice with the puck on your stick thinking you can be the guy that can keep this going," said Maurice. "At the end of the day, the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens both have to win a game to move on. For us, it's just moving on to the next game. For them, it's moving onto the next series."
Earlier in the season, Stastny spoke about Maurice's pre-game speeches.
One can only imagine what Maurice will say prior to tonight's puck drop.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
Game Notes
The Winnipeg Jets will try and avoid elimination tonight as they take on the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their second round series.
The Jets face elimination for the first time in this season's playoffs. The Jets franchise is 1-5 all-time in playoff games when facing elimination. The lone win was Game 7 of the second round in 2018 against the Nashville Predators.
The Jets play their second back-to-back of the playoffs on Monday. Winnipeg swept the back-to-back against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. The Jets were 4-3-1 in the first half and 5-3-0 in the second half of back-to-back sets during the regular season.
The Jets are 5-3 in their past eight road playoff games and have won at least one road game in five of their past six playoff series. Winnipeg won a franchise high three road games in 2018 during their second round series against the Nashville Predators.
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