Practice Notebook - Mar. 24, 2023

If the Winnipeg Jets want to extend their win streak to three games, they'll have to do something that not many teams have been able to do lately - beat the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings haven't lost in regulation in the month of March (7-0-2) and haven't lost in regulation in almost a month, with the last setback coming against the New York Rangers on February 26.
"I think 14 of their last 18 games they've only given up two goals - we're one of the teams that scored on them," said Jets head coach Rick Bowness after Friday's practice, referencing Winnipeg's 6-5 shootout loss back on February 28.
"They are very structured and they're getting great goaltending now," added Bowness. "That's why they're where they are in the division. It's going to be a tough battle tomorrow, there is no question."
That doesn't mean the Jets are intimidated, though.

They've won two straight, including the road trip opener against Anaheim on Thursday, and the effort Bowness saw from his group in that 3-2 victory was one that put a smile on his face postgame.
"That was one of our better team efforts and team game for 60 minutes last night," Bowness said. "Now it's a much different team and a much different game tomorrow. We'll have to make some adjustments and be prepared for that."
Those preparations began with the 40-minute session at the Toyota Sports Performance Center. The Jets and Kings have split their two meetings this season, with the road team prevailing each game.
Despite the fact there were a total of 21 goals scored in those two games, Jets forward Mason Appleton knows that generating that type of offence against the Kings will be difficult. Since the start of March, Los Angeles has allowed the fewest goals in the NHL (16).
"We're going to have a hard challenge getting through the neutral zone with speed and possession, that's something we worked on today," said Appleton. "We know what we're going to do. It's just a matter of our game plan and executing that."
There was only one change to the Jets lines in practice, as Dylan Samberg will be slotting in alongside Nate Schmidt on the blue line. Kyle Capobianco has been in that spot for the last two games, but Bowness wanted to make the switch given the fact Samberg plays a big role on the Jets penalty kill - an important consideration against LA's sixth-ranked power play.

The full line rushes looked like this:
Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Dubois-Niederreiter
Namestnikov-Lowry-Appleton
Barron-Stenlund-Maenalanen
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Samberg-Schmidt
One of the challenges the Jets have faced in their last two games - despite the fact Arizona and Anaheim are on the outside of the playoff race - is the fact those two opponents haven't been as structured as teams gearing up for the postseason.
That's all going to change against the Kings, and Appleton feels that plays into Winnipeg's favour.
"There are some teams in the Eastern Conference that play a little bit more of a run-and-gun, looser game. We seem to struggle a little bit more with that," said Appleton. "I find that a team has good structure, like we do, I think we know each other's game plan and know where each other is going to be.
"We know exactly how LA is going to play. We just have to be able to answer that."
A big part of going up against the Kings is containing their top two centres - Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault.
Kopitar scored four times in the last meeting between the Jets and Kings.
"Where they're really good is the face-offs," said Bowness. "They're both heavy guys, they're very reliable defensively and great penalty killers. They're just tough to play against. That's why they have the reputations they have and the way they play."
The Jets can be tough to play against as well, especially if they get their forecheck rolling as well as it was against Anaheim.
"To do that, you have to have two on the puck. It's not one guy, you have to have support on the puck, and they were doing a really good job last night supporting each other," Bowness said. "We're always talking about that - two on the puck on the forecheck - because the teams are really good defensively in the league, we'll notice it tomorrow, but everyone tries to outnumber the other team in their D-zone. You always have to make sure you've got that second guy around the puck."
Add in the fact the Jets are trying to hold off the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference, and it all sets up for an intense season series finale on Saturday.
"We let a point slip away the last time we played them," said Bowness. "So now we have to get it back tomorrow."