Practice Notebook - Jan. 18, 2023

With a disappointing night in Montreal in the rear-view mirror, the Winnipeg Jets hit the ice for practice in Toronto on Wednesday with three particular things on the agenda.
"Puck touches, timing, and execution," head coach Rick Bowness said after the session.
Practice time has been at a premium for the Jets as of late. Dating back to December - a month when the Winnipeg Jets practiced just three times - the Jets have spent most days between games in video sessions or off-ice workouts.
Still, they managed to win eight of nine games before falling to the Canadiens 4-2 to open a five-game road trip on Tuesday.
So getting on the ice as a group, before taking on the Maple Leafs on Thursday, was crucial.

"We're not very happy at all with our last five games," said Bowness.
"We want to get back to being the team we know we can be, which is very hard to play against. Hopefully that is going to show itself tomorrow night. It should be a great hockey game. Two great hockey teams from Canada going head-to-head, you gotta love it."

As a product of Kitchener, ON, Mark Scheifele always revs his game up against the Maple Leafs.
His 15 goals and 34 points against Toronto lead the Jets since 2011. He knows he'll have to bring his best if he wants to add to those numbers, and getting in a solid 45-minute practice session - like the one the Jets had on Wednesday - is the first step to doing that.
"I love getting on the ice. I love getting touches," said Scheifele, who is a regular at morning skates as well, even if they're optional. "I'm a big fan of practising, whether it's 15-20 minutes of getting some touches or doing some of your own stuff. I like doing that."
LINE SHUFFLES
There were points in the loss to Montreal where Bowness shuffled the forward lines in an attempt to create some offence after the Jets gave up three goals in a 5:45 span in the second period.
While those variations didn't stick in Wednesday's skate, the lines still looked much different than what they did at the start of Tuesday's game.
Connor-Dubois-Wheeler
Barron-Scheifele-Ehlers
Perfetti-Lowry-Maenalanen
Kuhlman-Stenlund-Gagner
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Heinola-Schmidt
Sam Gagner wasn't in the line-up in Montreal, but based on the lines at practice he'll be returning to action on Thursday.
He says that over the course of a season, changing up the lines can be helpful.
"Things get stale, or you want to change things up and create some balance on the lines," he said. "As players, you prepare, show up, and do your best to get your game on the ice and help the team win games. That's the focus."

Scheifele agrees. He's spent the last number of games with Cole Perfetti and Blake Wheeler, since both returned to the line-up against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 6.
"We got some guys back in the lineup a little bit ago and then things have been going good one game, bad the next," he said. "That's something that sometimes gives you a little energy, playing with new guys, with different reads, different tendencies. So, hopefully we can find some chemistry tomorrow."
Logan Stanley and Mason Appleton remained in non-contact jerseys as they continue to work their way back from their respective injuries.
Dylan Samberg, who didn't play against Montreal, missed the skate as the defenceman is under the weather.
FACING THE MAPLE LEAFS
The second stop on the road trip has the Jets facing the Atlantic Division's second best team in the Maple Leafs (27-11-7). Toronto is coming off a comeback overtime win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, and are 16-3-4 on home ice.
That record trails only the Boston Bruins for the best home record in the NHL.
"They're a fantastic team. They've been awesome this year even with the injuries they've had," said Scheifele. "We have to be ready. They're playing well. Anytime you get to play the Leafs, it's fun. To play in Toronto in front of friends and family is great. Hopefully we can have a good showing tomorrow."
Toronto took the first meeting of the season between the two clubs by a score of 4-1 on October 22. John Tavares had two goals that night, and he's someone Sam Gagner is very familiar with.

The two have been playing with each other - as was the case back in their minor hockey days right up until their time with the U16AAA Toronto Marlboroughs in the early 2000s - and against each other at various levels for a long time.
"A lot of games on the backyard rink growing up," said Gagner. "We're certainly competitive every time we get on the ice together. I'm looking forward to the game tomorrow."
Gagner hit 1,000 NHL games on December 29, and Tavares will play his 995th on Thursday against the Jets.
"He's always been a guy who has adjusted really well," said Gagner. "I remember at 15-years-old we get called up to play junior, and adjusting to the speed. He's one of those players that finds ways to continue to produce and adjust. He's such a well-rounded player and finds ways to impact the game in a lot of different ways. He's had a great career and I'm sure he has a lot left in him."
That friendship will be put to the side for a few hours on Thursday night as an old Scotia North Division rivalry is rekindled.
And the Jets can try to get back on track after a setback in Montreal.
"We want to be at our best," said Scheifele. "If we play our best, we know we can be at the top of the standings. That's really our only focus."