Wheeler, Jets expect Nashville's best in Game Six

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - One day after a 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game Five of their best-of-seven series, the Winnipeg Jets are locked in on the task ahead.
Up 3-2 in the series heading back to Bell MTS Place, the Jets have played five tough games against the Predators.
The next one will be even tougher.
"You're not going to break this team and have them not show up in a game. They're going to give you their best," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, adding this potential elimination game will have a different feel than the First Round.
"The games weren't anything like the games we're playing now - just on style alone. In every single game, and I'll include Game Four when there wasn't a lot of offence. There's enough there for each team to win a hockey game."

With Saturday night's 8:30 pm CT start time, the Jets elected to stay over in Nashville, instead of arriving back in Winnipeg in the wee hours of the morning.
Rest and recovery are at a premium this time of year, and when the team is on the ice, getting contributions from throughout the line-up is equally critical.
"It's been what's given us success all year," said Blake Wheeler, who had three assists in the Game Five win. "It hasn't been one line or a couple guys. Typically its been balanced throughout the line-up in our wins. There have been nights when one line has carried us, then the next night the next line carries us."
Last night, Wheeler's line combined for eight points, with Kyle Connor scoring his first - and second - of the postseason. Connor would add an assist on Mark Scheifele's ninth of the playoffs.
"I think Kyle was real loose last night. You could see he was looking to make plays," said Wheeler. "He was darting into holes kind of like we're used to seeing him do. Scheif and I just tried to create a little space. When he's got jump like that, Kyle can be pretty dynamic in open space. You saw last night, he had a lot of jump."

Speaking of depth, the Jets also had a goal from Mathieu Perreault in Game Five - his first since leaving Game One against the Minnesota Wild due to injury.
Perreault had 12:46 of ice time, with two shots on goal, two takeaways, and 2:04 of power play time.
It was during that look on the power play that Perreault banged home a puck that came off the end boards in the Nashville zone - the result of a deflected Nikolaj Ehlers wrist shot.
"He got back to Matty's game. He got sick in March on that road trip. I thought he had a hard time finding his game after that. I didn't think he recovered," said Maurice, who started Perreault on the wing with Bryan Little and Joel Armia.
Before the end of the game, he had moved Perreault to a line with Paul Stastny and Patrik Laine.
"He looked back to being the guy that we appreciate," said Maurice.." Just the play at the end of the game where he's diving to knock a puck loose when he doesn't have to - he plays full out all the time. He was good with Little and Armia, but when he went with Stastny and Laine - a different style of player for those guys - he was on the puck pretty good."

The Jets will need that kind of play throughout their line-up on Monday night, when the puck drops on Game Six at 8:30 pm CT.
Wheeler says his team is excited for the opportunity.
"What we're focused on is what's given us success all year long, that's just finding a way to win one hockey game," said Wheeler.
"We're expecting their best game of the season. But we haven't worried about the other team all year, and we're not starting to worry about the other team now. We're extremely excited about our opportunity, and its this year. This is a great opportunity for our team.
"We're full on expecting to play our best game of the season tomorrow night. It gives us no guarantees. But if we play our best game of the year, it's going to give us a chance to win."