GAMEDAY: Kraken at Jets

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets open a three-game homestand tonight when they face the Seattle Kraken at Canada Life Centre tonight (7 CT, TSN3/680 CJOB, Power 97).

The Jets (5-1) have won five straight games after a 2-1 come from behind effort in Calgary on Monday night. Mark Scheifele scored the game winning goal in the third period and Jonathan Toews recorded his first goal as a Jet. Toews is looking more and more comfortable with his hometown team as each game goes by.

“These last few games I feel like I am really starting to settle in and just think less with systems and the play calling, draws and what we do off the faceoff, all the little details of the team game are finally starting to become second nature,” said Toews on Monday night.

“I can go out there and maybe not over think but start to relax with the puck and be a little more comfortable and not as afraid to make mistakes and from there the offence comes.”

Going off of the line rushes from practice on Wednesday, Toews will remain with Gustav Nyquist and Nino Niederreiter. There is a ton of NHL experience on the Toews line as the trio have a combined 2,915 regular season games. For Niederreiter, he jokingly like to remind Toews and Nyquist that he is much younger (Niederreiter (32), Toews, (37) and Nyquist (36).

“So, I always keep them honest that way. But no. I mean, obviously they're new to the team, make sure we talk a lot like I mentioned and getting down the system,” said Niederreiter on Wednesday.

“Tell them kind of like how we do things here and how things are supposed to look like. And I think each and every game, they feel like they get better as well.”

Make sure to watch the Jets pregame show "The Check In" with Sara Orlesky and Jamie Thomas live at 12:30 CT or watch it later on YouTube, Facebook and X.

With the injuries the Jets are dealing with at this point, it’s impressive that they have been able to string five wins in a row. Outside of the Scheifele, Connor and Vilardi line, Scott Arniel has been forced to experiment with the other three lines.

"Would I like to have Lowry and Perfetti and Samberg? Obviously, it's the hand you're dealt coming out of training camp, but it is nice to have opportunities to try guys in different areas and continue to win hockey games. I think, if you throw the three young guys in, we've got seven new guys up front so getting those guys experience in October, November, is huge,” said Arniel.

“We'll see where we are when we're healthy but just these guys being able to contribute to what we're doing, getting them -- like you said about the lines, sometimes they scramble, they change -- it's just trying to find maybe some... On the road there's some matchups that maybe happen. At home it gets a little different for me. It's just feeling it out and it is, it's a good opportunity for me to see what each guy can do."

Clearly, the Scheifele line has been driving the bus for the Jets to start the year at five-on-five. Scheifele’s 10 points and seven goals are both the most he has ever recorded in the first six games of a season. While he is currently on a five-game goal streak, the team has also won their last five games. Dating back to the start of last season, the Jets are 29-4-3 when Scheifele finds the back of the net. The 32-year-old has had a lot of help from Kyle Connor as well, as he leads the team in assists with six.

“They’ve played together for a long time now and, knowing those guys both off the ice, they work really hard in the summer to come in and not just be ready to go, but take their game to another level and keep trying ways to improve and get better,” said Josh Morrissey.

“I’d say just from day one of camp both of those guys looked like they were on their game or even at another level.”

The Kraken come into Winnipeg on the tail end of a six-game road trip in which they are 1-2-2 after a 4-1 loss in Washington on Tuesday. Mason Marchment didn’t play on Tuesday and is day-to-day with a lower body injury and that means Seattle could be missing six regulars from their lineup.

“I mean, we’re definitely being tested,” Eberle said on the team website.

“We’ve had some adversity, some big guys out. But ultimately, you go through a season where on every team there’s injuries and guys need to step up and need to play more minutes. And right now, that’s the case for us.”

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 CT.

FLEURY VS. FLEURY

Tonight's game will also feature the Fleury brothers facing off against one another. The Jets Haydn and the Kraken's Cale will have their parents in attendance as well.