Practice Notebook - Mar. 27, 2023

After a day off on Sunday, it was back to business for the Winnipeg Jets on Monday at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, California.
And when the players came into the building, two players learned they'd be skating with different linemates than they did in Saturday's setback against Los Angeles.
Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers were the two players flipping spots, with Namestnikov taking up the left-wing slot beside Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.
"I played with Blake a little bit before, but this was the first time with Scheif." Said Namestnikov after the 45-minute skate. "For me, nothing changes. I still have to be a responsible two-way player. My mindset doesn't change. I just have to get those guys the puck and win all my battles in the corner."

The 30-year-old Namestnikov's time with Wheeler (with Ehlers on the other wing) was a successful trio for the Jets. Natural Stat Trick reports that particular line outscored their opponents 3-0 at five-on-five and held a 52.58 percent share of the expected goals during their 52:49 together.
Now he's hoping that chemistry translates to this new line with Scheifele, who Namestnikov played against in the Ontario Hockey League from 2010-2012. Scheifele, of course, was with the Barrie Colts and Namestnikov with the London Knights.
"He's a great forward. He's got all the tools - he's smart, he's big. It's fun watching him play out there," said Namestnikov. "I've played with many types of players before. I'm excited to get a chance to play with these guys."
Jets head coach Rick Bowness is very familiar with Namestnikov after coaching the forward in both Dallas and Tampa Bay. That knowledge came in handy when deciding to play Namestnikov with Scheifele and Wheeler.

While in Tampa, Namestnikov played on a line with Nikita Kucherov, so he has the ability to play with skilled forwards, and do the things they need from their linemates.
"He hangs on to plays and knows where people are. He can find people," said Bowness. "He doesn't throw the puck away. That's the biggest thing. He hangs on to it. When you're playing with those two guys and you want to be a puck possession team, the third guy on the line can't be throwing it away. Vladdy will get it, hang on to it and buy time for them to support him."
The full line rushes looked like this on Monday:
Connor-Dubois-Niederreiter
Namestnikov-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Lowry-Appleton
Barron-Stenlund-Maenalanen
Jonsson-Fjallby-Gustafsson-Kuhlman
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Samberg-Schmidt
Stanley-Capobianco
As for the rest of the forward lines, Bowness wanted to keep Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Connor, and Nino Niederreiter together, and putting Ehlers - who has two goals in his last five games - with Lowry and Appleton (two of Winnipeg's most surging offensive players the last five games) could be beneficial.
"Two big strong guys that hang on to pucks," Bowness said of Lowry and Appleton. "They'll give (Ehlers) some size and it should create some space for him to give him a little more room with the puck. But from day one we've wanted him carrying the puck and skating with it. That's when he's at his best."
The two changes are in an effort to generate more offence, something that hasn't been easy to come by for the Jets the last little while.
They've had nights like the beginning of the month when they scored seven times against Edmonton. But more often lately, either the bounces around the net haven't gone their way, or they're not getting enough pucks to the net to create the opportunities they're looking for.
"When your chance is there, you've got to shoot the puck," said Bowness. "When we're looking to make that extra play that's there, instead of putting it on the net. That's why the shot totals are down and goals for are down."

The Jets close out the three-game road trip against San Jose on Tuesday. In the first meeting of the season between the two teams earlier this month, pucks to the net wasn't a problem.
Winnipeg had 38 shots on goal, but James Reimer was a big reason why the Jets came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 final in overtime.
Bowness said that Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal for the Jets, and Namestnikov said the urgency of the situation - with only eight games left on the schedule - is something Winnipeg is well aware of.
Especially as they cling to the final wildcard spot in the West.
"We're all focused on that," said Namestnikov. "Obviously we let the one two nights ago slip away, but we all know what's at stake. So we're ready to go."