GAMEDAY: Jets at Avalanche

It's safe to say the Winnipeg Jets line-up is going to look much different in the 82nd game of the regular season than it did in game 81.
By clinching their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday in that 81st game, the Jets have afforded themselves a chance to rest some players tonight in Colorado.
The list of those sitting out includes Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Morrissey, Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, and Nate Schmidt, and that means opportunity for a player like Logan Stanley who draws in for the first time since March 31 against Detroit.
"I'll try and go in and play a solid game," said Stanley. "There are always bumps and bruises in the playoffs. Tonight will be a good game to try and get ready and make sure you're ready to play a playoff style game."

Along with Stanley, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Kyle Capobianco, David Gustafsson, and Karson Kuhlman will all play against the Avalanche. Dominic Toninato, who has 19 goals and 33 points in 49 games with the Manitoba Moose will also be recalled.
Jets head coach Rick Bowness said he spoke with Moose head coach Mark Morrison about who had earned a call-up, and Toninato's name was put forward.
"From the moment he's gone down, he's played his heart out for them," said Bowness. "He's a leader down there on and off the ice, he's done everything Mark has asked them to do. He's the guy that deserves the call-up."

Bowness had actually planned to bring up as many as four players, but he said that Kyle Connor, Neal Pionk, Adam Lowry, and Brenden Dillon - who have all played 81 games this season - want to hit 82.
"So we have to give them that right," Bowness said, stating some players regard it as a badge of honour. "If those guys want to play a full 82 games, we're not going to take that away from them."
David Rittich will start in goal for the Jets, won seven of their last 10 games to clinch a playoff spot, but the Avalanche have been rolling as well. They're 8-1-1 in that same span, and with a win over Winnipeg tonight (and a regulation loss by Dallas to St. Louis) the defending Stanley Cup champions would clinch the Central Division title.
"They're going to be ready to play. They want to get first in the division," said Stanley. "I know if we were in that situation, we'd be throwing everything we could at us. They'll be ready to go, and we'll be ready to go in here too."
If there is the same emotion in this game as Winnipeg's 3-1 win over Minnesota, the Jets will be ready for it.
Bowness felt the third period against the Wild a couple nights ago was a taste of what's to come in the postseason.
"They cranked it up and so did we," said Bowness. "They were still fighting at that point for home ice advantage, still fighting for second place. The emotions got very high on the ice, on the benches, yapping between the two benches was pretty intense. Anytime anybody skated by our bench the guys were giving them a little grief, so the intensity certainly rose in that third period."

Ehlers didn't finish the game after a hit from Ryan Hartman, and while the Jets forward won't play tonight, Bowness said he did clear concussion protocol.
"Just talked to him and he's feeling better," Bowness said. "He'll get reassessed tomorrow."
Bowness stopped short of confirming Ehlers would be available for the first game of the playoffs, instead saying it was too early to tell at this point.
He did like how his team responded though, with Brenden Dillon and Adam Lowry defending their teammates.
"There was never any doubt that we're all going to stick up for each other. It started from training camp, then Banff on," said Bowness. "In those intense moments, going after guys that took some liberties on some of our guys, yeah the intensity was there. Obviously we loved the win, but I think the guys really enjoyed how we won the game and the intensity we played with to win."
Puck drop in Colorado is set for 7 pm CT.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
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